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    • MSU football falls painfully at Oregon: 3 quick takes
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    MSU football falls painfully at Oregon: 3 quick takes

    Madoc Meredith Posted on

    1. Aidan Chiles isn’t the reason MSU lost this game, but his fumble was devastating

    EUGENE, Ore. – I don’t think Michigan State had a chance to win this game considering everything else we saw Friday night.

    But Aidan Chiles didn’t give himself or his team a chance to see how the game would have unfolded if the Spartans had struck first – which they could have done when Chiles fumbled near the goal line and passed the ball to Oregon instead.

    Chiles is relatively inexperienced and doesn’t have a running game to help him or an experienced offensive line to protect him – but he’ll have to break that turnover habit soon. It’s costly and increasingly demoralizing. This particular fumble was the worst of his 11 turnovers (eight interceptions and three fumbles). Because it was all about protecting football. Basic things. And it was such a missed opportunity.

    The game ultimately went past the Spartans, whose defense really struggled to tackle in space for the first time, and whose offense went nowhere until very late after that first drive. So the final score was what it was: 31-10 in favor of Oregon. A slow but seemingly certain death after that fumble.

    Chiles doesn’t have as many upsides as Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel. And Gabriel, making his 54th career start at his third school, threw two interceptions in or near the end zone Friday night. Oregon didn’t trust Gabriel and then managed a seven-play, 55-yard touchdown drive without throwing the football.

    MSU doesn’t have that luxury. This season it’s largely down to Chiles, who made his sixth career start on Friday. He’s gifted enough to sometimes give the impression that he’s willing to do it – and in a tantalizing way. But he isn’t.

    The interceptions when he tries to make a play even though MSU needs him to make a play – understandable. The fumble against Ohio State after his head was snapped around by his face mask – is more explainable to Chiles than to the officials who missed the call.

    But on first-and-goal from the 2-yard line in a scoreless game, after you’ve just completed a 44-yard pass to Nick Marsh on fourth down, stunning the crowd and putting yourself on the doorstep of the end zone…

    That can’t happen. Not on your first or sixth start. Or in high school football.

    I’m sure Chiles knows. He said the same thing about less brutal turnovers. But he has to play the way he understands.

    2. MSU’s defense takes a step back

    Oregon could prove to be the best offense the Spartans face this season. Maybe the Ducks are ready to go now. We’ll find out more next week when Ohio State hosts.

    MSU’s defense certainly didn’t put up much resistance.

    Aside from two miraculous touchdown-preventing interceptions — by Malik Spencer and then Charles Brantley — it was one-way traffic all night.

    Oregon’s 214 rushing yards were a season high against the Spartans. The Ducks converted 8 of 12 third and fourth downs with their first unit, and since they averaged 7 yards per play with their starters, they didn’t get caught in those crucial downs too often.

    What stood out was MSU’s poor tackling – most notably against slippery Ducks running back James Jordan, who hauled in 24 carries for 166 yards, including six runs of 13 yards or more. Tackling in space has been a strength of this MSU defense so far. Maybe this group just wore out – they were on the field for 60% of the game and what felt like 80%.

    They probably won’t face another offense this season that’s as explosive as what they faced at Oregon and Ohio State the last two weeks. Nevertheless, this performance on Friday evening was both statistically and visually worse than against the Buckeyes. Time to regroup.

    3. A much-needed bye week

    The only real positive that MSU can take away from Friday night is that it still has 15 days until its next game and the two opponents the Spartans definitely can’t beat are in the rearview mirror.

    A 3-3 start was always very likely in the middle of the season. It just doesn’t feel good right now. The hard truths about where the Spartans stand have been exposed by Oregon more than anyone else in recent memory.

    This team needs to take a minute off this season. Fans probably do too. Let MSU basketball and hockey and Les Miserables at the Wharton Center take center stage next week.

    When the Spartans find their game again at home against Iowa in two weeks, their world will be a lot more hopeful.

    I don’t know if there’s ever been a better time for a bye week.

    Contact Graham Couch at [email protected]. Follow him on X @Graham_Couch.

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    Madoc Meredith
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