2024-08-31 06:50:02
Michigan State football has returned.
The Spartans are entering a new era under first-year head coach Jonathan Smith looking to turn around the program with a brand-new roster, after back-to-back disappointing seasons that ended with no bowl appearance under fired coach Mel Tucker.
The game was slightly delayed to 7:10 p.m. because of a severe thunderstorm watch in the area, but the weather is clear enough for kickoff.
MSU has a new-look roster headlined by transfer sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles. He followed Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren from Oregon State. MSU has 61 players who were not on the season-opening roster last year, including 24 transfers.
The game kicks airs on Big Ten Network and can be streamed on Fubo (free trial). Michigan State is a 13½-point favorite according to BetMGM.
Watch Michigan State vs. Florida Atlantic on Fubo (free trial)
Check out the live updates from MSU vs. FAU in the season opener below.
It wasn’t a perfect first half for the Spartans, but they made enough plays in the second quarter to build a two-possession lead. MSU turned the ball over twice in the first quarter and got on the scoreboard with a sack for a safety by D’Quan Douse. In the second quarter, MSU’s offense came alive with two rushing touchdowns from Aidan Chiles and Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams and the defense made some plays with a pair of interceptions by safeties Angelo Grose and Nikai Martinez.
Chiles completed six of 13 passes for 72 yards with one interception on the very first play of the game. Lynch-Adams has 73 rushing yards on four carries, and Nate Carter has 11 carries for 29 yards. Martinez and Khris Bogle lead the Spartans with four tackles apiece. Bogle also has a sack and two tackles for loss. FAU gained 117 total yards, 96 of which came on the ground.
The Owls are on the board. FAU moved the ball into MSU territory quickly on a pair of first down runs from Zuberi Mobley and Cam Fancher, the latter of which was 20 yards and had a 15-yard penalty tacked on for illegal hands to the face. But, FAU couldn’t move the ball past the MSU 26 and fumbled on first down, but Fancher fell on the ball, forcing the Owls to settle for a successful 43-yard field goal by Morgan Suarez.
Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams is introducing himself to Michigan State fans with explosive runs out of the backfield. After being denied from the end zone last drive due to a forward progress call, Lynch-Adams would not be denied on a duo run up the middle.
A powerful set of blocks from center Tanner Miller and left guard Luke Newman opened up a massive run lane up the middle, and Lynch-Adams exploded through past the back line and ran untouched into the end zone for his first Spartan touchdown. Pay attention to Miller’s power blocking at center in the replay. It is exhibit A why he was one of MSU’s top recruits the team got in the transfer portal.
Three plays after the interception, Aidan Chiles scored the first touchdown of his MSU career. On third-and-3 from the FAU 11, offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren dialed up a quarterback draw, and Chiles burst threw the middle of the line, made one defender miss with a juke, and then walked through an arm tackle into the end zone for the first touchdown of the season.
Running back Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams nearly scored on second down, but was called down for forward progress being stopped before bursting through and carrying a pile of tacklers into the end zone.
UCF transfer Nikai Martinez is on the board with his first turnover in green and white. MSU had to punt after the Grose interception, giving FAU the ball back deep in their own end. On the second play of the drive, Cam Fancher tried a sideline fade down the right side, but overthrew the pass by at least 10 yards and Martinez camped underneath to field the interception like a punt and returned it to the FAU 18-yard line.
It was the fourth turnover of the first half, two for each team.
Michigan State’s defense came up with another stop, this time with a takeaway from veteran cornerback Angelo Grose. FAU marched deep into Michigan State territory on the back of Fancher’s scrambles and two personal foul penalties against MSU, including a targeting penalty and ejection against safety Malik Spencer, but Grose came up big inside the Spartans’ 30-yard line.
On third down, Fancher tried throwing over the middle, but his receiver broke the opposite way of the pass on a choice route and the ball hit Grose directly in the numbers for an easy pick. Grose nearly forced a fumble two plays earlier but the ball rolled out of bounds.
It is now two turnovers in three possessions for Michigan State’s offense. The Spartans reached the red zone for the first time thanks to the good field position from the safety punt return and picked up a pair of first downs on completions to wide receiver Nick Marsh and tight end Michael Masunas to reach the 16-yard line.
MSU faced a third-and-7 from the FAU 13 and ran a wide receiver screen to Foster, who tried to spin out of the first tackle and lost the ball in the process. FAU had a pile of bodies on the ball immediately to take over at its own 11.
The first points of Michigan State’s season came on a sack from transfer defensive tackle D’Quan Douse, who blew past the left guard and sacked FAU quarterback Cam Fancher in the back of the South end zone. FAU was backed up on their own goal line after a perfect punt from Ryan Eckley that was downed at the 1-yard line. Michigan State’s offense was much better on the second drive, moving inside of FAU’s 40-yard line, but was forced to punt after a third-down sack taken by Chiles.
Alante Brown returned the post-safety punt past midfield, setting up the Spartan offense with great field position.
Well… that is one way to start the new era of MSU football.
MSU received the ball first and aired it out on the first play. Chiles rolled left and launched a deep pass to Montorie Foster Jr. on the right sideline, but he bobbled the ball and FAU cornerback Kahzir Brown hauled it in while dragging his left foot before going out of bounds. It was originally ruled incomplete, but officials overturned the call after review, giving FAU the ball at their own 46.
The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for three counties in the Lansing area, including Ingham County. The watch is in effect until 9 p.m. The National Weather Service said isolated hail up to ping-pong-ball-size and wind gusts up to 70 mph are possible with the potential for a tornado to form.
The skies above Spartan Stadium are gray with occasional lightning strikes near the stadium. According to the Lansing State Journal, officials delayed the opening of the gates until 6:30 and MSU police have asked fans in the area to shelter in a car or shelter locations at Wells Hall, Old Horticulture, Natural Science, Bessey Hall, Engineering Building and the Auditorium.
MSU vs. FAU will be broadcast on Big Ten Network. Jason Ross Jr. (play-by-play) and Brock Vereen (analyst) will call the game from the booth in East Lansing, with Dannie Rogers reporting from the Spartan Stadium sidelines. Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Given the turnover on the coaching staff and roster, there is plenty of intrigue about what Michigan State will look like. Smith orchestrated a turnaround at Oregon State, though it took a few years, and turned the Beavers into a top team in the old Pac-12 with a balanced offensive attack and solid defense.
He will try to follow the same blueprint in East Lansing to find success in the expanded Big Ten.
On offense, the Spartans could have up to eight new starters headlined by Chiles under center. The faces on the line of scrimmage will be almost entirely new, with four new starters on the O-line and a new tight end in Jack Velling, who also transferred from the Beavers. Leading rusher Nate Carter returns to the backfield, while Montorie Foster Jr., Jaron Glover, and Alante Brown return at receiver, with four-star freshman Nick Marsh (River Rouge).
Maverick Hansen and Khris Bogle are the two returning starters on the defensive line and will be joined by new starters, whether it is defensive end Jalen Thompson or a transfer like Quindarius Dunnigan. The back seven is mostly returning players like Cal Haladay and Dillon Tatum to give new defensive coordinator Joe Rossi experience to work with.
Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press covering the city’s professional teams, the state’s two flagship universities and more. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22, and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.
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