Michigan State football grades vs. Oregon: Offensive issues continue to mount

EUGENE, Ore. – Free Press sportswriter Chris Solari rates Michigan State football on a scale of A to F after the Spartans lost 31-10 to No. 6 Oregon on Friday night.

Attack: D-minus

For the second week in a row, quarterback Aidan Chiles lost a fumble deep in opponent territory while trying to make a play. This one was far more egregious as it got to Nick Marsh on first-and-goal after a long pass play, putting MSU at the Ducks' 2. Chiles' second option on the play-action pass was supposed to be to throw the ball away, but he tried to wriggle under heavy pressure and knocked the ball out. That was far from the offense's biggest problem. It was a persistent theme of the sophomore quarterback evading oncoming Oregon pass rushers, as he suffered four sacks and was under constant pressure all night. His line remains the main problem for an offense that has struggled to gain 130 total yards and just 43 rushing yards on 23 attempts through three quarters. Without losing 21 yards to sacks, Chiles would have been MSU's leading rusher, with 50 yards on his other eight carries.

Defense: C

RAINER SABIN: Michigan State has once again shown how far it is from the Big Ten's elite

Credit to the secondary – especially the monster plays from cornerback Charles Brantley (nine tackles) and safety Malik Spencer (seven tackles) – for keeping this from becoming a catastrophic loss. Spencer and Brantley both intercepted passes in the end zone early. But the Spartans ahead of them had trouble tackling all night, considering the 166 rushing yards for slippery running back Jordan James and 141 yards on catches by Oregon receivers. MSU allowed the Ducks to rush for 192 of their 363 yards in the first half at a clip of 8.3 yards per carry. Oregon was also 5-7 on third downs in the first half. After halftime, however, the Spartans showed significantly more offense, limiting the Ducks to just 21 rushing yards, 114 total yards and 1 of 5 on third down in the final two quarters.

Special teams: B-minus

Punter Ryan Eckley's numbers don't show it – he managed six balls for a 44.3-yard average while landing just one inside 20 yards – but his main job was to keep electrifying Oregon returner Tez Johnson from to break a big throw. This included often punting and sending the ball away from him, and Johnson had two returns for just 6 yards.

Kicker Jonathan Kim also had to keep the Ducks from getting a break, sending two of his three kickoffs for touchbacks before hitting a 42-yard field goal on his only attempt in the fourth quarter.

Coach: C

The bye week comes at an optimal time for Jonathan Smith, a break after three defeats in a row. But for much of Friday, the Spartans looked just as overwhelmed and overwhelmed as they did in the first half of the season under their first-year coach. There's only so much sand to mold right now for offensive line coach Jim Michalczik, who is slowly molding true freshmen Rakeem Johnson and Rustin Young into a unit decimated by injuries and transfer portal losses. Offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren has to deal with it too, and his bold four-and-2 drop from Chiles to Marsh is a blueprint for what he wants at MSU long-term – even if the lack of a running game often leads to those opportunities being missed become opportunities.

Also worth noting are defensive coordinator Joe Rossi's halftime adjustments and his motivation to keep his troops strong, although Oregon's offense ultimately ended this game at halftime with its dominance in the first two quarters.

Contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. Follow him @chrissolari.

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Attack: D-minus

Defense: C

Special teams: B-minus

Coach: C

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