Michigan State Football concedes late touchdown in 23-19 loss to Boston College
Michigan State football team schedule for the 2024 season
A look at Michigan State’s schedule for the 2024 season, Jonathan Smith’s first as head coach of the Spartans.
CHESTNUT HILL, Massachusetts – It was never easy for the Michigan State football team.
Not because there were injuries on the offensive line. Not because four wide receivers were missing. Not because rain and wind swept across Alumni Stadium from start to finish on Saturday.
That doesn’t even take into account Boston College’s experienced front seven. Or the ongoing development of Aidan Chiles, both his good and bad sides.
In other words, it was a perfect day for the Spartans’ defense to take center stage. And that’s what they did. Until the end.
Eagles quarterback Thomas Castellanos threw a 42-yard touchdown pass over Angelo Grose’s coverage with 1:28 left, handing MSU its first loss of the season, 23-19.
Chiles had one last chance to give the Spartans a win, quickly getting them to the BC 36-yard line with three quick passes to tight end Jack Velling. But the second-year quarterback’s long ball to Montorie Foster Jr. was intercepted in the end zone with 36 seconds left. It was his third interception of the day and seventh of the season.
Next week, the challenges multiply when MSU (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) returns to conference play on Saturday against No. 3 Ohio State. The game begins at 7 p.m. at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing and will be streamed only on Peacock. The Buckeyes (3-0) defeated Marshall 49-14 on Saturday. A short week follows for the Spartans before facing No. 6 Oregon on Friday night on Oct. 4.
The Spartans beat the Eagles 368-300. Chiles completed 17 of 35 passes for 241 yards without a touchdown and ran for 57 yards and a score. Velling caught six balls for 77 yards and Foster caught four balls for 87 yards.
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Aidan Chiles throws it, for better or for worse
Ignoring the injuries to his offensive line and the loss of his four best wide receivers, Chiles showed all of the qualities that made him one of the most sought-after transfer candidates during the offseason.
Although his interception problem still persisted.
On MSU’s first possession, the sophomore kept the offense alive with a 13-yard pass to tight end Jack Velling on third-and-10 deep in BC territory. It fizzled out from there, but kicker Jonathan Smith sank a 41-yard field goal despite persistent rain and soaking wet artificial turf to give MSU a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter.
The line — featuring former left tackle Brandon Baldwin, who was moved to the right guard position due to the season-long absences of Kristian Phillips and Gavin Broscious — couldn’t get the running game going. It was Chiles’ athleticism and evasiveness that finally got the Spartans going after the Eagles took a 6-3 lead early in the second quarter.
On third-and-10 after two incomplete passes to Foster, Chiles ran with no receiver open and ran 11 yards. Four plays later, after Kay’ron Lynch-Adams converted a third-and-1, Chiles took another 12 yards into Boston College territory on a play-action pass to Velling. He then followed up with another bomb throw to Foster, this time going 40 yards. Chiles plowed in from 1 yard out on the next play, his third running score of the season, to give MSU a 10-6 lead and cap a nine-play, 75-yard run that took 4:12.
Chiles threw an interception after the Spartans defense threw a three-and-out stop. After another stingy defensive stand that ended with a coverage sack by Castellanos, Chiles led the offense with an eight-play, quick drive to Kim’s second field goal, a 26-yard kick that put MSU ahead 13-6 at halftime. The drive included a spin-out from pressure and an elusive Chiles takeoff for 18 yards that ran through and past the BC defense.
After being outscored 81-33 in the first quarter, Chiles and the stout defense led the Spartans to a 156-27 yard lead in the second quarter. Chiles was 7-for-16 passing for 102 yards and an interception in the first half and led MSU with 61 yards on five attempts. Nate Carter and Lynch-Adams combined for just 26 yards on 12 carries.
Costly stumbling blocks in the second half
The second half couldn’t have started worse.
Lynch-Adams dropped the ball on the opening kickoff and Boston College recovered it at the MSU 5. But the defense managed to limit the Eagles to a field goal, making the score 13-9.
On the first play after the kickoff, Chiles was intercepted deep in BC territory. On the Eagles’ next play, running back Turbo Richard scored a 36-yard touchdown. Less than three minutes into the third quarter, MSU’s lead was gone (16-13).
MSU kept Castellanos under control virtually all night, stopping the Eagles’ electrifying and elusive quarterback at the goal line early in the fourth quarter. That put the ball back in Chiles’ hands, who led the Spartans 89 yards in 18 plays and took nearly 9½ minutes off the clock before the drive stalled.
Kim kicked his fourth field goal of the game from 27 yards and increased the score to 19-16 with 4:12 minutes left.
But safety Malik Spencer was briefly out on the ensuing BC drive, and Castellanos used backups Armorion Smith and Aveon Grose before his long touchdown pass for the win. Spencer arrived late and tried to make a last-second tackle to help Angelo Grose score on the final touchdown pass.
Castellanos finished the game completing 10 of 15 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown pass, but ran for just 15 yards on 15 attempts and was sacked four times by the MSU defense. Treshaun Ward managed 102 yards on 14 attempts as the Eagles ran for 155 yards to the Spartans’ 127.
Contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. Follow him @chrissolari.
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