MSU quarterback Aidan Chiles: 5 things you should know
MSU quarterback Aidan Chiles transferred from Oregon State and is expected to start for the Spartans.
1. MSU’s performance in Maryland changes the possibilities for this season
COLLEGE PARK, Maryland — Well then. Maybe this Michigan State football season will bring a little more than we thought.
Consider MSU’s 27-24 win at Maryland on Saturday the true debut of quarterback Aidan Chiles and this MSU offense. Keep in mind that the opportunities have changed for this season. The team we saw the Terrapins beat with a late field goal is a team to keep an eye on, one that could be up to battling the majority of its schedule.
This was one of the more promising games I’ve covered at MSU because of the contrast to last week’s offensive performance against Florida Atlantic.
MSU’s offense came alive – Chiles and Nick Marsh came alive, MSU’s 18-year-old quarterback and 17-year-old receiver stole the show in the fourth quarter. MSU’s defense won its share of battles against a more complete opponent. And so 2-0 feels a lot different than 1-0.
Bring on Prairie View A&M.
And then comes the rest of the schedule, some of which looks less scary. Let’s see where that goes.
This version of Chiles. This eye-opening performance by Marsh. This version of Jack Velling and Montorie Foster. You can win with this.
This game will be remembered for the connection between Chiles and Marsh – twice in the fourth quarter, once a 76-yard touchdown to tie the game. These were necessary. And gave cause for hope. But there was much more to it than that.
MSU’s offense looked more efficient from the start. The plays helped get the offense into a rhythm and get the guys going who had struggled in the opening game – starting with a swing pass from Chiles to Foster on the Spartans’ first play. They used Velling after not using him a week earlier. Marsh was right there. Running back Nate Carter had a 30-yard run on the first drive of the game. This unit made it clear that it was not the one we saw last week.
This bodes well for the season, with many more games coming down to the fourth quarter.
2. Chile’s second start looks more promising
That was the Aidan Chiles I expected. More than I expected, actually. MSU’s second-year quarterback played at Maryland like a guy whose first start a week earlier was really just a bad game, a guy trying to be a star before finding his rhythm. He found it Saturday. MSU’s coaches helped with that. Chiles coped well, making a number of big throws on third down and working the sideline well on first downs. He consistently evaded pressure with his legs, which will be a big help to MSU this season. He had two long touchdown passes that were spot on — one to Montorie Foster, the other the 76-yard bomb toss to Nick Marsh late in the fourth quarter — and another 57-yard throw on the run to Marsh when he was hit.
Chiles also threw a few other throws that went past him – two of them were interceptions, one resulted in a touchdown for Maryland, the other prevented the Spartans from scoring. Later, after the 57-yard pass to Marsh, Chiles lost the ball during his throwing motion and a Maryland player grabbed it.
That’s the next step for Chiles – realizing that more games are lost than won. Those mistakes ruin the big plays. But that’s always been a problem for this young quarterback who sees himself as a playmaker and has all the attributes of one.
This was a huge step, though – 363 yards passing, three touchdowns. Proof that Chiles can do more than we saw in his debut. He’s a tantalizing talent, a player. He’s just inexperienced.
3. MSU’s defense may not be the same as the 1985 Bears, but it still looks pretty good
We knew that Maryland would pose a different challenge to MSU’s defense than Florida Atlantic, and that the Spartans probably wouldn’t be quite as aggressive on offense.
The results from Game 2 of the Joe Rossi era were still pretty good after Maryland’s first touchdown drive. The Spartans allowed a modest 339 yards, despite the team having managed over 600 yards a week earlier.
They made some well-timed plays: Great third-down tackles by Chuck Brantley and Ed Woods, a game-winning sack by Khris Bogle — all in the first half; Ken Talley thwarting a Maryland run when the Terrapins were just starting to threaten in the third quarter, a stunning tackle on the next play and then solid coverage that forced a field goal attempt a play later; a Brantley interception in the fourth quarter when MSU was fighting for survival; big pressure on the quarterback a drive later and then a stop on third-and-1 to get the Spartans the ball back in a tie with just over 2 minutes left in the game.
They continued to tackle well in space and cover the entire field well. There were mistakes – a costly and unnecessary pass interference in the third quarter, a botched coverage on a wheel route early in the fourth quarter that led to a touchdown, poor coverage on third-and-13 when they needed a stop late. But there weren’t many that were glaring.
This is not a defense you can rely on, but it looks like you could win with it because it will withstand most attacks and give you a chance.
Contact Graham Couch at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at Graham_Couch.
