EAST LANSING — After several morning snowstorms, the clouds let up for a long time, allowing the Jonathan Smith-era Michigan State football game to begin with sunshine.
A cold afternoon with a glimmer of hope.
The Spartans fielded four new quarterbacks, including potential starter Aidan Childs, and scrimmaged for nearly an hour Saturday afternoon at Spartan Stadium. As expected, Smith's debut as head coach had signs of promise and potential, as well as the hallmarks of a program in the midst of coaching changes and transitions between systems.
“After going through spring ball and the spring game, I really saw how much I’ve improved since day one,” said Chiles, a sophomore who transferred from Oregon State to follow Smith. “Really, this is a new system for everyone. So it really taught me something because we were able to come together and bring everything together. And today we I was very proud.”
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Smith promised real football and showed plenty of hard hitting and tackling despite the lack of a quarterback. We got a glimpse of what's to come in August as preseason camp makes everything real for the home opener against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 31.
Here are some observations on how the Spartans looked in the offense vs. defense scrimmage and what will happen going forward.
quarterback
His time in Chile got off to an almost perfect start.
He took the snap from the familiar hands of center Tanner Miller, a fellow Oregon State transfer, and sent a play-action fake to running back Nate Carter, briefly freezing the defense. This gave Chiles enough time to make a 22-yard diagonal rope throw to senior wideout Montrey Foster. On the next play, Carter ran 48 yards through a gaping hole in the middle of the defense and scored a touchdown.
The second possession wasn't as easy for the Chiles. He lost 3 yards on an explosive run play that missed Foster, then made two throws over Jaron Glover's head for a 3-and-out. At number 3 and number 13. But Chiles made up for it with a fast-break drive late in the first half, pushing its offense 80 yards in just over a minute. That included a pinpoint deep ball 35 yards down the right sideline to Foster, who pushed cornerback Chance Rucker and ran to make the catch. Chiles then dropped a feather-touch toss to Carter on a wheel route past linebacker Wayne Matthews III for a 17-yard score.
After halftime, Chiles had one more possession and showed off his leg strength with a 17-yard scramble on a third-and-10, changing direction on a spin and running up the left sideline to the backfield from defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. He avoided the pressure of The drive stalled at the defensive 1-yard line as running back Brandon Turris (a freshman) and walk-on Joseph Martinez jammed and Chiles' corner throw flew over Glover's head and into the left corner. That led to a field goal.
Chiles completed 7 of 14 for 106 yards and a TD.
“I thought he threw accurately and moved his feet well,” Smith said of Chiles. “I think it helped that he was able to get the run game going a little bit. Nate had some great carries. … He looked comfortable and the players were able to help him in the passing game. He made some plays. It was great to see.”
Tommy Schuster, a transfer from North Dakota State, also looked calm, polished and efficient running Smith's offense in the second unit, completing his first six passes for 135 yards on three possessions. . That included a 75-yard deep ball to Nick Marsh on the first play of the second half, which was a bit of an underthrow and fell into the wind, but the freshman receiver adapted to it and ran the final 40 yards. He managed to escape from two defenders. yard.
Freshmen Alessio Milivojevic and Ryland Jessee each got a chance on the third unit, and walk-on Andrew Schoffard also got a series.
running back
Carter's speed on the second-play touchdown run was a refreshing sight for a team starved for production in a run game that had its worst season in school history last year. The senior also showed he can be a weapon in the downfield passing attack, which he hopes will lead to a big season.
“I love how this offense is helping me explore more of my abilities,” said Carter, who had three carries for 49 yards and two catches for 26 yards. “I'm very versatile and can not only run the ball but also impact the passing game and multiple areas of the offense. I think it’s going to help me improve my game and it’s going to make not only me but this whole offense and this team even stronger.”
Behind him, freshman Turris, who was set to play for Smith at Oregon State, took second-team reps, running hard through contact and getting behind the first-team offensive line in the third quarter. He showed an explosive performance with a 16-yard run. Turris gained 48 yards on six carries, including 15 yards on his first touch.
Jalen Berger had an 11-yard run on the third-team offense's first possession with a fumble at the end, but after completing a 6-yard run, he scored from 2 yards left on the second unit. . Up it. Graduate transfer Jalen Mangum did not play after practicing positioning before the scrimmage. Davion Prim had one catch for minus-1 yard.
wide receiver
Marsh's big day with the second unit was one Smith wanted to keep a secret, but his talent was obvious. The 6-foot-3, 208-pound early enrollee from River Rouge gained 88 yards on two catches, trailing defenders on a 13-yard catch on an over-the-middle route in the first half. Both are made by Schuster.
“He's young, he's a baseball player, and he maximizes his talent and everything,” Chiles said of Marsh. “It's very helpful. I did the same thing my freshman year and grew with what I could do in terms of talent and athleticism.”
Foster showed the best relationship with Chili. The senior had three catches for 81 yards, and on Foster's third grab, he caught a laser from the quarterback in a diagonal pattern and ripped through two defenders for a 24-yard gain.
Glover and redshirt freshman Asia Johnson played primarily on the first-team offensive line, along with Foster and Chiles. Marsh, senior Alante Brown and redshirt freshman Jalen Smith represented the second team along with Schuster.
Jack Belling, who arrived from Oregon State and was expected to be the starting tight end, had one catch for no yards and a deep ball that was deflected by safety Dillon Tatum, resulting in a penalty. Michael Masunas and Ademola Farai each caught on the second unit.
defense
Smith said one of the keys heading into the scrimmage is to keep things as normal as possible, especially with new defensive coordinator Joe Rossi's scheme.
“On both fronts, we wanted to (use) something like a base package, but we don't want to show too much, right?” he said. “This is everything you know from TV and stuff. … We practiced over 15 times. I'm happy with the evolution of this defense, the way they run to the ball and get the ball physically. He made a lot of live tackles and held up well against the offense.”
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Two big transfer additions in the midfield, defensive tackles Quindarius Dunningan and D'Quan Doucet, both looked strong on offense. Dunnigan dropped Carter for a 3-yard loss on the first-team offense's second possession, and Duese stuffed Martinez near the goal line. The only player to make an interception was third-line defensive back Curry Crump.
After a shaky start on the first drive, the first-team defense settled down and things got tough for the offense.
“I think the defensive growth and communication from Practice 1 to Practice 15 is night and day, because that's a big part of it,” Smith said. “That was an emphasis. Coach Rossi has been giving them a hard time and they've gotten better communication-wise. I think our tackles have been solid for the most part when we've had tackles throughout the spring. You think about it all the time. And we've got some athletes who can make some plays.”
Latest information on human resources
Eight players remained on the sideline in their jerseys throughout the day, including Jaden Mangum, who returned to starting safety. The other players were defensive backs Caleb Coley and Sean Smith. offensive linemen Cole Dellinger and Stanton Ramil; tight ends Brennan Parachek and Tyneal Hopper; and defensive lineman Alex VanSmelen.
However, the four are not wearing uniforms. That included offensive tackle Ethan Boyd, who was a starter late last season but left in December. The other players were highly touted defensive lineman Andrew DePaepe and defensive backs Semar Melvin and Armorion Smith.
The portal remains open until April 30, so Smith understands further declines are expected. He said he hopes to meet one-on-one with each player next week as finals week approaches, after meeting individually with coaches at each position.
“We just try to create an environment where they feel like they have an opportunity and a chance to grow and grow. I think we've established that in about four months,” Smith said of the potential portal move. Told. “I think there are a lot of players who feel optimistic about this approach. But again, in this situation, everyone is making individual decisions and vice versa. We’re thinking – we’ll be able to add some really good players to the roster in the next few months.”
Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com.follow him @chrysolari.
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Next is the owl
Match: Michigan State (4-8 2023) vs. Florida Atlantic (4-8 2023), season opener.
kick off: August 31st, time to be determined. Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
TV/Radio: TV is undecided. WJR-AM (760).
