Photo by: Rey Del Rio/MSU Athletic Communications
Post-Game Notes: Indiana
10/19/2025 10:19:00 AM | Football
GAME NOTES
• Senior linebacker Wayne Matthews III was the game captain . . . he joined three of MSU's season captains for the coin toss: junior quarterback Aidan Chiles, senior linebacker Jordan Hall and graduate defensive lineman Quindarius Dunnigan.Â
• MSU wore the "gruff Sparty" logo on its helmets for the first time this season, as the Spartans went with white helmets, white jerseys and green pants for Saturday's game.
• MSU experienced its first weather delay of the season as the game was delayed at halftime due to inclement weather in the area, starting at 5:07 p.m. ET and resuming at 5:37 p.m. ET.
• Saturday's matchup vs. No. 3 Indiana was MSU's second game against an AP Top 25 opponent, with both match-ups coming on the road, along with playing at No. 25 USC on Sept. 20, 2025.
• Saturday was also MSU's second-straight road game played in a Memorial Stadium, as both Nebraska and Indiana's stadiums are named Memorial Stadium.
SERIES NOTES
• Saturday was the 72nd all-time meeting between Michigan State and Indiana . . . despite the loss, the Spartans still lead the all-time series, 50-20-2, including 24-11-1 in Bloomington . . . MSU has won 12 of the past 17 meetings, and IU now has a two-game win streak in the series, after IU beat MSU last season on Nov. 2 in East Lansing.
• Since 1950, the Spartans and Hoosiers have played for the Old Brass Spittoon, and since 1950, MSU leads the series, 50-17-1.
OFFENSE
• With a field goal on its opening drive, MSU has now scored on its opening possession in six of the seven games . . . it was the Spartans' first field goal for their opening drive score, as the other five times were touchdowns . . . the Spartans' game at Nebraska was their only game this season that they did not score on the first drive of the game.Â
• The 13-play drive was MSU's longest that ended in a field goal, topping a pair of 11-play drives that resulted in field goals, coming in games against Boston College and Youngstown State . . . it was MSU's second-longest scoring drive of the season and both coming on the road, with the longest scoring drive of the season a 17-play TD drive at Nebraska (10/4/25).
• MSU's opening drive with a field goal ate up 6:53 of clock; it was also its longest drive resulting in a field goal, topping 6:26 vs. Boston College (9/6/25) . . . at the time, it was the Spartans' third-longest scoring drive overall, trailing TD drives of 9:45 and 7:00 that both came in the game at Nebraska (10/4/25) . . . however, MSU topped that 6:53 drive with an 8:18 drive in the second quarter for its lone TD of the day.
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• The two scoring drives of 8:18 and 6:53 were the longest and second-longest scoring drives allowed by Indiana's defense this season, as the previous two longest drives were 5:57 last week by Oregon and 5:31 by Iowa (9/27/25).
• MSU topped Indiana in time of possession, 31:14-28:46, marking only the second time this season that the Hoosiers trailed in time of possession, when Iowa had a 32:42-27:18 advantage on Sept. 27.
• The Spartans' 293 passing yards were a season-high, topping the previous season-high of 270 vs. Youngstown State (9/13/25) . . . MSU's 30 completions and 38 passing attempts were also season-highs, bettering 22 completions from the aforementioned game vs. YSU and 30 attempts last week vs. UCLA.
• Michigan State's 30 completions, 19 first downs, 293 yards passing and 367 yards of total offense were all the most posted on the Indiana defense this season, while MSU's 38 pass attempts tied a season-high with Iowa (9/27/25).Â
• Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles completed an MSU-record 20 passes in a row spanning from the first quarter to the third quarter, topping the previous school record of 15 by Noah Kim vs. Richmond on Sept. 9, 2023.Â
• Chiles' 20-consecutive completions ties the second-most in a Big Ten Conference game, and the top three marks in the record book all involve Indiana . . . Chiles ties Indiana QB Michael Penix Jr. who had 20 completions in a row at Michigan State (9/28/19) and trails the B1G record in a conference game of 22 by Chuck Long of Iowa vs. Indiana (10/20/1984).Â
• Chiles finished 27-of-33 passing for 243 yards and one TD, including 20-of-22 for 178 yards in the first half . . . with a 9-yard pass to Jack Velling at 3:55 of the third quarter, Chiles notched his career-high 25th completion of the game, topping his previous career-high mark of 24 completions vs. Maryland (9/7/24).
• Chiles' .818 completion percentage was also a new career-high, bettering his previous top mark of .759 vs. Youngstown State (9/13/25).
• The 27 completions was his second outing this season with 20+ completions as part of the fifth of his career.
• Chiles' TD pass to Nick Marsh in the second quarter marked the fifth time in the seven games this season that Chiles has thrown for at least one TD, and first since three TDs at USC (9/20/25) as part of in 14 of his 19 games as a Spartan . . . the TD pass was Chiles' 10th TD pass of the season
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• Chiles finished with no interceptions Saturday, marking his second-straight game and fifth time this season in the seven games without throwing an interception.
• Chiles rushed for a career-long 64-yard scamper in the fourth quarter, topping his previous longest rush play of 28 yards vs. Youngstown State (9/13/25).
• Sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh had 18 yards on MSU's opening drive, which put him over the 1,000 career receiving yards milestone, becoming the 49th Spartan receiver to reach the 1,000 yards plateau in program history.
• Marsh had three catches in the Spartans' opening drive to extend his streak of having not just one catch, but multiple receptions in all seven games this season . . . Marsh has at least one catch in all 18 games that he's appeared in as a Spartan and multiple catches in 17-consecutive games played.
• Marsh's 15-yard TD catch in the second quarter was his second-straight game with a TD after one last week vs. UCLA and he now has one TD catch in four of the seven games this season as part of five total TDs on the season and eight for his career.Â
• Marsh finished with team-highs of seven catches for 64 yards . . . the seven catches ties Marsh's season-high seven receptions for the second game in a row after seven last week vs. UCLA . . . the 64 yards marks Marsh's second game in a row and fourth overall this season with 50+ yards receiving, joining outings against Boston College (68 yards; 9/6/24), Youngstown State (season-high 94 yards; 9/13/24) and UCLA (77 yards; 10/11/25).
• With his catch on MSU's opening drive, senior wide receiver Omar Kelly extended his streak of at least one catch in all seven games this season as a Spartan . . . Kelly finished with three catches for 59 yards, marking the sixth time out of the seven games that Kelly had multiple receptions.
• Redshirt junior wide receiver Chrishon McCray had four catches for 42 yards, marking the most receptions of his Spartan career, and most since eight vs. Ball State last season during his time at Kent State.Â
• Senior tight end Jack Velling snared four catches, which are the most in a B1G game this season and two shy of his season-best and career-high tying of six vs. Youngstown State (9/13/25) . . . the four receptions give Velling 98 for his career, needing just two more for the 100 career receptions milestone.
DEFENSE
• Graduate defensive back Malcolm Bell logged seven tackles to lead the Spartan defense and posting the most of his Spartan career this season . . . Bell topped his previous season-high of five stops vs. USC (9/20/25) . . . Bell's seven stops were over half of his season total of 13 tackles coming into Saturday's game.
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• Redshirt junior defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren matched his career-best of six tackles for the second-straight game and the third time of his career, all coming in the last four games, matching last week's total vs. UCLA and also vs. USC (9/20/25).
• VanSumeren now has three or more stops in the last five games as part of six total times this season out of the seven games, as well as five or more stops in four contests.
• Redshirt senior defensive back Armorion Smith logged six stops for the second game in a row after six last week vs. UCLA . . . Smith also posted his third game this season with six or more stops as he had a career-high eight vs. Boston College (9/6/25).
• Smith also registered his first career tackle for loss Saturday with a 2-yard TFL on Indiana's first play from scrimmage.
• Junior linebacker Jordan Hall registered six tackles Saturday for his third game in a row with six or more stops as part of fifth outing in the seven games this season.
• Graduate defensive back Dontavius Nash notched his first tackle for loss as a Spartan and he now has 2.5 TFLs in his collegiate career with 1.0 last year while he was at East Carolina and adding 0.5 TFL in 2023 . . . Nash finished with five tackles Saturday night to match his Spartan high for the second game in a row after also recording five stops last week vs. UCLA.
• Graduate defensive lineman Quindarius Dunnigan logged his first full 1.0 tackle for loss of the season, after a pair of half TFLs, including last week vs. UCLA and also in the season-opener vs. Western Michigan . . . Dunnigan now has 6.0 TFLs during his two years as a Spartans and 23.0 TFLs for his collegiate career after 17.0 during his tenure at Middle Tennessee State.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Ray Guy Award Watch List member junior punter Ryan Eckley had one punt for 50 yards, while junior quarter Aidan Chiles punted for the first time in his college career with a 40-yard punt, as MSU lined up to go for it on fourth-and-9 at the IND 40, and Chiles punted it, and nearly pinned the Hoosiers at their own goal line, but the ball trickled into the end zone for a touchback.Â
• With Eckley's 50-yard punt, he now has 13 punts of 50+ yards this season and 57 for his career . . . Eckley has had a game-average of 50.0 or better in five of the seven games this season.
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• Redshirt freshman Martin Connington was 2-for-3 on field goals, making a 38-yarder on MSU's opening possession of the game, then missing a 50-yarder early in the third quarter in windy and rainy conditions, before splitting the uprights from 34-yards out with 33 seconds left in the game in heavier rain . . . he is now 7-of-9 on field goals for the season, with his only two misses coming on attempts of 50+ yards, also missing on a 56-yarder in the USC game.
• Connington's two made field goals tied a season-high from the Boston College (9/6/25) and Youngstown State (9/13/25) games, while the three attempts is a new season-high, topping the two attempts each from the BC and YSU games.
• Connington finished with seven points Saturday, adding a PAT in the second quarter after MSU's lone touchdown of the game, which ties his second-most scoring output of the season, behind a season-best 11 from the YSU game, and matching seven vs. BC and USC (9/20/25) games.
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• Senior linebacker Wayne Matthews III was the game captain . . . he joined three of MSU's season captains for the coin toss: junior quarterback Aidan Chiles, senior linebacker Jordan Hall and graduate defensive lineman Quindarius Dunnigan.Â
• MSU wore the "gruff Sparty" logo on its helmets for the first time this season, as the Spartans went with white helmets, white jerseys and green pants for Saturday's game.
• MSU experienced its first weather delay of the season as the game was delayed at halftime due to inclement weather in the area, starting at 5:07 p.m. ET and resuming at 5:37 p.m. ET.
• Saturday's matchup vs. No. 3 Indiana was MSU's second game against an AP Top 25 opponent, with both match-ups coming on the road, along with playing at No. 25 USC on Sept. 20, 2025.
• Saturday was also MSU's second-straight road game played in a Memorial Stadium, as both Nebraska and Indiana's stadiums are named Memorial Stadium.
SERIES NOTES
• Saturday was the 72nd all-time meeting between Michigan State and Indiana . . . despite the loss, the Spartans still lead the all-time series, 50-20-2, including 24-11-1 in Bloomington . . . MSU has won 12 of the past 17 meetings, and IU now has a two-game win streak in the series, after IU beat MSU last season on Nov. 2 in East Lansing.
• Since 1950, the Spartans and Hoosiers have played for the Old Brass Spittoon, and since 1950, MSU leads the series, 50-17-1.
OFFENSE
• With a field goal on its opening drive, MSU has now scored on its opening possession in six of the seven games . . . it was the Spartans' first field goal for their opening drive score, as the other five times were touchdowns . . . the Spartans' game at Nebraska was their only game this season that they did not score on the first drive of the game.Â
• The 13-play drive was MSU's longest that ended in a field goal, topping a pair of 11-play drives that resulted in field goals, coming in games against Boston College and Youngstown State . . . it was MSU's second-longest scoring drive of the season and both coming on the road, with the longest scoring drive of the season a 17-play TD drive at Nebraska (10/4/25).
• MSU's opening drive with a field goal ate up 6:53 of clock; it was also its longest drive resulting in a field goal, topping 6:26 vs. Boston College (9/6/25) . . . at the time, it was the Spartans' third-longest scoring drive overall, trailing TD drives of 9:45 and 7:00 that both came in the game at Nebraska (10/4/25) . . . however, MSU topped that 6:53 drive with an 8:18 drive in the second quarter for its lone TD of the day.
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• The two scoring drives of 8:18 and 6:53 were the longest and second-longest scoring drives allowed by Indiana's defense this season, as the previous two longest drives were 5:57 last week by Oregon and 5:31 by Iowa (9/27/25).
• MSU topped Indiana in time of possession, 31:14-28:46, marking only the second time this season that the Hoosiers trailed in time of possession, when Iowa had a 32:42-27:18 advantage on Sept. 27.
• The Spartans' 293 passing yards were a season-high, topping the previous season-high of 270 vs. Youngstown State (9/13/25) . . . MSU's 30 completions and 38 passing attempts were also season-highs, bettering 22 completions from the aforementioned game vs. YSU and 30 attempts last week vs. UCLA.
• Michigan State's 30 completions, 19 first downs, 293 yards passing and 367 yards of total offense were all the most posted on the Indiana defense this season, while MSU's 38 pass attempts tied a season-high with Iowa (9/27/25).Â
• Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles completed an MSU-record 20 passes in a row spanning from the first quarter to the third quarter, topping the previous school record of 15 by Noah Kim vs. Richmond on Sept. 9, 2023.Â
• Chiles' 20-consecutive completions ties the second-most in a Big Ten Conference game, and the top three marks in the record book all involve Indiana . . . Chiles ties Indiana QB Michael Penix Jr. who had 20 completions in a row at Michigan State (9/28/19) and trails the B1G record in a conference game of 22 by Chuck Long of Iowa vs. Indiana (10/20/1984).Â
• Chiles finished 27-of-33 passing for 243 yards and one TD, including 20-of-22 for 178 yards in the first half . . . with a 9-yard pass to Jack Velling at 3:55 of the third quarter, Chiles notched his career-high 25th completion of the game, topping his previous career-high mark of 24 completions vs. Maryland (9/7/24).
• Chiles' .818 completion percentage was also a new career-high, bettering his previous top mark of .759 vs. Youngstown State (9/13/25).
• The 27 completions was his second outing this season with 20+ completions as part of the fifth of his career.
• Chiles' TD pass to Nick Marsh in the second quarter marked the fifth time in the seven games this season that Chiles has thrown for at least one TD, and first since three TDs at USC (9/20/25) as part of in 14 of his 19 games as a Spartan . . . the TD pass was Chiles' 10th TD pass of the season
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• Chiles finished with no interceptions Saturday, marking his second-straight game and fifth time this season in the seven games without throwing an interception.
• Chiles rushed for a career-long 64-yard scamper in the fourth quarter, topping his previous longest rush play of 28 yards vs. Youngstown State (9/13/25).
• Sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh had 18 yards on MSU's opening drive, which put him over the 1,000 career receiving yards milestone, becoming the 49th Spartan receiver to reach the 1,000 yards plateau in program history.
• Marsh had three catches in the Spartans' opening drive to extend his streak of having not just one catch, but multiple receptions in all seven games this season . . . Marsh has at least one catch in all 18 games that he's appeared in as a Spartan and multiple catches in 17-consecutive games played.
• Marsh's 15-yard TD catch in the second quarter was his second-straight game with a TD after one last week vs. UCLA and he now has one TD catch in four of the seven games this season as part of five total TDs on the season and eight for his career.Â
• Marsh finished with team-highs of seven catches for 64 yards . . . the seven catches ties Marsh's season-high seven receptions for the second game in a row after seven last week vs. UCLA . . . the 64 yards marks Marsh's second game in a row and fourth overall this season with 50+ yards receiving, joining outings against Boston College (68 yards; 9/6/24), Youngstown State (season-high 94 yards; 9/13/24) and UCLA (77 yards; 10/11/25).
• With his catch on MSU's opening drive, senior wide receiver Omar Kelly extended his streak of at least one catch in all seven games this season as a Spartan . . . Kelly finished with three catches for 59 yards, marking the sixth time out of the seven games that Kelly had multiple receptions.
• Redshirt junior wide receiver Chrishon McCray had four catches for 42 yards, marking the most receptions of his Spartan career, and most since eight vs. Ball State last season during his time at Kent State.Â
• Senior tight end Jack Velling snared four catches, which are the most in a B1G game this season and two shy of his season-best and career-high tying of six vs. Youngstown State (9/13/25) . . . the four receptions give Velling 98 for his career, needing just two more for the 100 career receptions milestone.
DEFENSE
• Graduate defensive back Malcolm Bell logged seven tackles to lead the Spartan defense and posting the most of his Spartan career this season . . . Bell topped his previous season-high of five stops vs. USC (9/20/25) . . . Bell's seven stops were over half of his season total of 13 tackles coming into Saturday's game.
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• Redshirt junior defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren matched his career-best of six tackles for the second-straight game and the third time of his career, all coming in the last four games, matching last week's total vs. UCLA and also vs. USC (9/20/25).
• VanSumeren now has three or more stops in the last five games as part of six total times this season out of the seven games, as well as five or more stops in four contests.
• Redshirt senior defensive back Armorion Smith logged six stops for the second game in a row after six last week vs. UCLA . . . Smith also posted his third game this season with six or more stops as he had a career-high eight vs. Boston College (9/6/25).
• Smith also registered his first career tackle for loss Saturday with a 2-yard TFL on Indiana's first play from scrimmage.
• Junior linebacker Jordan Hall registered six tackles Saturday for his third game in a row with six or more stops as part of fifth outing in the seven games this season.
• Graduate defensive back Dontavius Nash notched his first tackle for loss as a Spartan and he now has 2.5 TFLs in his collegiate career with 1.0 last year while he was at East Carolina and adding 0.5 TFL in 2023 . . . Nash finished with five tackles Saturday night to match his Spartan high for the second game in a row after also recording five stops last week vs. UCLA.
• Graduate defensive lineman Quindarius Dunnigan logged his first full 1.0 tackle for loss of the season, after a pair of half TFLs, including last week vs. UCLA and also in the season-opener vs. Western Michigan . . . Dunnigan now has 6.0 TFLs during his two years as a Spartans and 23.0 TFLs for his collegiate career after 17.0 during his tenure at Middle Tennessee State.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Ray Guy Award Watch List member junior punter Ryan Eckley had one punt for 50 yards, while junior quarter Aidan Chiles punted for the first time in his college career with a 40-yard punt, as MSU lined up to go for it on fourth-and-9 at the IND 40, and Chiles punted it, and nearly pinned the Hoosiers at their own goal line, but the ball trickled into the end zone for a touchback.Â
• With Eckley's 50-yard punt, he now has 13 punts of 50+ yards this season and 57 for his career . . . Eckley has had a game-average of 50.0 or better in five of the seven games this season.
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• Redshirt freshman Martin Connington was 2-for-3 on field goals, making a 38-yarder on MSU's opening possession of the game, then missing a 50-yarder early in the third quarter in windy and rainy conditions, before splitting the uprights from 34-yards out with 33 seconds left in the game in heavier rain . . . he is now 7-of-9 on field goals for the season, with his only two misses coming on attempts of 50+ yards, also missing on a 56-yarder in the USC game.
• Connington's two made field goals tied a season-high from the Boston College (9/6/25) and Youngstown State (9/13/25) games, while the three attempts is a new season-high, topping the two attempts each from the BC and YSU games.
• Connington finished with seven points Saturday, adding a PAT in the second quarter after MSU's lone touchdown of the game, which ties his second-most scoring output of the season, behind a season-best 11 from the YSU game, and matching seven vs. BC and USC (9/20/25) games.
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Players Mentioned
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