Spartans Open Big Ten Play Saturday Night at No. 25 USC

Game 4: Michigan State (3-0, 0-0 B1G) at No. 25 USC (3-0, 1-0 B1G)

Date: Saturday, Sept. 20
Kickoff: 11:05 p.m. ET/8:05 p.m. PT
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Stadium: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (71,349)
Surface: Natural Grass
Game Notes: MSU | USC

►BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: FOX
Streaming/Mobile: FOX Sports app
Announcers: Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Robert Griffin III (analyst), Alexa Landestoy (sidelines)
Live Stats: usctrojans.com | Live Stats

Radio: Spartan Media Network | Affiliate Listings
Play-by-Play: George Blaha
Analyst: Jehuu Caulcrick
Sidelines: Tre Mosley
Broadcast Hosts: Will Tieman, Dalton Shetler
Website/Mobile: msuspartans.com/watch, MSU Spartans app, Tune In radio
Flagship Stations: Lansing: WMMQ (94.9 FM)/WJIM (1240 AM); Detroit: WJR (760 AM); Grand Rapids: WBFX (101.3 FM)
Affiliates: 23 affiliates listed at msuspartans.com
Satellite: SiriusXM Ch. 372 | SiriusXM App
Pregame Show: Begins at 9:30 p.m. ET

►SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time Series: Tied, 4-4
Series in Los Angeles: USC leads, 3-0
Last Meeting: MSU 17, USC 16 (1990 John Hancock Bowl)
Current Series Streak: 3 by MSU

►HEAD COACHES
MSU Head Coach: Jonathan Smith
MSU Record: 8-7 (second year)
Overall Record: 42-42 (eighth year)
Record vs. USC: 1-2

USC Head Coach: Lincoln Riley
USC Record: 29-14 (fourth year)
Overall Record: 84-24 (ninth year)
Record vs. MSU: 0-0

►SPARTAN FOOTBALL NEWS AND NOTES
• Michigan State travels to No. 25 USC in a matchup of undefeated teams on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The game will be televised nationally on FOX with Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Robert Griffin III (analyst) and Alexa Landestoy (sidelines) on the call.

• MSU improved to 3-0 on the season with a 41-24 victory over Youngstown State last Saturday in Spartan Stadium to close out the nonconference portion of its schedule. The Spartans opened with a 23-6 win over Western Michigan and beat Boston College in double overtime, 42-40, in Week 2.

• USC entered the AP Top 25 this week at No. 25 following a 33-17 win at Purdue last Saturday in West Lafayette. The Trojans began the season with dominant home wins over Missouri State (73-13) and Georgia Southern (59-20).

• Second-year MSU head coach Jonathan Smith is the first Spartan head coach to start 3-0 in his first two seasons in East Lansing. The Spartans are also 3-0 in back-to-back years for the first time since going 3-0 three straight seasons from 2005-07.

• Saturday marks the ninth all-time meeting between Michigan State and USC and the first as Big Ten members. The overall series is tied, 4-4, with the Spartans owning a three-game winning streak over the Trojans. In the last meeting between the two schools, Michigan State edged USC, 17-16, in the 1990 John Hancock (Sun) Bowl in El Paso, Texas. MSU also beat USC twice during the 1987 season, defeating the Trojans 27-13 in the season opener in East Lansing, then claiming the rematch with a 20-17 win in the Rose Bowl. MSU is looking for its first win in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum after falling to the Trojans in L.A. in 1963, 1972 and 1978. This marks MSU's first regular-season game in the state of California since playing at Cal to start the 2008 season.

• Smith and fourth-year USC head coach Lincoln Riley have faced each other once before, a 17-14 win for USC in Corvallis, Oregon, on Sept. 22, 2022. Smith went 1-2 as a head coach against USC during his Oregon State tenure but is 1-0 against the Trojans in the Memorial Coliseum with a 45-27 win on Sept. 25, 2021.

Aidan Chiles celebration vs Boston College

Aidan Chiles celebration vs Boston College

►WELCOME BACK HOME
• Junior co-captain quarterback Aidan Chiles, a native of Long Beach, California, is headed back home this week to play at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

• Chiles is off to a strong start for the 3-0 Spartans, completing 71 percent of his passes (58-of-81) for 656 yards (218.7 ypg) and six touchdowns against just one interception. He has also proven to be a running threat and ranks second on the team in rushing with 123 yards on 30 carries with one score (41.0 ypg). Chiles, who has started 15 consecutive games for MSU, ranks eighth in the Big Ten in total offense (259.7 ypg).

• Chiles rushed for a career-high 76 yards against Youngstown State on just eight carries, good for a 9.5-yard average, and compiled 346 yards of total offense as he completed 22-of-29 passes (.758) for 270 yards and one TD. The .758 completion percentage was also a single-game career best for Chiles.

• Chiles was named the Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week after throwing a career-high four touchdown passes in the double-overtime win against Boston College in Week 2. He also had a 3-yard rushing TD in the second overtime and connected with Omari Kelly on the game-winning pass on MSU's 2-point conversion in double overtime.

►NICK MARSH LOOKING FOR MORE AFTER RECORD-BREAKING FRESHMAN SEASON
• Sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh ranks tied for second in the Big Ten with three receiving touchdowns. He had a career-high two TD catches vs. BC (11 yards in first quarter; 41 yards in third quarter).

• Marsh also currently ranks among the Big Ten leaders in receptions (tied for fourth with 16; 5.3 pg) and receiving yards (12th with 64.7 ypg).

• Marsh set an MSU freshman record in 2024 for most receptions (41) and receiving yards (649). He has 16 catches for 194 yards (64.7 ypg) in the first three games of 2025.

►MAKHI FRAZIER LEADS GROUND GAME IN FIRST YEAR AS STARTER
• Sophomore running back Makhi Frazier leads the team and ranks 11th in the Big Ten in rushing, averaging 68.7 yards per game (4.8 per carry) with two touchdowns. In his first collegiate start, Frazier ran for 103 yards and a touchdown against Western Michigan, then followed up with 81 yards on 17 carries in Week 2 against Boston College.

►STOPPING THE RUN
• Michigan State ranks fourth in the Big Ten and ninth in the FBS in rushing defense, allowing just 64.3 yards per game (Western Michigan: 29 yards; Boston College: 67 yards; Youngstown State: 97 yards).
• The Spartans also rank among the FBS leaders at 27th in team tackles for loss with 7.3 per game.

►JORDAN HALL LEADS TEAM, RANKS FOURTH IN BIG TEN IN TACKLES
• Junior co-captain linebacker Jordan Hall ranks tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 27 tackles (9.0 pg). He recorded a career-high 15 tackles, including nine solo stops, in the win over Boston College to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. Early in the first quarter, Hall forced a fumble near the goal line to prevent an Eagle touchdown as Armorion Smith recovered the ball for the Spartans.

• A native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Hall also leads the team with 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.

►PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN RYAN ECKLEY A WEAPON ON SPECIAL TEAMS
• Redshirt junior punter Ryan Eckley, a Ray Guy Award candidate and preseason All-American, led the Big Ten in punting in 2024 with his 47.9-yard average and was a second-team all-conference selection.

• Eckley has showed why he is one of the best punters in the nation in the first three games of the season. Although he doesn't meet the NCAA stat minimums after punting just once against Youngstown State, Eckley would rank No. 1 in the FBS with his 52.0-yard punting average. He also ranks tied for first in the Big Ten in punts inside the 20 (7) and in 50-yard plus punts (6). Eckley has dropped five punts inside the opponents' 10-yard line, including three at the 1 and one at the 2.

• Eckley was named the Ray Guy Award National Punter of the Week following his performance against Boston College in Week 2. He had two punts downed at the 1, and all three of his punts were downed inside the 20, for 0 return yards. He finished with a 54.7 yards per punt average, starting his night with a 60-yarder in the first quarter that was downed at the BC 12, then adding a 55-yarder downed at the 1 early in the fourth quarter and topping his punting night with a 49-yarder downed at the 1 on the second-to-last play of regulation.

• Eckley has a career punting average of 47.7 yards per punt (110 punts for 5,236 yards), which would rank No. 1 in school history (current record: Bryce Baringer, 46.0 avg.). That average also ranks No. 1 among current active players in the FBS.

►STAT LEADERS
Michigan State:
Rushing – So. Makhi Frazier (43 carries for 206 yards, 4.8 avg., 2 TDs, 68.7 ypg)
Passing – Jr. Aidan Chiles (58-of-81, .716, 656 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT, 218.7 ypg)
Receiving – So. Nick Marsh (16 receptions for 194 yards, 12.1 avg., 3 TDs, 64.7 ypg)
Tackles – Jr. LB Jordan Hall (27 tackles, 3.5 TFLs for 10 yards, 2.0 sacks for 8 yards, 1 FF)

USC:
Rushing – Jr. Waymond Jordan (39 carries for 286 yards, 7.3 avg., 3 TDs, 95.3 ypg)
Passing – R-Jr. Jayden Maiava (48-of-70, .686, 989 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs, 329.7 ypg)
Receiving – Jr. Makai Lemon (16 receptions for 311 yards, 19.4 avg., 2 TDs, 103.7 ypg)
Tackles – R-Sr. LB Eric Gentry (21 tackles, 5.0 TFLs for 24 yards, 3.0 sacks for 15 yards, 2 FR)

►MSU-USC: SERIES NOTES
• Saturday marks the ninth all-time meeting between Michigan State and USC. The overall series is tied, 4-4, with the Spartans owning a three-game winning streak over the Trojans.

• In the last meeting between the two schools, Michigan State edged USC, 17-16, in the 1990 John Hancock (Sun) Bowl in El Paso, Texas. Current Spartan wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins was named the MVP of that game after accounting for 216 all-purpose yards, including a 21-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

• MSU also beat USC twice during the 1987 season, defeating the Trojans 27-13 in the season opener in East Lansing, then claiming the rematch with a 20-17 win in the Rose Bowl.

• MSU is looking for its first win in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum after falling to the Trojans in L.A. in 1963, 1972 and 1978.

►SPARTANS FROM THE GOLDEN STATE
• Michigan State has five players on its current roster from the state of California: junior quarterback Aidan Chiles (Long Beach/Downey High School), freshman quarterback Leo Hannan (Long Beach/Servite High School), redshirt freshman tight end Wyatt Hook (Cupertino/Homestead), redshirt freshman quarterback Ryland Jessee (San Diego/Helix High School) and freshman offensive lineman Drew Nichols (Murrieta/Murrieta Valley).

►A GLANCE AT NO. 25 USC (3-0, 1-0 BIG TEN)
• The Trojans entered the Associated Press rankings this week at No. 25, while receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll. Like the Spartans, the Trojans are among the 39 FBS teams that are 3-0 after the first three weeks of the season entering Saturday's Big Ten clash in the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.

• USC improved to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play after withstanding a three-hour weather delay in West Lafayette, Indiana, that saw lightning and rain, as the original 3:40 p.m. ET kickoff became a 6:45 p.m. start, for a 33-17 win at Purdue. It was the first Big Ten meeting between the Trojans and Boilermakers and the overall first meeting between USC and Purdue since 1998.

• USC opened the season with home wins over Missouri State (73-13 on 8/30/25) and Georgia Southern (59-20 on 9/6/25) before hitting the road for the battle with the Boilermakers.

• In the win over Purdue, once the game started after the weather rolled through, the Trojans' offense got rolling with two rushing TDs and a 70-yard interception return for a TD by 360-pound redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett, along with four field goals by redshirt freshman placekicker Ryon Sayeri.

• USC finished with 460 yards of total offense, with 178 yards rushing and 282 yards passing. The Trojan defense stymied Purdue to just 52 yards rushing and 305 yards passing for 357 yards of total offense.

• Redshirt junior quarterback Jayden Maiava was 17-of-28 passing for 282 yards without a TD nor an INT, and was sacked twice, ending with 10 rushing yards on seven attempts, including a 3-yard rushing TD in the second quarter to give USC a 10-0 lead.

• Junior running back Waymond Jordan rushed for 77 yards on 18 carries with one TD, a 6-yard scoring scamper in the second stanza. Redshirt senior running back Eli Sanders added 75 yards on 10 carries.

• Junior wide receiver Makai Lemon led the receiving corps with five catches for 63 yards, while junior wideout JaKobi Lane led the way with 115 yards on three catches.

• Redshirt senior linebacker Eric Gentry spearheaded the Trojan defense with eight tackles, including 2.0 sacks as part of 3.0 tackles for loss, adding two forced fumbles. Redshirt senior safety Bishop Fitzgerald snared two of USC's three interceptions on the day, with both leading the Trojan scores. Fitzgerald added five stops.

• On the season, the Trojans lead the B1G and rank second in the FBS in scoring offense at 55.0 points per game, boosted by hanging 73 points on the scoreboard against Missouri State and 59 vs. Georgia Southern.

• USC leads not only the conference, but the country, in total offense, with 604 yards per game, ranking second in the league and sixth in the nation in passing offense (364.0 ypg), while ranking fifth in the B1G and 17th in the FBS in rushing offense (240.0 ypg).

• The Trojan defense ranks 14th in the league and 59th in the nation in total defense (319.3 ypg), ranking seventh in the B1G and 22nd in the FBS in rushing defense (86.3 ypg) and 17th in the conference and 97th in the country in passing yards allowed (233.0 ypg).

• Maiava tops the B1G and ranks fifth in the FBS in passing (329.7 ypg), also leading the nation in both passing efficiency (215.5) and passing yards per completion (20.6 ypc). He is 48-of-70 for 989 yards, with six TDs and no INTs. Maiava adds 24 rushing yards on 11 attempts, with two rushing TDs.

• Lemon is second in the league and 12th in the nation in receiving yards (103.7 ypg), with 16 receptions for 311 yards, ranking tied for ninth in the conference and 52nd in the country in receiving TDs (2).

• Lane leads the B1G and ranks sixth in the FBS in yards per reception (26.6 ypc), while ranking sixth in the league and 46th in the nation in receiving (79.7 ypg), with nine catches for 239 yards with one TD.

• Jordan is fourth in the conference and 24th in the country in rushing (95.3 ypg), as well as seventh in the B1G and 37th in the FBS in rushing TDs (3), with 39 carries for 286 yards (7.3 ypc).

• Defensively, Gentry also tops the Trojans on the season, sharing the lead in the B1G and ranking tied for third in the FBS in solo tackles per game (7), and ranking second in the league and 17th in the nation in tackles for loss per game (1.7). Gentry has 21 total tackles, with 5.0 TFL and 3.0 sacks, adding two fumble recoveries.

• Fitzgerald leads the league and ranks 26th in the nation in passes defended per game (1.3), while topping both the conference and country in interceptions per game (1.0), with three INTs and one pass break-up for four total passes defended. He adds 15 tackles with 0.5 TFL.

• USC head coach Lincoln Riley is in his fourth season leading the Trojans, posting a 29-14 at USC . . . Riley is in his ninth year as a head coach, with an overall mark of 84-24.

Omari Kelly action vs Youngstown State

LAST TIME OUT: MSU 41, YOUNGSTOWN STATE 24

►GAME RECAP
• Michigan State scored a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter to open a 21-point lead en route to a 41-24 win over Youngstown State at Spartan Stadium last Saturday afternoon.

• Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles completed 22-of-29 passes for 270 yards and one touchdown, while running eight times for a career-high 76 yards.

• Sophomore Nick Marsh had a season-high six catches for 94 yards, all in the first half, and senior tight end Jack Velling also had a season-high six receptions for 70 yards.

• The Spartans accumulated a season-high 444 yards of total offense in the win.

• MSU improved to 10-0 all-time vs. teams from the NCAA FCS.

►SCORING SUMMARY
Although Youngstown State (2-1) took an early 3-0 lead on a lengthy 15-play, 65-yard opening drive that took 7:39 off the clock, Michigan State responded with a 10-play, 82-yard touchdown march on its first series, capped by a Rodney Bullard Jr. 8-yard reverse that made it 7-3 MSU with 1:13 left in the first quarter.

Michigan State went up 14-3 with another touchdown on its second series of the game, going 87 yards on 12 plays over the course of 6:37, as Makhi Frazier rushed into the end zone for a 1-yard score at the 8:07 mark in the second quarter.

The Penguins scored their first touchdown of the game on their third series, sparked by a 66-yard rush by Jaden Gilbert to the MSU 1-yard line that led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Gilbert two plays later, cutting the Spartan lead to 14-10 with 5:59 left in the first half.

Armorion Smith recorded his first interception as Spartan right before halftime, and MSU took advantage of the turnover with a 24-yard Martin Connington field goal as time expired in the first half.

In the third quarter, Omari Kelly nearly returned a punt for a touchdown for 83 yards, the 10th-longest in MSU history, but was stopped at the YSU 4-yard line. MSU converted on the next play with a 4-yard rushing TD by Brandon Tullis to take a 24-10 lead.

The Spartans then went up 31-10 at the 6:55 mark in the third quarter on Michael Masunas' 28-yard touchdown grab in the end zone on their next possession.

Youngstown State trimmed its deficit to two touchdowns at 31-17 after Penguin QB Beau Brungard converted on fourth-and-goal for a 3-yard touchdown pass to RK Dandridge with 1:17 remaining in the third.MSU went back up 17 points on Connington's second field goal of the game, this time from 27 yards out with 8:44 left in the fourth.

Youngstown State cut the lead down to 10 points, 34-24, when Brungard connected with Kylon Wilson on a 19-yard run-and-catch for a touchdown, capping an 11-play, 75-yard drive over 5:39. The Spartans took over with 3:04 left in the game and closed out the scoring on a 22-yard touchdown run from Elijah Tau-Tolliver with 1:48 left in the game, making it 41-24.

►OFFENSIVE NOTES
• MSU has now scored 40-plus points in back-to-back games for the first time since 2017, scoring 40 in a 40-7 win over Rutgers (11/25/17) and then 42 in the 42-17 triumph over Washington State (12/28/17) in the 2017 Holiday Bowl . . . it's the first time with 40-plus points in back-to-back regular-season games since 2014, scoring 45 in a 45-31 win over Purdue (10/11/14) and 56 in a 56-14 rout of Indiana (10/18/14).

• MSU only had 10 possessions, but scored on seven of them, with five touchdowns and two field goals, with the other drives ending on turnover on downs, one punt and one interception.

• The Spartans' 82-yard drive in 6:11 for its opening TD of the game not only marked the third time in as many games that MSU scored a TD on its opening possession but was the longest scoring drive of the season for both plays and times . . . the top marks only lasted a few minutes as that was topped on Michigan State's next possession, scoring on an 87-yard drive in 6:37 for the next TD.

• Reigning Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week, junior quarterback Aidan Chiles rushed for a career-high 76 yards on just eight carries (9.5 ypc) . . . the 76 yards rushing topped his previous career long of 57 yards last season vs. Boston College on 9/21/24 . . . the 9.5 ypc was also a career-high when having more than four carries, topping the previous top mark of 6.3 ypc (57 yards on nine carries in aforementioned game vs. Boston College), and only trailing overall collegiate career bests of 14.5 (29 yards on two carries vs. Colorado) and 10.5 ypc (42 yards on four carries vs. UC Davis) during his freshman season of 2023 at Oregon State.

• Chiles was also 22-of-29 passing, for a new single-game career-high .759 completion percentage, for 270 yards with one TD . . . he now has six TD passes this season through three games after not hitting the six-TD mark last season until game seven, and nearly half of last year's season-total of 13 TDs, while surpassing his 2023 season total at Oregon State with four; Chiles did throw his first interception of the season, snapping his streak of five straight games without a pick.

• The 270 yards passing moves Chiles to 3,071 yards passing as a Spartan, becoming the 18th QB in MSU history to throw for 3,000 yards in a Spartan jersey, and is now at No. 17 on MSU's career passing yards list.

• Senior tight end Jack Velling had a career-high tying six catches after no catches in Week 2, including four in the second quarter alone, with two receptions coming on the same drive during one scoring drive early in the quarter, with the second catch setting up MSU at the YSU 3, as the Spartans punched it in two plays later . . . Velling's fourth catch of the second stanza got went down to the YSU 1, and the Spartans again struck the end zone two plays later.

• Velling's six catches Saturday matched his previous career-high of six catches last year vs. Boston College (9/21/24) . . . the 70 yards was his third outing of 70+ yards as a Spartan, behind two games of 77 yards, first vs. Boston College and the later vs. Rutgers in the season finale (11/30/24).

• Senior wide receiver Omari Kelly had four catches for 49 yards, as he has four or more receptions in each of his three games as a Spartan after four last week vs. Boston College and seven vs. Western Michigan in the season opener . . . he finished with a game-high 139 all-purpose yards after recording 90 punt return yards, including an 83-yarder in the third quarter that set up MSU's third TD of the game; the 83-yard punt return marked the 10th-longest in MSU history and the second-longest that didn't go for a TD.

• After no TD catches in his first 14 games played as a Spartan, redshirt junior Michael Masunas now has a TD catch in back-to-back games following the first TD of his career last week vs. Boston College, adding a 28-yard catch from Chiles in the third quarter.

• Senior running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver scored his first TD as a Spartan with a 22-yard scamper in the fourth quarter . . . it was Tau-Tolliver's 15th career-rushing TD after 14 during his time at Sacramento State (2021-24), with seven in each of 2023 and 2024 season.

• Sophomore running back Brandon Tullis had seven rushes for 31 yards and a TD, coming on a 4-yard scamper in the second stanza . . . Tullis now has two rushing scores through three games this season, scoring the first of his career in the season opener vs. Western Michigan.

• Graduate wide receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. scored the first career rushing TD with an 8-yard end around for MSU's opening score in the first quarter . . . Bullard now has 21 TDs in his collegiate career with 19 receiving TDs and one kick return for a TD during his three seasons at Valdosta State (2022-24).

►DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Redshirt senior linebacker Wayne Matthews III was named the Spartan Defensive Player of the Week after leading the team with 10 tackles.

• Redshirt senior defensive back Armorion Smith snared his first interception as a Spartan and second of his career with a pick in the second quarter; he also had an interception at Cincinnati in 2022.

►SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Reigning Ray Guy Award National Punter of the Week Ryan Eckley was only needed to punt once, going for 48 yards and it had a 0-yard return.

• Redshirt freshman placekicker Martin Connington made two field goals for the second straight game with a 24-yarder as time expired in the first half, adding a 27-yarder in the fourth quarter . . . Connington had a 50 and 39-yarder last week vs. Boston College and is now 4-of-4 on field goals . . . he is also 6-of-6 on PATs with five against YSU after one vs. BC in overtime.

Game 4: Michigan State (3-0, 0-0 B1G) at No. 25 USC (3-0, 1-0 B1G)

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Rodney Bullard Jr.

Aidan Chiles

Martin Connington

Ryan Eckley

Makhi Frazier

Jordan Hall

Leo Hannan

Wyatt Hook

Ryland Jessee

Omari Kelly

Nick Marsh

Michael Masunas

Wayne Matthews III

Drew Nichols

Armorion Smith

Elijah Tau-Tolliver

Brandon Tullis

Jack Velling