Spartans Fall at No. 25 USC, 45-31

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Michigan State football team suffered its first loss of the season at No. 25 USC, 45-31, Saturday night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles completed 12-of-21 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns for the Spartans (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten), while also gaining 31 yards on the ground with a 4-yard touchdown run.

Senior wide receiver Omari Kelly had six catches for 133 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown from Chiles late in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Makhi Frazier carried the ball 14 times for 61 yards.

Senior safeties Nikai Martinez and Malik Spencer each had seven tackles for MSU.

SCORING SUMMARY
USC (4-0, 2-0 Big Ten) received the opening kickoff and began the game's scoring with a 25-yard field goal by Ryon Sayeri, but Michigan State answered right back on its first series as Aidan Chiles found Chrishon McCray for a 42-yard touchdown pass at the 5:27 mark to make it 7-3 in favor of MSU.

The Trojans went on a quick six-play, 72-yard touchdown drive on their second series, capped by a Jayden Maiava 15-yard run to go back on top, 10-7, with 2:38 remaining in the first quarter.

Although Ryan Eckley pinned USC to its own 7-yard line with a 55-yard punt, the Trojans made quick work of their bad field position with a 93-yard touchdown drive, sparked by a 40-yard TD pass from Maiava to Makai Lemon as USC went up 17-7 at the 11:36 mark in the second quarter.

The Spartans made a fourth-down stop at midfield with 8:05 left in the second, and took advantage with an eight-play, 44-yard drive that Martin Connington finished with a 29-yard field goal, cutting MSU's deficit to 17-10.

USC upped its lead to 24-10 on Maiava's second TD pass of the game, this time on a 7-yard connection with Tanook Hines right before the half with 37 seconds left. Connington attempted his second field goal as time expired in the first half, but missed from 56 yards out.

The Trojans went up 31-10 after scoring on their first drive in the third quarter, but MSU trimmed the margin to one score after collecting back-to-back touchdowns on its next two series. The Green and White marched 87 yards on 11 plays, led by Frazier's six carries for 41 yards on the first scoring drive of the half. Chiles closed out the drive with a 4-yard rushing TD. On the ensuing series, Armorion Smith knocked the ball loose and Grady Kelly pounced on the Trojan fumble, giving MSU good field position at the USC 32. The Spartans scored eight plays later on a 1-yard Jack Velling TD on third-and-goal to make it 31-24 with 40 seconds on the clock in the third quarter.

USC answered with a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took 7:20 off the clock to go back up two scores, 38-24, midway through the fourth quarter. The Trojans scored their final touchdown on a 1-yard Maiava rush with 2:57 left to play that made it 45-24.

Chiles hit Kelly in stride down the field for a 75-yard touchdown at the 2:39 mark to put the final at 45-31.

UP NEXT
Michigan State has a bye week before traveling to Nebraska on Saturday, Oct. 4.

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Players Mentioned

Aidan Chiles

Martin Connington

Ryan Eckley

Makhi Frazier

Grady Kelly

Omari Kelly

Nikai Martinez

Chrishon McCray

Armorion Smith

Malik Spencer

Jack Velling