Lansing Sun

Michigan State University (MSU) secured a victory in their first Big Ten game of the season, improving to 2-0 overall. The Spartans' new head coach, Jonathan Smith, joined John L. Smith as only the second MSU coach to win his Big Ten debut in his first season.

The game marked the 15th meeting between Michigan State and Maryland, with MSU now leading the series 11-4. The Spartans have won five of their last seven encounters with the Terrapins.

Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles delivered an impressive performance, completing 24 out of 39 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns—setting new career highs. His 363 passing yards are the highest by an MSU player against Maryland, surpassing Brian Lewerke's previous record of 342 yards set in 2019.

Chiles connected with senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. for a nine-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, marking Chiles' first career touchdown pass for MSU. Freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh also had a standout game with eight catches for 194 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown reception of 77 yards.

Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jaron Glover scored his first career touchdown on a 34-yard catch in the second quarter and finished with six receptions for a career-high total of 84 yards.

On defense, redshirt junior defensive back Charles Brantley recorded his third career interception in the fourth quarter. Senior linebacker Jordan Turner led the team with seven tackles and two tackles for loss, both season highs.

Graduate placekicker Jonathan Kim made a decisive field goal from 37 yards out with one second left on the clock to secure MSU's win. Kim also made another field goal from 50 yards just before halftime and was perfect on three PAT attempts.

Redshirt sophomore punter Ryan Eckley achieved a season-long punt of 61 yards during the third quarter and averaged over 50 yards per punt throughout the game.

Overall, this win reflects strong individual performances across both offense and defense as well as special teams contributions that were critical to securing victory against Maryland.

---