MSU football: Video analysis on loss to Penn State and NCAA penalties
Lansing State Journal’s Graham Couch and Detroit Free Press’ Chris Solari discuss MSU’s loss to Penn State, Jonathan Smith’s take on NCAA penalties.
EAST LANSING — Add the quarterback situation to the myriad questions that Michigan State football faces as its season – and potentially Jonathan Smith’s tenure – nears the end.
Smith said starter Alessio Milivojevic was banged up in MSU’s 28-10 loss to Penn State on Saturday, Nov. 15. The redshirt freshman was sacked five times, and the Spartans’ 35 sacks allowed this season are seventh among FBS-level teams.
“He is definitely midseason-healthy after a couple of starts,” Smith said Monday. “We are optimistic that he’ll be good to go this weekend.”
Junior Aidan Chiles – who started 20 straight games before Milivojevic supplanted him in MSU’s game at Minnesota Nov. 1 – was unavailable and in a walking boot for MSU’s game with PSU. Chiles’s availability will be a late-week decision, Smith said.
“We’re gonna kind of see if he can work himself to being available by the end of the week,” Smith said. “I think there’s a potential chance. He doesn’t have something that he’s deemed out for the rest of the year.”
Milevojevic was sacked seven times in the loss to the Golden Gophers, with six coming in the first half of his first career start. The Nittany Lions dropped him five more times Saturday, including a strip-sack fumble and another hard hit in the fourth quarter.
Chiles was sacked 21 times in MSU’s first eight games, while Milevojevic has been sacked 14 times in his six appearances. He was also hit two other times in Saturday’s final quarter, resulting in roughing the passer penalties on Penn State.
“Obviously it’s tough,” Milivojevic said after the game. “But I trust the O-line fully, and I’m gonna stick in there. And if I can, I’m gonna go make a play.”
In two starts, Milevojevic has completed 67.3% of his passes for 439 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. He was 17-for-27 for just 128 yards with no TDs against PSU. Chiles completed 63.1% of his passes for 1,392 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions in his eight starts. His elusiveness helped him dodge a number of additional sack situations, and he has 424 yards and six touchdowns on his 60 non-sack rushing attempts.
Smith said if both Milevojevic and Chiles are available Saturday, the Spartans could mix them with different packages. However, should neither be able to play, that would leave the Spartans to start true freshman Leo Hannan, who has yet to take a snap in a game this season. MSU’s other scholarship quarterback is redshirt freshman Ryland Jessee.
It will be a challenge, regardless of the QB, for the Spartans, who are stuck in a seven-game losing streak that is tied for the third-longest in program history. Iowa ranks No. 6 in the FBS in total defense (261.2 yards allowed per game) and eighth in scoring defense (14.3 points). However, the Hawkeyes only have 19 sacks in 10 games.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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