I don’t want to be too hyperbolic, but this might have been the worst loss for Michigan State football since the John L. Smith era. On senior day, the Spartans threw away a 24 to 7 lead entering halftime to lose to a struggling Indiana Hoosiers team in double-overtime in what is easily the worst loss of the Mel Tucker era considering the lead they lost.
In a game where MSU had two running backs rush for 100 yards, and Keon Coleman dazzled with 107 yards and a touchdown, the Spartans could not maintain the lead and through poor coaching decisions, an unlucky interception by Payton Thorne, and a missed field goal, the Spartans lost this one in double-overtime.
The story of this one, to me, is the baffling coaching decisions, and Mel Tucker and his staff need to be held accountable for those. No more blaming poor execution, this was an embarrassing coaching display and Tucker needs to own that.
First of all, the choice to put the ball on the left hash for your left-footed kicker, with a field goal unit that has already struggled, was a head-scratching decision. Then, when the game was on the line after Indiana was up in 2OT, the Spartans had star receiver Keon Coleman lined up in single coverage repeatedly, but never targeted him. These are frustrating decisions that make almost no sense. It’s embarrassing when the commentators are also very easily pointing these things out in real time, but somehow the coaching staff is oblivious.
This one hurts, and will likely keep the Spartans out of a bowl game, with the team having to travel to face a tough Penn State team on the road next week.
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