Jonathan Kim kicked a 37-yard field goal with just one second remaining, giving Michigan State a 27-24 win over Maryland in their Big Ten opener on Saturday.
Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles, who transferred from Oregon State, threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns but also had three interceptions. Despite these mistakes, he made key throws that helped the Spartans secure the win.
“It’s still early. It’s Game Two. We still have a lot of football left,” Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith said. “But at the same time, some of the messages we’re preaching, some of the belief that comes from finding a way on the road, resiliently, with some durability throughout the game, that echoes some of our messages.”
Michigan State (2-0) was strong on offense, gaining 493 yards compared to Maryland’s 339.
Maryland quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Wade early in the fourth quarter to give his team a 24-17 lead. The Spartans came back later in the quarter with a 77-yard touchdown pass from Chiles to Nick Marsh with 4:11 left.
“I didn’t play scared,” Chiles said. “Last week, I basically lied to myself and told myself I wasn’t scared. I was. It is what it is — my first start.
I don’t see it that way, but I was scared, I know. Today, I came out with the mentality of taking a deep breath and going for it. Today, we went out there and performed.”
Edwards completed 26 of 34 passes for 253 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. He lost his first game in five starts dating back to last season.
“Disappointing,” Edwards said. “There are a lot of things we need to learn from. We have a lot of things to fix.”
Maryland wide receiver Tai Felton caught 11 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. He is the first Maryland player since Jermaine Lewis in 1995 to have over 150 yards receiving in consecutive games.
Michigan State’s Nick Marsh had a 77-yard touchdown that tied the game 24-24 with 4:11 left. He ended with eight catches for 194 yards.
“Our goal was to make (Chiles) beat us throwing the football, and guess what? He did,” Maryland coach Mike Locksley said.
Maryland (1-1) struggled with their running game, gaining only 86 yards on 31 carries.
