Game 3: Michigan State (2-0) vs. Youngstown State (2-0)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 13
Kickoff: 3:40 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Stadium: Spartan Stadium (74,866)
Surface: Natural Grass
Game Notes: MSU | Youngstown State►GAME DAY INFORMATION
Game Day Central (Parking/Tailgating/Timeline)
Parking: Parking lots will open at 7 a.m. on Saturday. | Parking Map
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Additional Links:
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►BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Big Ten Network
Streaming/Mobile: FOX Sports app
Announcers: Guy Haberman (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analyst), Rhett Lewis (sidelines)
Live Stats: msuspartans.com | Live Stats
Radio: Spartan Media Network | Affiliate Listings
Play-by-Play: George Blaha
Analyst: Jehuu Caulcrick
Sidelines: Tre Mosley
Broadcast Hosts: Will Tieman, Dalton Shetler
Website/Mobile: msuspartans.com/watch, MSU Spartans app, Tune In radio
Flagship Stations: Lansing: WMMQ (94.9 FM)/WJIM (1240 AM); Detroit: WJR (760 AM); Grand Rapids: WBFX (101.3 FM)
Affiliates: 23 affiliates listed at msuspartans.com
Satellite: SiriusXM Ch. 106/195 | SiriusXM App
Pregame Show: Begins at 2 p.m.
►SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time Series: MSU leads, 3-0
Series in East Lansing: MSU leads, 3-0
Last Meeting: MSU 42, YSU 14 (2021)
Current Series Streak: 3 by MSU
►HEAD COACHES
MSU Head Coach: Jonathan Smith
MSU Record: 7-7 (second year)
Overall Record: 41-42 (eighth year)
Record vs. YSU: 0-0
YSU Head Coach: Doug Phillips
YSU Record: 25-30 (sixth year)
Overall Record: 25-30 (sixth year)
Record vs. MSU: 0-1
►SPARTAN FOOTBALL NEWS AND NOTES
• Michigan State hosts Youngstown State on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 3:40 p.m. in Spartan Stadium in the third and final nonconference game of the season. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network with Guy Haberman (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analyst) and Rhett Lewis (sidelines) on the call.
• MSU improved to 2-0 following a 42-40 double overtime win against Boston College last Saturday night in East Lansing. The Spartans opened the season with a 23-6 home victory over Western Michigan.
• Youngstown State is also 2-0 with home wins against Mercyhurst (24-15) and Robert Morris (56-17). The Penguins are ranked No. 25 in this week’s FCS Coaches Poll.
• Saturday’s game marks the fourth meeting between Michigan State and Youngstown State. The Spartans lead the series, 3-0, with all games taking place in Spartan Stadium. In the last matchup between the two schools, MSU beat YSU, 42-14, on Sept. 11, 2021. The Spartans also beat the Penguins in 2011 (28-6) and 2013 (55-17).
• Michigan State University will induct six individuals into its Athletics Hall of Fame for the 2025 Class on Friday, Sept. 12: Mark Dantonio (football coach), Tony Keyes (men’s soccer), Kori Moster (volleyball), Caroline Powers (women’s golf), Nick Simmons (wrestling), and Sam Vincent (men’s basketball). There will also be a special recognition at halftime for the 2025 Class.
• After a storied 13 seasons as head coach of the Michigan State football program, Dantonio retired as the winningest coach in Spartan history on Feb. 4, 2020. Dantonio finished his career with a record of 114-57 (.667) in East Lansing and 132-74 (.641) in 16 seasons overall (2004-19). During his time at the helm of the Spartan program from 2007-19, Dantonio compiled an impressive list of accomplishments, including three Big Ten Championships (2010, 2013, 2015), two victories in the Big Ten Championship Game (2013, 2015), victories in the 2014 Rose Bowl and the 2015 Cotton Bowl, and an appearance in the 2015 College Football Playoff. Dantonio was an assistant coach under head coach Jim Tressel at Youngstown State from 1986-90.
• Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles was named the Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week, while junior linebacker Jordan Hall was awarded the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week following their performances in the victory over Boston College. It marks the first time Michigan State has had both the Big Ten Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for the same game since 2010 (QB Kirk Cousins and DL Tyler Hoover vs. Northwestern; P Aaron Bates was also named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week that game).
►QB AIDAN CHILES NAMED BIG TEN CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Junior co-captain quarterback Aidan Chiles, who has started 14 consecutive games for the Spartans, threw a career-high four touchdown passes against Boston College while completing 19 of his 29 pass attempts for 231 yards to earn Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors. He also connected with Omari Kelly on the game-winning pass on MSU’s 2-point conversion in double overtime.
• Chiles compiled a total of 270 yards of offense against the Eagles, as he also had 12 carries for a net of 39 yards; he gained a total of 68 yards on the ground, including a 3-yard TD in double overtime that tied the game at 40, part of five rushes overall that earned MSU a first down or touchdown.
►NICK MARSH LOOKING FOR MORE AFTER RECORD-BREAKING FRESHMAN SEASON
• Sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh is tied for the Big Ten lead with three receiving touchdowns after the first two games. He had a career-high two TD catches vs. BC (11 yards in first quarter; 41 yards in third quarter) as part of five overall receptions for 68 yards.
• Marsh set an MSU freshman record in 2024 for most receptions (41) and receiving yards (649). He has 10 catches for 100 yards in the first two games of 2025.
►MAKHI FRAZIER LEADS GROUND GAME IN FIRST YEAR AS STARTER
• Sophomore running back Makhi Frazier leads the team and ranks seventh in the Big Ten in rushing, averaging 92.0 yards per game (5.9 per carry). In his first collegiate start, Frazier ran for 103 yards and a touchdown against Western Michigan, then followed up with 81 yards on 17 carries in Week 2 against Boston College.
►STOPPING THE RUN
• Michigan State ranks third in the Big Ten and eighth in the FBS in rushing defense, allowing just 48.0 yards per game (Western Michigan: 29 yards; Boston College: 67 yards).
• The Spartans also rank among the FBS leaders at 21st in team tackles for loss with 8.0 per game.
►JORDAN HALL NAMED BIG TEN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Junior co-captain linebacker Jordan Hall recorded a career-high 15 tackles, including nine solo stops, in the win over Boston College. Early in the first quarter, Hall forced a fumble near the goal line to prevent an Eagle touchdown as Armorion Smith recovered the ball for the Spartans.
• A native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Hall is off to an impressive start for the 2-0 Spartans, leading the team and ranking fourth in the Big Ten and tied for eighth in the FBS with 23 tackles (11.5 pg). He also has 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack.
►PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN RYAN ECKLEY LEADS FBS IN PUNTING
• Redshirt junior punter Ryan Eckley, a Ray Guy Award candidate and preseason All-American, led the Big Ten in punting in 2024 with his 47.9-yard average and was a second-team all-conference selection.
• Eckley has showed why he is one of the best punters in the nation in the first two games of the season. He not only leads the FBS in punting with his 52.4-yard average, but he also ranks first in the Big Ten in punts inside the 20 (7) and in 50-yard plus punts (6). Eckley has dropped five punts inside the opponents’ 10-yard line, including three at the 1 and one at the 2.
• Eckley was named the Ray Guy Award National Punter of the Week following his performance against Boston College in Week 2. He had two punts downed at the 1, and all three of his punts were downed inside the 20, for 0 return yards. He finished with a 54.7 yards per punt average, starting his night with a 60-yarder in the first quarter that was downed at the BC 12, then adding a 55-yarder downed at the 1 early in the fourth quarter and topping his punting night with a 49-yarder downed at the 1 on the second-to-last play of regulation.
• Eckley has a career punting average of 47.6 yards per punt (109 punts for 5,188 yards), which would rank No. 1 in school history (current record: Bryce Baringer, 46.0 avg.). That average also ranks No. 1 among current active players in the FBS.
►MARTIN CONNINGTON MAKES TWO FIELD GOALS IN COLLEGIATE DEBUT
• Making his collegiate debut against Boston College, redshirt freshman Martin Connington drilled a 50-yard field goal in the third quarter in his first-ever play as a Spartan. He then connected on a 39-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and made his first career extra point during the first overtime session. A native of Meridian, Idaho, Connington redshirted last season and did not see game action. He sat out the season opener against Western Michigan with an injury.
►STAT LEADERS
Michigan State:
Rushing – So. Makhi Frazier (31 carries for 184 yards, 5.9 avg., 1 TD, 92.0 ypg)
Passing – Jr. Aidan Chiles (36-of-52, .692, 386 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs, 193.0 ypg)
Receiving – Sr. Omari Kelly (11 receptions for 135 yards, 12.3 avg., 0 TDs, 67.5 ypg)
Tackles – Jr. LB Jordan Hall (23 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1.0 sack, 1 FF)
Youngstown State:
Rushing – Jr. QB Beau Brungard (38 carries for 409 yards, 10.8 avg., 6 TDs, 204.5 ypg)
Passing – Jr. Beau Brungard (26-of-37, .703, 236 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs, 118.0 ypg)
Receiving – Sr. Max Tomczak (7 receptions for 112 yards, 16.0 avg., 1 TD, 56.0 ypg)
Tackles – Sr. DB Dathan Hickey (14 tackles, 1 INT, 1 FR); Sr. DB Dayne Hodge (14 tackles)
►SERIES NOTES
• Saturday’s game marks the fourth meeting between Michigan State and Youngstown State. The Spartans lead the series, 3-0, with all games taking place in Spartan Stadium. In the last matchup between the two schools, MSU beat YSU, 42-14, on Sept. 11, 2021. The Spartans also beat the Penguins in 2011 (28-6) and 2013 (55-17).
• Michigan State gained 588 yards of total offense and quarterback Payton Thorne completed 14-of-20 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns as the Spartans defeated Youngstown State in the 2021 home opener at Spartan Stadium, 42-14. Jayden Reed had four catches for 181 yards, including a 75-yard TD reception from Thorne on the first play from scrimmage.
• MSU produced 547 total yards (277 rushing and 270 passing) in the 55-17 win over the Penguins in 2013. Connor Cook was 15-of-22 passing for 202 yards and four touchdowns in the victory.
• Kirk Cousins completed 18-of-22 throws for 222 yards and one TD in the 28-6 victory against Youngstown State in the 2011 season opener. On MSU’s first offensive play of the game, senior captain Joel Foreman, who had started 22 consecutive games at left guard, volunteered his starting position for cancer survivor Arthur Ray Jr.
►SPARTANS 9-0 ALL-TIME VS. TEAMS FROM NCAA FCS
• Saturday’s game marks the 10th time in school history that MSU has played an opponent from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). MSU is 9-0 all-time against FCS opponents, with its last victory arriving in 2024, a 40-0 win over Prairie View A&M. Michigan State has outscored its FCS opponents, 372-81 (average score of 41-9), in the nine previous meetings.
►A GLANCE AT YOUNGSTOWN STATE (2-0)
• The Penguins pack a 2-0 record to East Lansing for their first road trip of the season. YSU, playing at the Football Championship Series (FCS) level, opened with a 24-15 win over Mercyhurst before routing Robert Morris, 56-17, last week. RMU scored first for an early 3-0 lead, before Youngstown State reeled off 56 unanswered points to open a 56-3 lead after three quarter, before the Colonials added two TDs in the fourth frame.
• The Penguins are an apropos opposition for the Spartans for MSU’s Hall of Fame game, as 2025 HOF inductee coach Mark Dantonio is not only a native of Zanesville, Ohio, but Coach Dantonio was defensive secondary coach and defensive coordinator at Youngstown State for five seasons under YSU head coach Jim Tressel (1986-90). Coach Dantonio helped the Penguins to three trips to the NCAA I-AA playoffs. While serving as defensive coordinator in 1990, Youngstown State posted a perfect 11-0 regular-season record and ranked second nationally.
• In the win over Robert Morris, junior quarterback Beau Brungard set the Youngstown State and Missouri Valley Football Conference single-game rushing records by a quarterback with 264 yards. Brungard scored four rushing TDs, covering 72, 4, 20 and 28 yards. He also was 12-for-16 passing for 122 yards and one TD, to finishing with 386 yards of total offense and accounting for five TDs.
• YSU amassed 593 yards of total offense, with 424 on the ground and 169 through the air. The Penguin defense held RMU to 233 yards of total offense, with 192 passing and just 41 yards rushing. Senior wide receiver Max Tomczak had five catches for 69 yards and one TD, while sophomore tailback Jaden Gilbert rushed for 48 yards on five carries and senior tailback Tahir Mills had six carries for 36 yards with one TD, scoring on an 18-yard scamper in the third quarter.
• On the season, YSU is 10th in FCS in scoring offense at 40.0 points per game, while ranking second in FCS in rushing offense (305.5 ypg), trailing only Montana (310.0). The Penguins share the lead in FCS in red zone offense, scoring on all 10 of their trips there with nine TDs and one field goal. YSU’s offense is 14th in FCS in total offense (447.0 ypg), and is 85th in FCS in passing offense (141.5 ypg)
• The Penguin defense is 18th in the FCS in scoring defense (16.0 ppg), as well as ranking 22nd in FCS in total defense (303.5 ypg), boosted by ranking third in rushing defense (52.0 ypg) and 85th in passing yards allowed (251.5 ypg).
• Individually, Brungard leads the FCS in rushing yards (204.5 ypg), rushing TDs (6) and total TDs (6), while ranking second in both rushing yards per carry (10.76 ypc) and all-purpose yards (204.5 ypg), as well as fourth in total offense (322.5 ypg). Brungard is 26-of-37 passing for 236 yards (118.0 ypg) for the season with one TD pass and no interceptions.
• Gilbert adds 82 yards on 14 carries (5.9 ypc/41.0 ypg), while Mills has seven carries for 38 yards (5.4 ypc/19.0 ypg), with a rushing TD apiece.
• Tomczak has seven catches for 112 yards (16.0 ypc/56.0 ypg) with one TD, while Gilbert also has seven catches for 50 yards (7.1 ypc/25.0 ypg).
• Senior defensive back Dathan Hickey spearheads the Penguin defense with 14 tackles (11 solo, three assists) with one INT, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Fellow senior defensive back Dayne Hodge also has 14 stops (five solo, nine assists).
• Junior linebacker Michael Wells has a team-high 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks, adding two fumble recoveries and three QB hurries to go with seven total tackles.
• Junior placekicker Andrew Lastovka is 11-of-11 on PATs and has made his only field goal attempt, a 37-yarder.
• Senior punter Brendon Kilpatrick has five punts for a 49.0 ypp average with a long of 63-yards, one of three punts of 50+ yards, with two inside the 20.
• Head coach Doug Phillips is in his sixth season leading the Penguin program, posting a 25-30 record, including 0-1 against MSU from the 2021 Spartans-Penguins match-up in a 42-14 Victory for MSU.
LAST TIME OUT: MICHIGAN STATE 42, BOSTON COLLEGE 40 (2OT)
►GAME RECAP
• Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles scored from 3 yards out and completed a pass to Omari Kelly for a two-point conversion in the second overtime as Michigan State rallied to defeat Boston College, 42-40, at Spartan Stadium last Saturday night.
• Chiles completed 19-of-29 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns, while running for 39 yards and one score. Sophomore running back Makhi Frazier had 17 carries for 81 yards, while sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh caught five passes for 68 yards and two scores.
• Junior linebacker Jordan Hall led the defense with a career-high 15 tackles, nine solo, while redshirt senior linebacker Wayne Matthews III, redshirt senior defensive back Armorion Smith and senior defensive back Ade Willie had eight tackles apiece.
►SCORING SUMMARY
• Michigan State forced BC three-and-out in its first possession, but a fumbled Spartan punt return gave the Eagles the ball right back at the MSU 39-yard line. Boston College fumbled it four plays later, however, as Armorion Smith dove on the ball and made a fumble recovery on the goal line just before Turbo Richard crossed into the end zone.
• The Spartans responded with a touchdown drive on its first possession, going 80 yards on 11 plays, capped by a Nick Marsh 11-yard TD. On third-and-goal from the 11, Marsh caught a pass at the 7 and dragged several Eagle defenders into the end zone for his second touchdown of the season.
• Boston College tied the game at 7 on a 6-play, 88-yard drive as Turbo Richard scored on an 8-yard pass from Dylan Lonergan at the 12:50 mark in the second quarter. The Spartans were stopped at midfield on fourth-and-1 on their next possession, and the Eagles took a 14-7 lead with the short field, going 49 yards on eight plays, ending with a 12-yard TD catch by Jaedn Skeete.
• On the ensuing kickoff, Alante Brown initially fumbled the ball, but responded with a career-long 63-yard return to set up Michigan State’s second TD of the game. Aidan Chiles connected on a 3-yard pass to Michael Masunas four plays after the kick return to even the game at 14 with 5:40 left in the first half.
• BC went back ahead, 21-14, with its third touchdown of the game on a 14-yard Lonergan pass to Reed Harris with 31 seconds remaining in the half.
• MSU opened the second half with a quick four-play, 75-yard scoring drive, capped by a 41-yard touchdown strike from Chiles to Marsh to tie the game again at 21-21.
• Luca Lombardo made a 37-yard field goal on BC’s first drive of the second half as the Eagles regained the lead, 24-21, at the 7:00 mark in the third, but Martin Connington drilled a 50-yard field goal on his first career Spartan kick to make it 24-24 with 2:14 left in the third.
• Midway through the fourth quarter, Connington connected again, hitting a 39-yard field goal to cap an 11-play, 46-yard drive that ate up more than six minutes on the clock as the Spartans took a 27-24 lead. The Eagles tied the game with 1:16 to play in the fourth quarter on a 38-yard field goal from Lombardo. The Spartans moved into BC territory on their first two plays on the next possession but could not convert and the game went to overtime.
• BC won the toss in overtime and Michigan State took possession, using four plays to take a 34-27 lead on a 5-yard pass from Chiles to Jay Coyne. The Eagles tied the game at 34 on a 6-yard pass from Lonergan to Jeremiah Franklin, sending it to a second overtime period.
• The Eagles had first possession in the second overtime and took a 40-34 lead on an 8-yard run from Richard, but BC’s two-point conversion attempt failed. On MSU’s drive, a 13-yard run from Frazier set up a 3-yard scoring rush from Chiles to tie the game at 40. Chiles then completed a pass to the back corner of the end zone to Omari Kelly, giving the Spartans a thrilling 42-40 win.
►OFFENSIVE NOTES
• The 42 points scored were the most under head coach Jonathan Smith during his tenure in East Lansing.
• Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles threw a career-high four TDs, topping his previous career-best of three TD tosses last season vs. Maryland (9/7/24) . . . Chiles became the first MSU QB to throw four TD passes since Payton Thorne had four TD tosses vs. Western Michigan on Sept. 2, 2022.
• Chiles extended his streak to five games in a row without an interception dating back to the final three games of last season.
• Chiles rushed 12 times for a net of 39 yards and one TD . . . he gained a total of 68 yards on the ground . . . of Chiles’ 12 rushes, five of them earned MSU a first down or touchdown, including two on third down and one on fourth down, highlighted by his 3-yard scoring scamper in double OT.
• Sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh snared a career-high two TD catches . . . his five receptions tied a season high after five catches last week vs. WMU and tying for the second-most of his career, behind the top mark of eight catches done twice (last vs. Iowa, 10/19/24).
• Sophomore running back Makhi Frazier had game highs for carries and yards with 17 rushing attempts for 81 yards after his career-best mark of 103 yards last week vs. WMU.
• Senior wide receiver Omari Kelly caught the game-winning two-point conversion pass from Chiles . . . Kelly had four receptions for 60 yards . . . he had seven catches for 75 yards last week vs. WMU . . . Kelly’s 30-yard reception was a new long for him as a Spartan and the longest since a 69-yard catch vs. Memphis last year during his time at Middle Tennessee State.
• Redshirt junior tight end Michael Masunas snared the first TD catch of his career and finished with a career-high three catches for a career-best 31 yards, highlighted by his 3-yard TD catch in the second quarter.
• Fellow redshirt junior fullback Jay Coyne also caught his first career TD catch with a 5-yard scoring catch from Chiles in the first OT . . . overall, it was Coyne’s second career reception after one catch for 12 yards last season vs. Prairie View A&M.
►DEFENSIVE NOTES
• MSU defense held Boston College to just 67 rushing yards, marking the second time through two games this season that the Spartan defense has held the opposition under 100 yards (WMU: 29 yards).
• Junior linebacker Jordan Hall registered a career-high 15 tackles, including a career-best nine solo stops . . . he also forced a fumble that teammate Armorion Smith recovered in the end zone.
• Redshirt senior defensive back Armorion Smith logged a career-high eight tackles and had his first career fumble recovery . . . he also had a pass break-up on BC’s two-point conversion in 2OT.
►SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Redshirt junior punter/placekicker Ryan Eckley had two punts downed at the 1 . . . the pair of punts at the 1 were part of his 100 percent of punts being inside the 20, as all three of his punts on the night were downed inside the 20, for 0 return yards . . . he finished with a 54.7 yards per punt average, starting his night with a 60-yarder in the first quarter that was downed at the BC 12, then adding a 55-yarder downed at the 1 early in the fourth quarter and topping his punting night with a 49-yarder downed at the 1 on the second-to-last play of regulation.
• Eckley also handled kickoff duties for the second game in a row and of his college career, finishing with six kickoffs for a 62.7 ypk average with one touchback.
• Redshirt freshman placekicker Martin Connington made his collegiate debut in smashing fashion, drilling a 50-yard field goal in his first collegiate attempt that tied the game at 24-24 late in the third quarter . . . Connington then added a 39-yarder early in the fourth quarter that put the Spartans ahead, 27-24.
• Fifth-year senior kicker Blake Sislo made all three of his PATs for the second straight game after three last week vs. WMU, which are the first six of his collegiate career after transferring to MSU from Davenport, where he did not see any game action.