Michigan State holds master's class on how to give away a game in loss to Maryland

EAST LANSING — One moment summed up this day of frustration for Michigan State football.

Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa plunged 1 yard into the end zone and flags flew through the air.

“There were two penalties on the defense,” the ref said, during Maryland’s 31-9 victory over MSU on Saturday at Spartan Stadium.

“Offsides, defense.”

He pointed at the Spartans.

“Illegal substitution, defense. The penalties are declined. Result of the play: Touchdown.”

Ugh.

What more could go wrong for MSU?

The Spartans needed discipline — they got critical penalties.

The Spartans needed to take care of the ball — and they threw an interception and fumbled on two of their first three possessions (they would finish the day with five turnovers).

The Spartans needed crisp plays and creativity — and they ran a befuddling running play that got swamped on fourth-and-goal from the 2.

Before you could blink, MSU was losing, 21-0.

“They were making the plays,” MSU acting coach Harlon Barnett said. “It wasn't them beating us or us beating ourselves, it was a combination of the two.”

A deceiving game

Now, here’s the crazy part.

The Spartans were actually moving the ball against Maryland but the Spartans kept hurting themselves.

Jaylan Franklin and Montorie Foster Jr. both had chances to make big plays at the end of the second quarter. But couldn’t hold onto the ball.

Then, MSU had a field goal blocked. Of course.

It was turning into a master's class in self-inflicted wounds.

At halftime, the stats were almost amazing.

Total yards: MSU 201, Maryland 166.

Passing yards: MSU 135, Maryland 91.

First downs: MSU 16, Maryland 9.

Time of possession: MSU 18:04; Maryland 11:56.

Even though the score looked like a blowout at halftime — the Terps had a 21-3 lead — this wasn’t a Maryland beatdown. This was a Sparty smash down — MSU was pummeling itself.

Responding to adversity

This set up a fascinating situation.

How would the Spartans respond to this latest helping in a season already full of adversity.

Here's how: MSU kept making mistakes — falling asleep on a fake punt and jumping offsides on another play, which allowed Maryland to take, and make, a shot at a big play.

But Maryland made bigger mistakes. The Terps missed a field goal and threw an interception in the end zone.

This game was an ugly duckling that never grew up.

Late in the third quarter, it felt like MSU still had a chance.

And they did, actually.

“I was encouraged by the defense in the second half, very encouraged,” Barnett said. “I kept telling them on the sideline, ‘that’s defense.’”

Noah Kim threw a 9-yard TD pass to Tyrell Henry in the right corner of the end zone, cutting into Maryland’s lead, 21-9.

Most of the MSU student section was gone, and this team had every reason to give up.

But this was a lesson in effort. A lesson in wasted perseverance.

But effort, alone, never won a football game.

And MSU couldn’t get out of its own way.

The Spartans were wasting touchdown opportunities — Kim overthrew a wide open Foster, which would have been a touchdown.

And just when you thought there is no way anything else can go wrong for MSU, Michael O’Shaughnessy had a 22-yard punt that ended up bouncing backwards.

Of course, it did.

This wasn’t a problem of effort or determination, it was a problem of execution.

Kim was taken out, finishing with a day in which he completed 18 of 33 passes for 190 yards and two interceptions, and he was replaced by Katin Houser, a redshirt freshman.

“Not so much performance, more just trying to get a spark,” Barnett said. “Noah is our quarterback. He's our guy.”

With Houser at QB, the Spartans kept moving the ball. Players on the sideline were pumping their fists with every first down. And the fans who stayed were roaring.

Houser led the Spartans down to the Maryland 10 and then threw an interception. Ugh.

It was MSU’s fourth turnover of the day.

“I said discipline is gonna be the word for the rest of the year," Barnett said. "We're gonna continue to talk about it, and preach it and push it, and eventually we're gonna get it, and you're gonna see the results very, very soon."

Maybe.

But for now, this was such a wasted opportunity.

It was frustrating and maddening.

The Spartans gave away a game. Dropping it. Fumbling it. And throwing it away.

More Seidel: Michigan State football acting coach Harlon Barnett a ray of sunshine in gloomy situation

Contact Jeff Seidel at jseidel@freepress.com or follow him @seideljeff.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football can blame only itself for Maryland loss