Jonathan Smith evaluates offense, defense in first half of Michigan State debut

In Jonathan Smith‘s debut as the head coach of Michigan State, the Spartans took a commanding 16-3 lead into halftime against FAU. Before heading back to the locker room, Smith evaluated his team’s first-half performance, starting by complimenting MSU running back Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams‘ 63-yard touchdown run.

“It was blocked pretty well,” Smith said. “We hadn’t been running that scheme. That was the first time we kind of showed it, and that guy’s got some speed, hitting right down the A-gap, which we want. That’s a big play.”

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Smith’s breakout run accounted for over half of Michigan State’s 111 rushing yards in the first half. However, he wasn’t the only Spartan making a statement in the ground game.

MSU’s Aidan Chiles also found the end zone on a quarterback draw. Chiles completed 6-of-his-13 pass attempts in the first half for 72 yards. Although Chiles’ numbers don’t pop off the page, he showed resolve after throwing an interception on the first play of the game.

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Of course, Michigan State’s offense wasn’t the only reason it took a 16-3 lead into the break. The Spartans’ defense was spectacular in the half, only allowing FAU to record 117 total yards of offense.

FAU was only able to complete one of its six third-down attempts. Moreover, MSU squeezed two turnovers out of the Owls — both interceptions. Nonetheless, Jonathan Smith would like to see his defense be more disciplined in the back half of the game.

“[FAU is] doing a nice job changing up some looks and things,” Smith said. “Really the biggest problem we got defensively is extending their drives with the penalties.”

Michigan State to induct Mark Dantonio into ring of honor

Few coaches have seen sustained success on the gridiron at Michigan State like Mark Dantonio — and none in the modern age have been his peer there. Thus, it likely wasn’t a hard call for the Spartans to honor the former head coach during the 2024 season.

Dantonio will be inducted in the ring of honor at Spartan Stadium ahead of Michigan State’s Sept. 28 contest against Ohio State in East Lansing. This ceremony is happening a few months before Dantonio is official inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December.

Athletic director Alan Haller announced the ceremony in a campus-wide letter on Tuesday, as the new athletic season gets rolling.

“Players from throughout his era will gather with the Spartan faithful to recognize a Coach whose impact goes far beyond the games he won and titles he captured,” Haller said in the letter. “Through their on-field excellence, those Spartan teams created a lifetime of memories for our community.”

On3’s Andrew Graham also contributed to this article.