The struggles to protect Maxwell led sophomore center Travis Jackson to say the offensive line was responsible for the passing game’s uneven performance.

“We didn’t get it done,” Jackson said. “Whenever you play a team like (Notre Dame) and you don’t bring your best and they do, they’re going to get the best of you on the field. … I really felt like we let the defense down.”

Maxwell wasn’t as quick to blame the offensive line as Jackson was, and said there were times when he anticipated defensive pressure that wasn’t actually there.

Those are the types of mistakes that the junior quarterback said are lessened with experience.

“First and foremost, I rushed a couple of things,” Maxwell said. “I probably could have stood in there a little longer, and kept with my reads, (and) just made the throws that would have presented themselves. … We just didn’t have enough explosive plays.”

One of the explosive plays the Spartans weren’t able to convert was a 28-yard pass to Bennie Fowler in the end zone that the junior receiver wasn’t able to hang on to.

It’s a play Fowler said would have made it a different game, and it is part of the reason he said the receivers, who were credited with seven dropped passes, were the reason MSU wasn’t able to win the game.

“Personally, I felt like (the receivers) let the team down. I feel like I let the team down,” Fowler said.
“Maxwell was doing well. He was staying in the pocket, staying poised, putting the ball on the receivers. It was all on the receivers. This game is the receivers’ fault.”

The offensive game plan also wasn’t without its critics, including offensive coordinator Dan Roushar, who said the team tried to use its no-huddle offense in the third quarter to get the Spartans going.

But a penalty ended the drive’s momentum and prompted Roushar to say he needed to do a better job of helping players be in position to be successful.

“I have to put the guys in better situations,” Roushar said. “It (was) very disappointing. We can be better than that, and we will look to do that.”

Yet for a passing game looking for answers, head coach Mark Dantonio said it requires a collective effort.

For the team to get back on track, Dantonio said each of the problems must be addressed, and said that responsibility falls on him.

“It’s disappointing when you get sacked with no pressure, and it’s something we need to look at,” Dantonio said. “I wish we had some throws back from our quarterback, throws back from our wide receivers, and we need to look at what we are doing. It’s everything from everybody and it starts here and goes all the way down.”