It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

The Eagles were ranked 116th in total points allowed. They were 0-3. The Spartans were supposed to be the class of the Big Ten. What was going on?

“There was a level of frustration,” offensive coordinator Dan Roushar said of the halftime mood. “I simply came in and said, ‘It’s not what we’re doing; it’s how we’re doing it.’ There (was) a lack of execution and maybe a lack of confidence. I was matter of fact, (and) those guys were ready to play football the second half.”

MSU was able to rally in the second half, scoring 20 unanswered points to take the game 23-7 while improving to 3-1 on the season.

However, the victory felt hollow for most of the Spartans, who felt the team had come out flat.

“Everybody knew we didn’t play like we should, so it was kind of a down mood,” junior linebacker Denicos Allen said. “We need to do our job better and prepare better, especially going into Big Ten.”

Junior quarterback Andrew Maxwell again struggled to find his rhythm, going 16-for-29
for 159 yards and one 10-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Dion Sims.

Sims had another outstanding game, serving as Maxwell’s favorite target as he hauled in six receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown.

Apart from Sims, the receiving corps had another shaky performance, as the familiar sight of dropped passes was revisited six times in the first half alone.

“The only thing that is not working for us in the passing game right now is us not finishing the play,” junior wideout Bennie Fowler said. “Maxwell’s getting the ball out there; we just have to continue finishing the play. If we finish those plays, then we’ll get the results we want.”

The offense again relied on junior running back Le’Veon Bell, who rushed for a career-high 253 yards and one touchdown on 36 carries.

Still, Bell said the team needs to execute better when it faces off against No. 14 Ohio State next Saturday in Spartan Stadium.

“We’ve got talented guys on our side, and those guys have got to make those plays — I’ve got to make those plays,” he said. “We’re just going to keep getting better. We’ve still got a lot of young and inexperienced guys, and they’re going to keep getting better each week.”

Head coach Mark Dantonio said if MSU wants to open the Big Ten season with a win, the Spartans will have to make the big plays in addition to the five- and six-yard gains.

“In my estimation, players make plays — plays don’t make players,” he said. “And so we need to be more consistent in what we’re doing and execute better. And that’s basically all around our football team.”