The Spartans head back to East Lansing with their tails between their legs, and will take on Brigham Young University next Saturday. Here are some notes to take away from this loss, as well as grades for each side of the ball and players who stood out.

KEY NOTES

Senior linebacker Riley Bullough was absent for the second-straight game for MSU with a shoulder injury. At the same time, cornerback Darian Hicks, defensive lineman Raequan Williams, linebacker Chris Frey and offensive lineman Brian Allen all were injured at some point in the game. Hicks was injured earliest in the third quarter and did not return.

Junior defensive tackle Malik McDowell, a leader of the defensive front for the Spartans, was ejected in the fourth quarter for targeting. Hicks will also miss the first half of the Spartans' next game at home against BYU on Oct. 8.

FIVE THINGS

1. A change of hands

For the first time in head coach Mark Dantonio’s career, MSU has given up the Old Brass Spittoon, the rivalry trophy for the MSU-Indiana series. Dantonio falls to 7-1 against the Hoosiers.

“Congratulations to Indiana, (Indiana) coach (Kevin) Wilson on what they were able to accomplish tonight," Dantonio said to open his press conference following the defeat. “Too many mistakes by us, too many penalties, too many plays we didn’t make we had an opportunity to make that would have been great plays. Not very good in overtime, that’s for sure.”

Stat wise, MSU and Indiana were fairly even, as MSU out-gained Indiana by one yard 438 to 437. The game was slow and sloppy on both ends for much of the game, as both sides got caught in long third downs and bad field position. Big plays fueled both sides, primarily Indiana, to help contribute to three straight touchdown drives in the second half.

“Our games with Indiana have always been very close, always been very competitive,” Dantonio said. “All of a sudden the fourth quarter this time, you know, we didn’t win the fourth quarter. And we needed to do that to win the football game.”

2. Pass rush non-existent

The Spartan pass rush was once again minimal, and almost non-existent against Indiana. The Spartans had zero sacks, only two tackles for loss, and one quarterback hurry, where Evan Jones had Indiana quarterback Richard Lagow all but down for a loss before he barely got the ball away.

“Obviously we are frustrated, you never want to lose,” senior safety Demetrious Cox said. “It’s very frustrating, and it’s also because it’s so close to being a completely different story.”

Now, without McDowell for the next half, MSU faces a mobile BYU quarterback in Taysom Hill. Something has got to change for MSU, as the only real players on the defensive line who have been generating a big rush are Williams and McDowell, who both might be in question because of injury.

3. Mistakes kill momentum ... again

The Spartans committed 11 penalties for 98 yards, and a number of them were game-changing. Before the first half, MSU had two holding calls that took potential points of the board. In overtime, Indiana kicker Griffin Oakes missed a 33-yard field goal, but a leaping personal foul gave them a second chance that they cashed in for victory.

“We just shot ourselves in the foot,” senior receiver R.J. Shelton said. “Over and over as an offensive unit. We just have to come back tomorrow and evaluate this game. We are going to see some positives, some negatives and just move forward.”

"Shot ourselves in the foot” has been somewhat of a slogan for MSU football –– and it’s not something you want to be associated with. Mistakes were deadly, just as they were against Wisconsin. The Spartans beat themselves and took themselves seemingly out of College Football Playoff contention in doing so.

4. Special teams need a makeover

Not only was senior kicker Michael Geiger 0-2 on the night, despite the attempts being from 49 and 50 yards out, but the entire special teams unit struggled. Punter Jake Hartbarger was short on some punts, and the one 59-yard boomer he had was returned 31 yards by Indiana deep into MSU territory.

Shelton and sophomore Brandon Sowards have been nothing more than uninspiring in the return game. It helped contribute to MSU not starting past their own 30-yard line except one possession, which was 46 seconds before halftime.

Dantonio and special teams coordinator Mark Snyder are going to have to think of some other options. Potential use of more athletic players like safety Montae Nicholson or running back LJ Scott in the return game could be beneficial. Coverage teams need better tacklers and the overall kicking game needs an extra day of practice.

5. Running game requires definitive answer

MSU picked up 175 yards on the ground and four different guys carried the ball for seven times or more. Scott and O’Connor each had 11, but Madre London and Gerald Holmes each had key runs that sparked longer drives.

Unfortunately for MSU, having a cluster of guys can cause problems, whether it be for blocking schemes for each particular back or just taking a guy out of rhythm and turning him cold.

“These are hard things to answer," Dantonio said. "When you are watching it from ground level and until you watch film to see exactly what happened and you find out if that was a mental error or was that a structural error. ... You have to assess those aspects when you see a play not working — offense, defense or special teams.”

MSU might want to think about cutting somewhat out and reaching a definitive two who can establish a rhythm together and generate more yardage and big plays rushing the football.

GRADES AND GAME BALLS

MSU Offense

Grade: C

The offense looked sluggish and undecided at plenty of points throughout the game, and the offensive play calling was head scratching for the most part. O’Connor said the offense was “decent” and he did look better and improved from last week.

The rushing attack was hot and cold with all three running backs doing either good or mediocre, making it difficult for Dantonio to go with the hot hand. 

Game Ball: R.J. Shelton: Seven catches, 141 yards, one touchdown

Shelton was a lone bright spot for MSU, reeling in an 86-yard touchdown pass and catching seven of his nine targets on the night. Shelton has the ability to make creative plays, and it was seen with short shovel passes and handoffs what he can do in space.

MSU Defense

Grade: C

The defense gets a C, too, merely because of their first half play. The injuries to key defensive players and sustained drives for the Hoosiers following their 120 yards of total offense in the first half helped chip away at the lead towards the end, snagging three touchdowns on their last three regulation drives, including two completions of 40 yards or more.

The secondary played better, but the defensive line took a step back. The linebacking corps without Bullough and junior linebacker Reschke remained fairly solid, as it is one of the deepest position groups the Spartans have.

Game Ball: Andrew Dowell and Chris Frey: Eight tackles, six solo a piece, pass breakup for Dowell

The two linebackers looked poised for most of the game, remaining cool without their two stars. They were able to keep the defense organized without too many miscommunications — something that happened often last week.

MSU Special Teams

Grade: D

As mentioned above, changes need to be made. The return game had a total of one punt return, and Sowards was stopped after one yard of progress. Indiana broke off bug returns to set them up and Hartbarger was slightly off his game tonight.

MVP: Matt Macksood

The extra point holder had to deal with a high snap before Geiger’s extra point attempt to tie the game with 11 seconds left. Without that, MSU might not have even had a chance to win.