MSU, who moved to 9-0 all-time against FCS opponents Saturday, recorded its first shutout since 2022. It was MSU's first time playing an HBCU opponent. 

MSU's offense, led by sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles, showcased it was capable of taking care of business following a road win against Maryland on a last-second field goal. Chiles and the offense scored three touchdowns in their first four possessions.

“I think we are a dangerous team, but I don’t think people have seen how dangerous we can really be,” Chiles said postgame.

Prairie View’s defense couldn’t keep up with the Spartans, who totaled 270 passing yards and 190 rushing yards and began to roll out some of their second-string players near the end of the third quarter.

In three quarters, Chiles went 12-for-19 for 173 yards and scored two touchdowns, one passing and one rushing. He threw an interception that was overturned due to offsetting penalties. Junior halfback Nate Carter carried the ball eight times for 91 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown in the second quarter to put MSU up 21-0. 

Freshman wideout Nick Marsh had a quiet week after exploding for 194 yards and a touchdown last week at Maryland, catching just two passes for 27 yards. 10 Spartans caught a pass Saturday.

“We have depth in the receiver room and we use these guys in a lot of different ways,” Chiles said.

Defensive back Charles Brantley made history, returning an interception 100 yards to the house, weaving in and out of Panthers for the longest MSU interception return in program history. It was his second pick six of the drive after he had one called back for roughing the passer seven plays earlier. 

Still, injuries continue to loom over MSU. Sophomore guard Gavin Brocious was carted off the field after suffering a lower-body injury. Brocious was starting in place of sophomore guard Kristian Phillips, who suffered a long-term injury in the opener. 

While showing its depth issues in the secondary at times, MSU’s defense held it together. Prairie View had trouble adjusting to the energy and pressure in East Lansing. The Spartans came out explosively with two sacks in the first quarter and were able to keep Prairie View off the scoreboard. 

MSU cleaned up some of its offense from last week, where Chiles threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, playing turnover-free for all 60 minutes. More action was seen from the tight end position, as four MSU tight ends touched the ball. Junior tight end Jack Velling, the starter, caught two passes for 42 yards. 

MSU's backups put up a good fight against Prairie View. Sixth year transfer quarterback Tommy Schuster saw the field for the first time this season and scored his first points as a Spartan on a 1-yard sneak. 

Aidan Chiles showed off his speed, ducking around defenders. The first Michigan State touchdown was scored on a six-yard rush by Chiles on the edge. 

MSU's defense rotated early and often. Throughout the week of practice, coaches said fans can expect more of that.

However, penalties were still an issue for the Spartans, committing 11 for 88 yards, a recurring theme this season. Averaging 11 penalties per game entering the week, MSU ranked 129th out of 133 FBS teams. Two Spartan touchdowns were called back as the result of penalties Saturday.

“I actually mentioned to our team, you go double digits again in penalties, that’s going to catch up with us,” Smith said. “We gotta find a way to coach it better.”

Despite playing a team lacking the talent necessary to hit back, MSU is showing improvements week to week and plays a massive game next weekend.

The undefeated Spartans will travel to Boston College Saturday, Sep. 21 for an 8 p.m. primetime slate and BC's annual "Red Bandana" game honoring 9/11 hero Welles Crowther.