Early turnovers proved costly as Michigan State gave away three potential touchdowns in the first half. 

MSU saw the end zone just once through 60 minutes of play, a touchdown from junior wide receiver Jaron Glover in the second quarter following an interception from sixth-year linebacker Jordan Turner.

Driving inside the red zone, MSU lost two fumbles in the first half and was stuffed on a fourth-and-one.

MSU hurt itself when threatening to score on three different occasions. Had each scenario resulted in just a field goal, Spartan fans could’ve seen a completely different game in the second half. OSU capitalized on the mistakes made by the Spartans and ran away with the game. 

"The effort was there, the execution wasn’t," MSU head coach Jonathan Smith said postgame. 

Formerly Oregon State's head coach, Smith was known for his strength in the red zone. His 2023-24 Oregon State team went 41-for-42 in red zone point conversions. This wasn't the case Saturday night. 

So far this season, the Spartans are 12-for-18 on red zone point conversions. 

On Michigan State’s first drive of the second quarter, down 10-0, sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles completed a 26-yard pass to junior tight end Jack Velling. However, Ohio State senior cornerback Jordan Hancock forced a fumble, recovered by junior safety Sonny Styles.

Later in the second quarter, Chiles fumbled the ball at the OSU 16-yard line, forced by Ohio State senior safety Lathan Ransom and recovered by senior defensive end Jack Sawyer.

"We can’t get all the way down there and drive it to the red zone and just stall out," junior running back Nathan Carter said.

Michigan State’s troubles in the red zone gave OSU’s offense a chance to feed off of the team energy. Ohio State freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith displayed his incredible talent, which was too much for MSU to handle defensively. Smith had two catches in the game, both one-handed snags, including a touchdown to put Ohio State up 17-7 in the second quarter.

Barring the two improbable receptions from one of the best players in the country as a freshman, MSU would face a completely different game as the quarters progressed.

The Spartans totaled 246 yards to Ohio State's 483 yards. The Buckeyes also went 5-for-5 in the red zone. They resemble the highest level of competition MSU will face this season, and the Spartans couldn't bear the brunt despite a strong fight in the first half. 

In the end, MSU's red zone mistakes were the difference in momentum and confidence. If the Spartans took care of the ball, they could've played with OSU for more than just one half.

"The biggest thing for us is execution," Carter said. "We proved that we would ball with these guys and that we could, but we didn’t execute in the red zone."

MSU takes on another top-rated team, Smith's former rival Oregon, on the road next Friday, Oct. 4 at 9 p.m.