Against No. 25 Southern California on a late Saturday night that turned into an early Sunday morning, MSU and its short-handed team resisted but succumbed in a 45-31 loss. 

The short-handedness began well before the Spartans landed at LAX. In their previous matchup against Youngstown State, MSU suffered injuries to sixth-year senior Alante Brown, sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh, freshman linebacker Brady Pretzlaff, sophomore running back Makhi Frazier and redshirt junior offensive lineman Luka Vincic.

While Marsh and Frazier would both suit up and play against USC, the alleviation was only short-lived. With 50 seconds left in the first quarter, sophomore offensive lineman Stanton Ramil left the game and did not return. He would be replaced by redshirt freshman Rustin Young. 

The short-handedness continued — not due to injury, but because of an ejection for targeting. Early in the second quarter, with the Trojans leading 10-7, USC tight end Lake McRee caught a pass over the middle and was met head-on by MSU junior linebacker Jordan Hall. The helmet-to-helmet contact initiated by Hall led to a review, which confirmed the targeting penalty and resulted in his disqualification.

Hall — an MSU co-captain and “green dot” linebacker — was a key piece of the Spartan defense. He signaled the defensive plays and served as a leader and communicator, having earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors against Boston College. Just one play after his ejection, and with his absence clearly felt, MSU gave up a 40-yard touchdown pass from USC quarterback Jayden Maiava to a wide-open and reliable target, Makai Lemon, extending the Trojans’ lead to 10.

Later in the second quarter with USC up 17-10 and with the ball, sixth-year senior defensive lineman Quindarius Dunnigan and junior defensive back Nikai Martinez collided while tackling USC running back Eli Sanders. The pair – who ran into each other at full speed – would be helped off the field by trainers, and while they walked off on their own power, they would not return to the game. 

One play later, junior linebacker Wayne Matthews was injured after attempting to tackle USC running back Jordan Waymond. Trainers were immediately summoned, and what ensued was a ten-plus minute delay which saw the crowd go silent and both teams take a knee on the field. 

Matthews – MSU co-captain and replacement “green dot” linebacker for Hall – had his jersey cut off and was placed on a backboard before being carted to a waiting ambulance where he was taken to LA General Hospital. Later in the evening, a school spokesman said Matthews’ motor skills were intact.

On the play following the delay, USC struck on a seven yard touchdown as Maiava found his wide receiver Tanook Hines, giving the Trojans a 24-10 lead heading into halftime. 

What resulted from MSU’s short-handedness was a team ill-equipped to stop a fiery, fast USC offense that gutted its opponent. An absence of two veteran signal calling linebackers led to miscommunications and confusion such as open receivers and open gaps, and ultimately without four defensive starters, there was a clear lack of talent to stop the best statistical offense in the nation. 

On the night and into the morning, USC’s offense equipped 523 total yards. 

Through the air, Maiava shined, finishing the game going 20-for-26 with 234 yards and three passing touchdowns with two rushing touchdowns. MSU had no answer for him all night long, especially as the injuries began to pile up. 

Trojan running backs also shined. To finish the game, Waymond and Sanders finished with a combined 34 carries amounting for 247 yards. Through its first three games, MSU only allowed 193 rushing yards, which ranked ninth in the nation. Against USC, the Spartans had a total lapse of previous success. 

Injuries cause in-game issues – both mentally and physically. Watching a brother go down and not get back up is never easy, and to fill his role is just as difficult. Against USC, some MSU players learned this – for some, it was reinforced. 

For the Spartans, a bye week couldn’t come at a better time. MSU will have an extra week of rest next week before traveling to Nebraska on Oct. 4.