"Painful, really for our guys" MSU head coach Jonathan Smith said. "For the amount of work they continue to put in and play with competitive character. It is tough there’s no other way to say it."

A loss that will be unforgivable for MSU fans pushes the fan base’s discontent with the current coaching staff to an all-time high. With every game feeling like the same story week after week, the Spartans show flashes of competitiveness before ultimately collapsing. A mix of offensive and defensive letdowns led to the loss, as they failed to make the necessary plays to put Iowa away.

After holding the Hawkeyes to just 30 passing yards through three quarters, the Spartans fell apart in the fourth. A quarter where Iowa was forced to move down the field quickly and throw the ball — a situation that seemed perfect for an MSU defense that had been shutting down the passing game all afternoon.

But the script completely flipped, and the Spartans suddenly had no answer for graduate quarterback Mark Gronowski, who picked apart MSU’s secondary for 117 passing yards in the fourth quarter and led Iowa to 13 unanswered points.

On the offensive side, redshirt freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic was under constant pressure from the Hawkeyes’ defense, making it difficult to move the ball. The Spartans had four drives in the fourth quarter, three of which ended in three-and-outs, gaining just one first down when it mattered most.

After the defense stood tall on an Iowa fourth-down attempt with 3:45 remaining, it seemed MSU would pick up a few first downs and close out the game. Instead, another three-and-out led to a 54-yard punt from redshirt junior Ryan Eckley that was returned 40 yards to the MSU 42. That return set up Iowa’s game-tying, five-play drive that ended in a touchdown to make it 17-17 with 1:29 remaining.

"It hurts. We fought as a team. We came up a little short, but we’ve got another week," Milivojevic said. "We’re going to come back to work, go through our process and fight like we do. That’s what our team is. We’re going to fight."

Though the Spartans’ offense failed to show up when it was needed, it was productive through three quarters. McCray finished with six receptions for 75 yards and both of MSU’s touchdowns, while senior tight end Jack Velling had his best game for the Spartans with eight catches for 88 yards. Milivojevic also continued his strong play in his third career start, completing 25 of 42 passes for 255 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Some facet of MSU’s team eventually falling apart each game has become expected this season, drawing criticism toward Smith — criticism junior linebacker Jordan Hall does not agree with.

"The bash that coach Smith gets it appalls me," Hall said. "He’s a great coach, a great man and he leads well and I stand by him."

The Spartans will close out the season at Ford Field against Maryland (4-7), looking to end a disappointing year with a win.