"Your guys are putting in a ton of work each week and to not get paid with that win for six weeks, it’s tough," MSU offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren said at Tuesday’s media availability. "I do think it speaks to the character of the guys that we brought in here, and guys that continue to compete."

Though the results have not gone the Spartans’ way, the desire to compete has never wavered, even with every reason to look ahead to next season. Aside from a homecoming blowout loss against UCLA, they have refused to look lifeless on the field.

"It just shows who we are as a team," senior running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver said. "We’ve gone through a lot, and still, every game you see there’s some fight in us. I just think as a team … everybody’s working, that’s just the way it is here. That’s just the way we practice."

The team has consistently played well enough to give itself opportunities to win, but could never finish the job. Whether the score was close at halftime, entering the fourth quarter or the game went into overtime, the Spartans have rarely been dominated.

The Week 4 road game against USC, the team’s first loss of the year, was just a 31-24 deficit headed into the fourth quarter. Their following trip to Nebraska was tied 21-21 after three quarters before losing 38-27.

The last two games have followed a similar pattern. MSU trailed Michigan just 10-7 at halftime before falling 31-20 at home in a rivalry matchup.

Minnesota was even closer. The Spartans erased a 10-0 deficit and took a seven-point lead with 1:52 left, but the Golden Gophers tied it with 29 seconds remaining and won 23-20 in overtime after a questionable late pass interference call.

Ultimately, all were games just a few key plays away from potentially flipping the entire landscape of the season. It is an emotional roller coaster, but the team keeps its approach simple: play for your brother.

"You go out and play for the guy next to you," senior tight end Jack Velling said. "There’s something calm about how it hasn’t gone how we wanted, but still got my brother to my right and my brother to my left, and go play for them."

The players’ ability to stay competitive and treat every game as another opportunity, despite letdown after letdown, has been impressive and speaks to the leadership within the locker room.

"I really appreciate the way that the captains handled [the losing streak]," Lindgren said. "I think it really started with those guys having some players only meetings, and the way that they’ve responded to a couple of those losses."

MSU’s captains will look to rally the team once again, this time for Senior Day, as the Spartans welcome Penn State to Spartan Stadium on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The matchup features two programs in similar situations, with both entering the weekend on six-game losing streaks and holding winless 0-6 records in Big Ten play.