"The big thing for me is when I look at them [the explosive plays], it was that we were over-aggressive," MSU defensive coordinator Joe Rossi said at Wednesday's press conference. "So, the big thing was like, 'Hey guys, appreciate the aggressiveness. We want aggressiveness, but you've got to be in a position where it's not reckless.'"

Rossi said teams that play recklessly give up plays, but purely aggressive teams can stay in control while maintaining that intensity. It was a fine line the Spartan defense was tiptoeing on in week one.

The Spartan defense was reckless at times, giving up five plays of more than 20 yards, including two plays of 60 yards or more. A 60-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter gave Toledo its first score of the game, and the aforementioned 71-yard explosion in the fourth quarter.

Two plays alone combined for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Without them, the postgame doubts subside. The Rockets' offense would have compiled only 142 yards, with just 6 on the ground.

"I thought we played extremely hard, and I thought we played very physical," Rossi said as he pinpointed where the aggressiveness went too far. "We're over-aggressive on the double move. We're over-aggressive shedding out of our gap. We're over-aggressive on a screen with the corner."

The foundation of MSU's defense was productive against Toledo. Now, small adjustments, like being less aggressive while staying disciplined, are what turn a 30-20 sigh of relief into a blowout.

In the first quarter, the Rockets' offense was on the field for 10 plays for a total of 7 yards, while three of Toledo's 10 drives lasted longer than four plays. MSU's defense forced four three-and-outs and a four-and-out on the Rockets' final drive of the game, as Toledo finished with just 10 first downs.

Take away those two long touchdowns, and Toledo's offense barely existed. MSU's overall consistency was a reminder of how good this defense can be once it tightens up the details. And though it wasn't ideal to be trailing a Mid-American Conference school late in the game, pulling away for a fourth-quarter win isn't all negative.

The defense reaffirmed what it's learned in practice: how to respond to adversity despite giving up multiple long touchdowns, the type of play that can demoralize a defense.

"The whole idea of response has been so built into the DNA of this program. That's been built back up with the new staff, so it's just natural at this point," sophomore linebacker Brady Pretzlaff said on Wednesday. "We drive in response every single day, so when it comes to a point where it's a big moment or a big situation, it's just a habit at that point."

As the Spartans prepare to welcome Eastern Michigan to Spartan Stadium at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, the defense will be looking to be more disciplined and less reckless, but Rossi is glad his team is a naturally energetic, over-aggressive group that just needs to find a balance.

"This group is a very enthusiastic, energetic group … I grabbed them before they went on the field and I said, 'Take a deep breath, relax,' because I felt like we were too ready to go," Rossi said. "The opposite is the nightmare of a defensive coach."