Insights and observations on Michigan State's lopsided loss to No. 6 Oregon

Michigan State's three-game winning streak to open the season is a distant memory.

The Spartans are now dealing with a three-game break and heading into a bye week in the middle of their schedule.

Michigan State (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) lost 31-10 at No. 6 Oregon (5-0, 2-0) on Friday night, handing its third straight loss. It was also the Spartans' second straight lopsided setback against a top-10 team, following a 38-7 home loss to Ohio State last week.

Here are quick takeaways and observations from the loss:

* A key challenge for first-year coach Jonathan Smith is getting the Spartans competitive again against the top competition on the schedule. So far that hasn't happened.

Michigan State held its own against Ohio State in the first half, but turnovers in the redzone prevented a close game before halftime and the Buckeyes dominated the final 30 minutes. The loss to Oregon was closer to the scorecard due to two late goals, but overall it was a step backwards for the Spartans. Even though the statistics in garbage time were increased, the Ducks finished with significant advantages in rushing yards (213-59), total offense (477-250) and first downs (25-16).

The Ducks won decisively at the point of attack on both sides of the ball. Oregon's Jordan James rushed for a career-high 166 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, leading Michigan State individually without reaching 60 yards on the ground for the second straight game.

On the other side of the ball, quarterback Aidan Chiles was under constant pressure and was sacked four times before leaving the game in the fourth quarter of the blowout.

* Before the game was completely out of reach, Michigan State put together an important drive, and that was the first. A 44-yard completion from Chiles to Nick Marsh on fourth-and-2 moved the Spartans to the 2. On the following play, Chiles failed to secure the ball in traffic and his fumble was recovered for a touchback.

It was the latest example of Michigan State's struggles in the red zone after a 4-1 first half against the Buckeyes, including a fumble by the Chiles on a missed facemask call. The second-grader didn't get much help and regularly had to get himself out of trouble with ducks in his face. He finished 10-for-17 passing for 154 yards and would have led the team in rushing with 50 yards if the sacks had been removed.

* The makeshift offensive line was overwhelmed with its worst performance of the season. Left tackle Stanton Ramil returned to the starting lineup after sitting out against Ohio State, but the Spartans were overwhelmed. Aside from giving up five sacks this season, there has been almost no movement in the running game. Kay'Ron Lynch Adams led the Spartans with 32 yards on nine carries and a late 1-yard score, while starter Nathan Carter had just 11 yards on five attempts.

There weren't many in-game changes to Michigan State's offensive line, although true freshman Rakeem Johnson got early snaps at left tackle a week after his first career start. Late in the fourth quarter, he also played right tackle alongside backup right guard Dallas Fincher.

* Michigan State remains shorthanded at receiver due to injuries, but Marsh looked healthier after missing a game while limited last week. True freshman and fifth-year senior Montorie Foster combined for six catches for 115 yards, while tight end Jack Velling had six grabs for 53 yards.

* There were early positives for the Spartans on defense, including a three-pointer early in the game and interceptions in the red zone by safety Malik Spencer and cornerback Charles Brantley. A week after throwing an interception in the end zone, Spencer made a diving grab to pick off Dillon Gabriel in the end zone in the first quarter. Brantley skipped a route to intercept the ball at the 1 in the second quarter, making it his third pick of the season.

Those deep stops kept the game from getting out of hand early before the Ducks pounded the Spartans. Gabriel finished the game 20 of 32 for 257 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and ran for scores. Tez Johnson had 10 catches for 84 yards and a touchdown to lead the Beavers.

Michigan State continued to rotate heavily in the front seven, although linebacker Jordan Hall did not play after being listed as questionable before the game began. Brantley and Ed Woods remained the preferred pairing at cornerback, while Armorion Smith and true freshman Justin Denson saw more backup snaps at the safety position.

* Oregon came into the game with a kickoff return touchdown and a punt return score, but special teams didn't play a big role. Michigan State punter Ryan Eckley had another outstanding performance, averaging 44.3 yards on six attempts, with two of them being at least 50 yards and one coming inside 20 yards. Jonathan Kim hit a 42-yard field goal in the final seconds to improve to 9-for-9 on the season.

* After six games in six weeks, Michigan State faces its first of two byes and faces a difficult road recovering from a three-game break. The Spartans host Iowa on Oct. 19 before three straight games against top-25 teams – No. 10 Michigan, No. 23 Indiana and No. 24 Illinois. A bowl game remains possible, but the margin of error is very small.

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