Coen Carr, Jaxon Kohler and Lockdown Defense Power Michigan State Past USC, 80–51

Michigan State needed a response after a grueling loss at Nebraska, and they delivered one emphatically.

Behind a dominant defensive effort and balanced scoring, the Spartans dismantled USC 80–51 on Monday night at the Breslin Center, improving to 13–2 (3–1 Big Ten) while handing the Trojans their third conference loss, dropping them to 12–3 (1–3).

USC entered the matchup averaging 87 points per game and briefly jumped out to a 5–0 lead. From there, it was all Michigan State. The Trojans were held to just 46 points the rest of the way as the Spartans’ defense tightened the screws and never let go.

Michigan State controlled nearly every facet of the game, but defense was the clear headline. Relentless pressure forced USC into rushed possessions and poor shot selection, and even when the Trojans got attempts up, the Spartans consistently won the battles inside.

The nickname “Rebounding University” rang true once again. Michigan State won the rebounding battle by 12 (42–30) and edged USC on the offensive glass as well. The size advantage showed up defensively too, as the Spartans doubled the Trojans in blocks, 6–3, with several emphatic rejections igniting the crowd.

One of Michigan State’s biggest issues this season has been turnovers, a flaw that proved costly in Friday’s loss to Nebraska when the Spartans committed 19. While still an area of emphasis, the improvement was noticeable against USC. Michigan State finished with 12 turnovers while forcing 17 of their own.

Offensively, the bounce-back was just as impressive. After managing only 56 points against undefeated Nebraska, the Spartans erupted for 80. Coen Carr led the way with 18 points, followed by Jaxon Kohler’s 16 and Jeremy Fears’ 15.

Michigan State shot an even 50% from the field (30-of-60), while USC struggled mightily, shooting just 33% (18-of-55). From beyond the arc, the Spartans hit their usual seven threes, while the Trojans connected on only 3-of-17 attempts.

The stat sheet told the same story across the board: Michigan State won points in the paint (30–26), second-chance points (6–5), points off turnovers (16–6), and steals (9–6). The lone category USC edged out the Spartans was free-throw shooting, hitting 75% (12-of-16) compared to Michigan State’s 72% (13-of-18). Not a major concern in a 29-point win—but you can bet Tom Izzo noticed.

Speaking of Izzo, late in the game, an incident that’s sure to go viral unfolded when play was stopped and a "fan" was escorted out of the arena. Izzo, visibly frustrated, stared across the court with arms wide, shouting, “What are you doing?”—with a colorful four-letter addition. If you’ve done something bad enough for a Hall of Fame coach to side with the officials, it may be time to cool it on the Johnny Vegas shots.

Notably, this was no random fan. It was Michigan State great Paul Davis, who scored 1,718 points in a Spartan uniform.

Despite the incident, the Breslin Center was electric. Spartan fans clearly took Friday night’s atmosphere in Lincoln personally and responded with a deafening showing of their own. Adding to the scene, several Michigan State football transfer portal visitors were in attendance, getting a firsthand look at the energy surrounding the program—an atmosphere that could be matched or exceeded at Spartan Stadium.

In the end, Michigan State accomplished exactly what it needed to do:

1. Prove they’re still very real, with two losses coming to teams with a combined 27–1 record.
2. Execute on both ends against a highly skilled opponent.
3. Simply win.

The Spartans now turn their attention to Thursday night’s home matchup against Northwestern (8–6, 0–3 Big Ten), tipping off at 6:30 PM ET.