Michigan State Puts Up a Fight in 28-10 Loss to UCLA

It was going to be an uphill climb for Michigan State, with wet grass and a thunderstorm adding to the challenge.

The Spartans headed out west to Pasadena, California, to face the No. 9 UCLA Bruins. Michigan State would be doing so without its top four cornerbacks, best linebacker, starting quarterback and top two running backs.

To say this was going to require everything the Spartans had would be an understatement.

Michigan State did not shy away from the challenge and even kept the game relatively close for a portion of the afternoon. Unfortunately, the Bruins were just too much for the Spartans to handle.

UCLA came into the game with the best rushing attack in the Big Ten, averaging 230.0 yards per game. That number would actually improve after Saturday's showdown.

The Bruins gashed the Spartans' rushing defense for 247 total yards on the ground.

UCLA's three-headed monster in the backfield, consisting of Anthony Woods (112 yards), Wayne Knight (56) and Jaivian Thomas (41), combined for 209 rushing yards. All three added a rushing touchdown as the Bruins controlled the clock and the game with their ground attack.

With both its starting and backup quarterbacks unavailable for the game, Michigan State leaned on true freshman Kayd Coffman to start. Coffman finished with four completions on 10 attempts for 42 passing yards.

Coffman threw the first touchdown pass of his career to give the Spartans a 7-0 lead over the No. 9 team in the nation. The freshman quarterback delivered a precise pass to running back Kenneth Williams, who came out of the backfield for a 14-yard touchdown.

It was Coffman's first career touchdown pass, and for a moment, the Spartans looked like they could hang with one of the nation's top teams.

Even with the abundance of injuries, Michigan State held the lead with just five minutes remaining in the first quarter. Unfortunately for head coach Pat Fitzgerald and the Spartans, the game lasts four quarters, not one.

In the second quarter, UCLA scored two touchdowns to reclaim the lead, 14-7, which remained the score heading into halftime. Still, Michigan State was playing well and trailed by just seven points against a ranked opponent.

The third quarter was where the Bruins began to pull away. UCLA added two more touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air, extending its run of unanswered points to 28 and taking a commanding 28-7 lead.

Michigan State eventually turned to another freshman quarterback, Leo Hannan, who finished 9-for-15 passing for a team-high 67 yards. Both Coffman and Hannan threw an interception.

Williams led the Spartans with 17 rushing attempts, turning them into 54 yards. Meanwhile, Crishon McCray led the team in receiving with three catches for 42 yards, making him the only Spartan to record a reception longer than 19 yards.

Michigan State managed to add a field goal, but the deficit proved too much to overcome as UCLA secured a 28-10 victory.

It was a week to forget for Spartan fans, but the team still has plenty of positives to take away, even if they were difficult to see in the moment.

The valuable playing time for both Coffman and Hannan could prove important for the program moving forward. Being forced to rely on two true freshmen against a top-10 opponent is far from an ideal situation, but the experience could help both quarterbacks develop.

At the same time, the loss serves as a reminder of just how far the Spartans still have to go before they can be considered among the upper echelon of college football teams.

Michigan State showed some fight despite being shorthanded, but it will need to find more consistency on both sides of the ball to compete with the Big Ten's best.

The Spartans have a bye week next week before turning their attention to the biggest game on Michigan State's schedule: a Week 10 showdown against in-state rival Michigan.

With extra time to recover and prepare, Michigan State will look to regroup before facing the Wolverines in a rivalry game that presents another opportunity to show how much progress the program has made.