Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley meets with Michigan State Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith following the game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Top Areas MSU Should Address Over the Bye Week

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Carter Landis | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Michigan State Spartans are 3-1 as they arrive at their first bye week.

MSU is coming off a 45-31 loss to USC on the road, a game where the final score looks worse than how the team actually played.

The Spartans can learn quite a few things from this game, as Jonathan Smith’s team must find three wins on the schedule for bowl eligibility.

The team knows it has the offense to keep up with almost any team in the country, and the defense must improve before facing more Big Ten opponents.

What should Smith and the Spartans focus on during the bye week?

Let’s break down three things that should get more attention.

Pass rush

MSU failed to deter the Trojans’ quarterback Jayden Maiava, who threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for another.

MSU did not sack Maiava, and fans are worried that the team may struggle to get after the quarterback again this season. Defensive Coordinator Joe Rossi must find ways to create havoc in the backfield on passing plays.

The Spartans cannot survive Big Ten play without an effective pass rush, so Rossi needs to be up late trying to scheme up pressure. He has a week to find answers before the team takes on Dylan Raiola and the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Bringing along youth

Linebacker Wayne Matthews III suffered a scary injury against the Trojans that caused him to be carried off the field on a stretcher.

Smith has not given any indication of Matthews’ health, but it’s sensible to prognosticate that he will miss some time. Matthews has been one of the Spartans’ best defensive players, and the team must find a replacement.

The likeliest candidates are Brady Pretzlaff, Marcellius Pulliam, and Semaj Bridgeman. All three will likely get run, but MSU will spend the next week determining who will start next to Jordan Hall, who will miss the first half of the Nebraska game due to a targeting penalty.

Closing games

MSU kept it close into the fourth quarter, but the Trojans pulled away for a two-score victory.

The Spartans played tough with the Trojans, who are now 4-0 and ranked in the top 25. Smith knows that the game could have gone their way if a few things had been executed better.

This is where Smith will make his money as a head coach. If he can pull the right strings late in games, the Spartans will win more matchups than expected.

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This article first appeared on Michigan State Spartans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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