Michigan State barely beats Florida Atlantic 16-10 in Jonathan Smith's debut with sloppy Spartans

Updated Aug. 30, 2024 11:33 p.m. ET

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EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams had a 63-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter and Michigan State barely beat Florida Atlantic 16-10 Friday night.

The Spartans (1-0) were sloppy in coach Jonathan Smith's debut.

Aidan Chiles threw an interception on the game's opening snap, recovered his fumble to end the second drive and Montorie Foster Jr. lost the football on Michigan State's third drive.

It didn't go much smoother in the second half.

Chiles had a chance to put the Spartans ahead by more than two touchdowns late in the third quarter, but Ed Woods stepped in front of a pass in the flat at the Florida Atlantic 2 and returned it 58 yards.

“I'm happy with the win,” Chiles said. “I'm not happy with how I performed.”

Cam Fancher converted a fourth-and-1 with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jayshon Platt, cutting the Owls' deficit to six points.

Smith went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Florida Atlantic 9 on the ensuing drive, instead of kicking a short field goal for a nine-point lead, and Lynch-Adams was stopped short on a run early in the fourth quarter.

“That was probably overly aggressive,” said Smith, adding in hindsight kicking for a two-score lead may have been the wise move.

Smith's defense responded, forcing the Owls to turn it over on downs at the Michigan State 41 with 6:53 remaining.

Fancher later came up short on a fourth-and-1 run near midfield and nearly drew a targeting penalty that didn't stand after review. The Spartans, though, were pushed back 30 yards by two penalties, including one for unnecessary roughness on Jordan Turner for hitting Fancher, after he was ruled down.

“How that wasn't targeting, I'm a little confused,” said Florida Atlantic coach Tom Herman, who was 4-8 last season in his debut with the American Athletic Conference program.

Florida Atlantic's defense gave Fancher another chance and he converted a fourth-and-8 with a 21-yard pass to Omari Hayes, but he could not move the sticks again and turned it over on downs with 1:23 left at the Owls' 41.

Florida Atlantic (0-1) turnovers proved to be pivotal, hurting its chances of beating a team from a power conference for the second time in school history and first since a 2007 win over Minnesota.

Fancher, sacked for a safety in the first quarter, was picked off on consecutive possessions early in the second quarter.

Chiles' 11-yard touchdown run and Lynch-Adams' long run for a score gave the Spartans a 16-0 lead.

Chiles, who like Smith left Oregon State, was 10 of 24 passing with two interceptions. He ran six times for 28 yards and a score.

“We didn’t do what we’re supposed to do, and we didn’t do what we can do,” Chiles said.

Lynch-Adams, a graduate transfer from Massachusetts, finished with 101 yards and a score on nine carries.

THE TAKEAWAY

Florida Atlantic: Fancher, a transfer from Marshall, will have to learn a lot from a rough night. He was 12 of 25 passing for 116 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He ran 25 times for 67 yards.

Michigan State: Penalties plagued Smith's first game with the program. The Spartans drew six penalties for 60 yards in the first quarter, including one for targeting that led to an ejection for defensive back Malik Spencer, and finished with 12 flags for 140 yards.

“Too many, without question,” Smith said. “We want to play with some aggression, but we have to play with some technique.”

UP NEXT

Florida Atlantic: Host Army on Sept. 7.

Michigan State: Play at Maryland on Sept. 7.

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