EAST LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – After starting off the season ranked in the top 20, Michigan State has fallen hard the past three weeks with three straight losses. After starting the season off 2-0 with wins over Western Michigan and Akron, they came up short in their first road test dropping a 38-29 contest to Washington on the West Coast. Coming back to East Lansing for the Big Ten opener last week, both sides of the ball couldn’t find any rhythm as they lost to Minnesota, 34-7. The third Big Ten game brought a trip to the East Coast facing Maryland. The same outcome happened as the Spartans were tripped up, 27-13, moving to 2-3 and 0-2 in the Big Ten.

“This was death by inches. It’s all about execution,” said head coach Mel Tucker in his Monday Press Conference. “The question is how do we get better execution and that’s our job and that’s what we are working on.”

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MSU had a strong first half scoring 13 points and were trailing just 21-13 at the half. There was chance to tie the game at 14 in the second quarter but the extra-point attempt failed as the Spartans trailed by one, 14-13. Maryland responded going 80-yards over almost four minutes to score a touchdown with 42 seconds left taking an eight-point lead, 21-13.

The Spartans rallied with 43 seconds left in the half driving to the Maryland 28-yard line. They lined for a 45-yard field but it was blocked as time expired heading into the locker room down eight points.

“Our defense played a lot better in the second half,” said Tucker. “I saw some improvements in areas there and I think our best football is ahead of us. We have to play complimentary football as offense, defense, and special teams have to work together for 60 minutes. I believe our best 60 minutes are head of us.”

The second half brought only six points from Maryland but the MSU offense didn’t produce any points. With six possessions, five only yielded 10 yards of offense and four three-and-outs. To begin the second half, MSU started on their own 25-yard line and three plays later were pushed back five yards punting the ball away. Their next three possessions brought only 10 yards of offense.

Maryland had two field goals, a 43-yarder in the third quarter and 51-yarder in the fourth quarter, for their six points. MSU had one productive drive in the second half trailing, 27-13, right after Maryland’s final field goal.

With a touchback on the kickoff, MSU started at their own 25-yard line. Payton Thorne would drive the offense to the Maryland 19-yard line for a first-and-10. Three straight incomplete passes led to a fourth-and-10 with his rush being stopped at the 13-yard line but a Spartan holding penalty was called as it was declined and the ball was turned over to Maryland.

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It was a day of execution that didn’t happen for MSU and in the end it added up to their third loss of the year. Hosting #3 Ohio State on Saturday, MSU needs to figure out a lot facing one of the top offenses in the nation along with a defense that is ranked in the top 25.