En route to a 21-0 halftime lead, Oregon gained 192 rushing yards and their leading ball carrier, Jordan James, scored 151. As James ran through MSU, the Spartans’ own running game could not gain traction. Nate Carter and Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams were repeatedly confronted by Oregon’s ferocious frontline defenders in the backfield after MSU’s line of blockers folded from one to the other like a house of cards. It was the second week in a row that MSU’s biggest weakness was exposed by a superior opponent.

Last Saturday, Ohio State outplayed MSU’s offensive line at the point of attack and stifled the Spartans’ ground game. MSU rushed for just 47 yards on 25 attempts when Carter and Lynch-Adams came up short. They were stifled again on Friday while being held to a total of 43 yards on 14 carries. Poor ground production, which was a recurring problem during last season’s dreadful 4-8 slog, is one reason why Jonathan Smith said after last week’s loss that MSU is still “a long way” from matching Ohio State . By destroying MSU in the trenches, Oregon reminded the Spartans how far the distance is between them and the Big Ten’s elite. It starts at the front and MSU isn’t good enough there to compete against the best teams in the conference.

Are Michigan State’s recent struggles surprising?

Thanks to what he accomplished during an impressive six-year stint in Corvallis at Oregon State, Jonathan Smith had a well-deserved reputation as a program builder. But he was never seen as a miracle worker. The Beavers gradually improved their record over time, increasing their win total from two to five to seven to ten wins in his first four full seasons. When he arrived at MSU last November, Smith took on another major renovation project. Last season he overhauled the squad and welcomed 61 new players. He also lost some valuable pieces to the transfer portal, including one — defensive tackle Derrick Harmon — who made his presence felt Friday when he sacked Chiles for an 11-yard loss in the first quarter.