A three-game winning streak by Michigan State to open the season is a distant memory.

The Spartans are now saddled with a three-game skid heading into a bye week midway through the schedule.

Michigan State (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) lost 31-10 at No. 6 Oregon (5-0, 2-0) on Friday night for its third straight loss. It was also the Spartans’ second straight lopsided setback against a top-10 team, following a 38-7 home loss to Ohio State last week.

Here are quick takeaways and observations from the loss:

* A key challenge for first-year coach Jonathan Smith is to get the Spartans competitive again against the top competition on the schedule. So far that has not happened.

Michigan State did well in the first half against Ohio State, but redzone turnovers prevented a close game going into the break and the Buckeyes dominated the final 30 minutes. The Oregon loss was closer on the scoreboard thanks to a few late scores, but an overall step back for the Spartans. Even with padding the stat line in garbage time, the Ducks finished with clear advantages in rushing yards (213-59), total offense (477-250) and first downs (25-16).

The Ducks won decisively at the point of attack on both sides of the ball. Oregon’s Jordan James posted a career-high of 166 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries while topping individually in Michigan State’s second straight performance failing to reach 60 yards on the ground.

On the other side of the ball, quarterback Aidan Chiles was under constant pressure as he was sacked four times before leaving the game in the fourth quarter blowout.

* Before the game was completely out of reach, Michigan State put together a key play, and it was the first. A 44-yard completion from Chiles to Nick Marsh on fourth-and-2 got the Spartans to the 2. On the next play, Chiles was unable to secure the ball in traffic and his fumble was recovered for a touchback.

It was the latest example of Michigan State’s red zone struggles after finishing 1-for-4 in the first half against the Buckeyes, including a Chiles fumble after a missed facemask call. The sophomore didn’t get much help and often had to get out of trouble with the Ducks in his face. He finished 10-for-17 passing for 154 yards and would have led the team in rushing with 50 yards if the sacks were removed.

* The makeshift offensive line was overwhelmed in its worst performance of the season. Left tackle Stanton Ramil returned to the starting lineup after being cut against Ohio State, but the Spartans were overmatched. Besides giving up a season-high five sacks, there was almost no movement in the run game. Kay’Ron Lynch Adams led the Spartans with 32 yards on nine carries and a 1-yard score late, while starter Nathan Carter had just 11 yards on five attempts.

There weren’t many in-game adjustments to Michigan State’s offensive line personnel, although true freshman Rakeem Johnson earned early snaps at left tackle a week after his first career start. He also played at right tackle next to backup right guard Dallas Fincher late in the fourth quarter.

* Michigan State remains short at receiver due to injuries, but Marsh looked healthier after missing one game and being limited last week. True freshman and fifth-year Montorie Foster combined for six catches for 115 yards, while Jack Velling had six catches for 53 yards.

* There were early positives for the Spartans on defense, including a three-and-out to start the game and red zone interceptions by safety Malik Spencer and cornerback Charles Brantley. A week after dropping an interception in the end zone, Spencer came up with a diving grab to pick off Dillon Gabriel in the end zone in the first quarter. Brantley jumped a route in the second quarter to intercept the ball at the 1 for his third pick of the season.

Those deep stops kept the game from getting out of hand early before the Ducks pounded the Spartans to the ground. Gabriel finished 20-for-32 for 257 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and ran for a score. Tez Johnson had 10 catches for 84 yards and a touchdown to lead the Beavers.

Michigan State continued to rotate heavily in the front seven, although linebacker Jordan Hall did not play after being listed as questionable at the start of the game. Brantley and Ed Woods remained the favored pair at cornerback, while Armorion Smith and true freshman Justin Denson took more backup snaps at safety.

*Oregon entered the game with a kickoff return touchdown and punt return score, but special teams did not play a major role. Michigan State punter Ryan Eckley had another standout performance, averaging 44.3 yards on six attempts, including two of at least 50 yards and one downed inside the 20. Jonathan Kim made a 42-yard field goal in the waning seconds to improving to 9-for-9 this season.

* After six games in six weeks, Michigan State enters the first of two byes and must regroup after a three-game skid with a tough road ahead. The Spartans host Iowa on Oct. 19 before playing three consecutive games against top-25 teams – No. 10 Michigan, No. 23 Indiana and No. 24 Illinois. A bowl game remains possible, but the margin for error is very small.

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