Overheard outside Michigan State’s locker room: Not enough and put a lid on it

LOS ANGELES – For the second year in a row, Michigan State took a 3-0 record on the road and came home with a loss.

The Spartans (3-1, 0-1) showed fight but couldn’t keep up in a 45-31 loss at No. 25 USC (4-0, 2-0) in their Big Ten opener on Saturday night.

Here are notable quotes from Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith and players following the defeat:

Smith on cutting a 21-point deficit to 31-24 with two scores late in the third quarter: “We got ourselves set for a fourth-quarter battle and we didn’t have enough.”

Quarterback Aidan Chiles on what the team learned in the loss: “We know we can face adversity, we know that, it’s just we’ve got to finish.”

Smith on linebacker Wayne Matthews being carted off the field and taken by ambulance to the hospital following a scary hit in the first half: “What I was just told quickly, going through all the thorough evaluation, took him over to the hospital. Positive signs but they were looking for confirmation on tests and things.”

Defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren on Matthews: “It was awful seeing him go down like that – for anyone, especially Wayne. He’s a great leader, he’s a huge piece of our defense and we just wish him the best and where he’s at right now.”

Chiles on the injury to Matthews: “I think, if anything, it made us play harder.”

Smith on a top-10 run defense giving up nearly 300 rushing yards to the Trojans: “They hit creases in the run game that we’ve got to put a lid on it.”

VanSumeren on halftime adjustments made defensively: “I’m not going to speak about that right here, I’m going to keep that in house, but at the end of the day we just didn’t execute. We weren’t good enough.”

Smith on the grittiness his team showed on the road: “I do like the fight in the guys.”

Smith on injuries to safety Nikai Martinez and defensive linemen Quindarius Dunnigan, who were injured after colliding in the second quarter and didn’t return: “I don’t think either one is long-term at all.”

Chiles on Michigan State’s upcoming bye week: “Ain’t no sitting around, there’s a chip on our shoulder. We just lost a football game, we’ve got to figure that out.”

Smith on wide receiver Nick Marsh, who finished with two catches for 28 yards after being injured last week: “He was pretty close, totally cleared but I wouldn’t call him 100 percent.”

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