Jonathan Smith Shoulders the Blame After Loss

After Michigan State lost to Nebraska, Jonathan Smith's message was clear: Michigan State’s shortcomings start with him.

After congratulating the Huskers - Smith said they played better than the Spartans, especially in the fourth quarter - he said his team has to find a way to play better for four quarters.

That idea - that his team hasn’t sustained its best football - was the theme of the night. As Smith talked through the game’s turning points, the self-inflicted mistakes, and the moments that briefly gave them hope, he kept circling back to accountability.

"Starting with me, I gotta have this team ready to go faster than they did in the first half," he said. 

Smith’s frustration came through not in raised volume but in repetition - he said “starting with me” and “we gotta” more than a dozen times over the course of eight minutes. His focus wasn’t really on what Nebraska did, but what Michigan State didn’t do.

He acknowledged flashes of good football - moments when his team showed what it could be.