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

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