EAST LANSING — Michigan State’s players and coaches didn’t pull punches about how much Saturday night’s rivalry game against Michigan meant to them as individuals and as a program. But that game ended in yet another loss , the fifth straight since they entered Big Ten play. Michigan State’s season isn’t over just yet with four games until the finish line. But it will be hard to come back from such a letdown.

Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith said that he and his team “told the truth” about the missed opportunity in Sunday’s team meeting, one that puts the path to a winning season — and the season goal of a bowl game — in further jeopardy.

“The game means a lot. We came up short,” Smith said Monday. “We talked about (how) the effort was there but we fell short in this area defensively

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