Jonathan Smith grade vs Minnesota: Michigan State's coach barely passes

MINNEAPOLIS — The 21st game of Jonathan Smith’s tenure as Michigan State’s football coach might have been the most heartbreaking.

And the most inspiring.

And the most infuriating.

The Spartans’ 23-20 overtime loss at Minnesota – their sixth in a row and seventh straight on the road under Smith – was entirely winnable with how MSU played defensively and the spark Alessio Milivojevic delivered at quarterback. Credit Smith for pulling the trigger to make the change and benching Aidan Chiles. Give him and his assistants a lot of props for getting a team down to the second- and third-string at a lot of key positions on offense motivated.