DETROIT – Michigan State closed the season with a 38-28 win against Maryland at Ford Field on Saturday night.

The victory snapped an eight-game skid for the Spartans (4-8, 1-8 Big Ten) as they head into an offseason of at least brief uncertainty with coach Jonathan Smith’s job status still in limbo .

Here are quick observations and takeaways from the game:

– Despite going more than two months without a win and speculation swirling about Smith’s future, the Spartans stayed in the fight until the very end of the schedule. That’s not easy to do – especially after blowing late fourth-quarter leads in losses at Minnesota and Iowa in their last two road games. If just those two outcomes are flipped – and it wouldn’t have taken much – Michigan State would be bowl eligible.

Does that alter

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