Jonathan Smith and the Michigan State Spartans were off last week after losing 47-10 to Indiana 2 weeks ago.

During that game, quarterback Aidan Chiles was forced to leave the game in the 3rd quarter. He was able to come back on the sidelines for that game, but was unable to go back in and play.

On Monday, Smith provided an update on Chiles that shows that he should be able to go this week against Illinois. Chiles was able to practice on Sunday, which is a positive sign that he should be able suit up on Saturday.

 

It has been an up-and-down season for Chiles, who like Smith, is in his first year in East Lansing. At times, he has shown the dual-threat ability that made Smith recruit him to Oregon State.

However, turnovers have been an issue for Chiles, as he has thrown more interceptions (11) than touchdowns (8).

At 4-5, Michigan State has to win 2 of its last 3 games to become bowl eligible. All 3 games are winnable matchups against Illinois, Purdue and Rutgers.

The Spartans haven’t been to a bowl game since 2021, so becoming bowl-eligible in his first season at Michigan State would be a good start for Smith.