No. 4 Michigan State picked up a victory against Air Force, but the loss might’ve been bigger than a non-conference win.

According to the Detroit Free Press, starting quarterback Vayante Copeland is out for the season with a neck injury. Copeland reportedly told his teammates the news via text and the news was made public following Saturday’s 35-21 victory against Air Force.

The redshirt freshman had shown promise early for a Spartan defense that fueled its 3-0 start. Copeland was originally injured in the fourth quarter of MSU’s 31-28 victory against No. 7 Oregon last Saturday.

He spent this Saturday on the sideline in a neck brace. Senior Arjen Colquhoun started in his place.

The Spartans are already playing without their best linebacker, Ed Davis, who was lost for the season with a preseason knee injury. To add insult to injury, defensive leader Riley Bullough was ejected for targeting and will miss the first half of next week’s game against Central Michigan.

No official word has been released by Michigan State on the timetable of the injury.