Friday night in Bloomington gave Big Ten fans the kind of game that makes the league feel worth circling on the calendar. Indiana and Northwestern went deep into the night, and the matchup carried an extra layer for Michigan State fans because it put Aidan Chiles and Nick Marsh on opposite sidelines for the first time since both entered the transfer portal after the 2025 season.
Marsh landed with the reigning national champs. Chiles took a less expected path and ended up at Northwestern, a program tied to Michigan State’s new head coach from the start of his career.
Both players were widely watched in the portal, though for very different reasons. Marsh arrived as one of the top transfers available.
Chiles, after an uneven run at Michigan State that ended with him losing his starting job to a redshirt freshman, was overlooked by a lot of people.
That looked like a miss on Friday.
Indiana won, but Chiles turned in the kind of performance that reminded everyone why his ceiling has always been so intriguing. He completed 22 of 29 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns, added a rushing score, and did it all without turning the ball over. For long stretches, he looked like the most dangerous player on the field.
Marsh did his part too. He caught a touchdown and finished with five receptions for 52 yards, extending his streak to three straight games with at least 50 receiving yards. In a game that delivered plenty of fireworks, he kept showing exactly why expectations around him were so high.
For Spartan fans, it had to be a strange mix of pride and regret. These were two players Michigan State once hoped would be central pieces, and on this stage they both delivered. That’s been a familiar theme lately for the program’s former players.
Chiles, especially, looked like a different quarterback. He has flashed talent before, but Friday was one of those nights where it all came together.
He was sharp, composed, and efficient in a six-point road loss to the reigning national champs. He also gave Northwestern a real shot at the upset when he scored on a touchdown run with five minutes left.
Northwestern still had work to do after that. The defense couldn’t get the stop it needed, allowing a 75-yard touchdown drive in just over three minutes. The Wildcats then settled for a field goal, and an unsuccessful onside kick ended the comeback bid.
Even in defeat, Chiles made his point. He showed he belongs in the Big Ten and backed it up with the kind of line that jumps off the page: 807 passing yards, six touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 70.6% completion rate. After the way his Michigan State career ended, that kind of start suggests real growth.
The challenge now is carrying it forward every week, not just in the games that still have Spartan fans watching.
In Other News...
Michigan States Hot Start Just Ran Into A Big Ten Reality Check
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Alanna Bankston led Michigan State with 14 kills, while Malayah Long finished with 26 assists, but it was not enough to slow a Washington team that stayed perfect at 10-0. The Spartans are now 10-1 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten, with the early setback creating an immediate test for how they respond in one of the nations toughest conferences. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Took A Brutal Loss But One Spartans Effort Stood Out
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Even in a lopsided result, there were a few Spartans efforts worth noting. Lola Munoz de Verger and Catherine Wolf combined for 10 saves, and the back line had to deal with wave after wave of Northwestern pressure. Michigan State never found the offensive breakthrough it needed, but the way it kept battling in the circle and in front of goal offered one of the few bright spots on a difficult day. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Just Made Its Strongest Early Season Statement Yet
Michigan States mens soccer team kept building on its fast start Friday night at DeMartin Stadium, using Alumni Night to deliver another performance that looked every bit like an early statement in the Big Ten. Richie Ludwig scored twice and Dom Dono added the other goal as the Spartans rolled past Wisconsin 3-0, with the match turning sharply after the Badgers were reduced to 10 men.
All three goals came in a seven-minute burst around halftime, the kind of stretch that can flip a conference match in a hurry and leave little doubt about which team seized control. The result pushed MSU to 3-0-0 in Big Ten play and 7-1-1 overall, the best league start in program history, and it gave the Spartans another reminder that their early-season momentum is no fluke. [Read more 🡒]