Indiana

Michigan State football searches for answers amid QB question vs surging Indiana

Published

5 months ago

October 15, 2025

Michigan State football searches for answers amid QB question vs surging Indiana

EAST LANSING – There remain a lot of questions about why Michigan State football fell apart against UCLA. And about the future of the coaching staff.

Offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren knows its his job to find the answers. In a hurry. With a dominating and punishing Indiana defense waiting.

“I told the offense I’m gonna do all I can to put together an awesome plan this week, to put you guys in the best position to go make plays and go win a game on Saturday,” Lindgren said Tuesday, Oct. 14.

As Year 2 with coach Jonathan Smith and Lindgren continues to spiral, with the Spartans mired in a three-game losing streak, the Hoosiers and second-year coach Curt Cignetti are flourishing. After earning a College Football Playoff berth last season, No. 3 Indiana is 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten as it prepares to host MSU (3-3, 0-3).

The Spartans are coming off a humiliating 38-13 homecoming loss to the Bruins on Saturday in which the offense fell apart after opening with a touchdown drive for the fifth time in six games this season. MSU had 253 yards of total offense, six drives of four or fewer plays and watched starting quarterback Aidan Chiles get knocked out of the game early in the third quarter. Chiles is questionable for the 3:30 p.m. game in Bloomington, Indiana (Peacock).

Lindgren and Smith had the entire team watch the UCLA game back together rather than as position groups. Both he and Lindren felt that helped create better accountability.

As for why the Spartans, playing at home, lacked the competitive bounce-back and fight they showed in their previous losses on the road at USC and Nebraska?

“I don’t know if I completely have the answer,” tight end Jack Velling said Tuesday. “I think we still have the fight, just it wasn’t clicking. Really, I don’t have the answer to that. But we still got full confidence in this team and this staff.”

The Spartans scored fewer than 18 points against a conference opponent for the seventh time in 15 Big Ten games under Smith and Lindgren. Chiles has started every game since arriving with the staff as a transfer from Oregon State before last season. MSU is 3-9 in conference play and 8-10 overall under Smith.

But it was the dismal, lifeless showing against UCLA that enraged MSU fans and have them calling for changes. Smith and Lindgren hear it and have said the need to improve is urgent.

“The pressure at this level comes with the job, it comes with the territory. It’s part of it,” Lindgren said. “You got people in the building that you trust and you’ve worked with before. When you get to times of adversity, you just gotta keep going to work and trust that those around you are gonna take care of their business and get the job done at a high level.”

Lindgren said Cignetti’s success has been structured around 13 players he brought with him from James Madison in 2024, when the Hoosiers went 11-2 and 8-1 in the Big Ten to finish No. 10 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. Indiana lost in the CFP first round at Notre Dame, 27-17.

In the Hoosiers’ 47-10 blowout win at MSU last season, they sacked Chiles (who also left that game with an injury) and backup Tommy Schuster seven times.

Should Chiles be unable to play this week, the Spartans would give redshirt freshman Alessio Milivojevic his first career start against an IU defense tied for third in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 22 sacks this season, No. 4 in both total defense (229 yards per game) and scoring (11.3 points) and sixth in passing yards allowed (142.2).

MSU’s offensive line has given up 15 sacks of the elusive Chiles this season, which ranks tied for 25th-most allowed nationally. He finished 8-for-17 passing for 66 yards with a lost fumble on his one sack against the Bruins.

[ MUST LISTEN: State of the program. Subscribe to the “Spartan Speak” podcast for new episodes weekly on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. ]

The less-mobile Milivojevic took over early in the third quarter, and finished 8-for-18 for 100 yards with a touchdown. However, the Bruins already were leading by 17 points when Milivojevic entered the game and stretched it to 31 by the end of the third quarter while mostly playing soft coverage with minimal front-seven pressure the rest of the way.

“Alessio, we’ve got a lot of trust in him,” Lindgren said. “I think it’s definitely gonna be a challenge. That defense gives you a ton of different looks in the secondary. They’re super-active up front. … It would be a challenging game but an opportunity that he would welcome.”

Milivojevic is 14-for-27 for 171 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in 50 career collegiate snaps the past two seasons (24 against UCLA, 12 against Nebraska, 12 against Western Michigan and two last season against Rutgers).

Also if Chiles is ruled out, that likely would mean true freshman Leo Hannan – who has yet to play – would be the backup. Lindgren said he did not consider giving Hannan a series late in the UCLA game to give him his first experience in college.

“It wasn’t necessarily discussed,” Lindgren said. “I think Leo would be ready if we put him in there. Looking back at it, that would’ve been something that I think would have been good. It’s always nice to get a young guy a little taste of action before he’s maybe forced into action at some point.”

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

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Indiana

Federal legislation that Braun calls ‘crazy’ is aimed at Bears and Indiana – Indianapolis Business Journal

Published

12 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Federal legislation that Braun calls ‘crazy’ is aimed at Bears and Indiana – Indianapolis Business Journal

U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Greg Casar, D-Texas, say the bill would protect taxpayers from being extorted by team owners for huge subsidies. The legislation would likely face an uphill climb in the Republican-controlled Congress.

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Indiana

Record warmth followed by strong storms tonight | March 26, 2026

Published

24 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH-TV) – Strong thunderstorms likely later this evening with all severe weather threats possible. It is going to be warm and windy with record highs today. Much cooler air works into Indiana for the end of the week.

TODAY: Partly cloudy conditions later this afternoon with warm and breezy conditions. It is going to be a beautiful and summer-like day across parts of Indiana. We will look for high temperatures to climb into the lower eighties which will set a new daily high record. The record for today is 80 set back in 1907. Winds will be gusty out of the southwest near 20 to 30 mph.

TONIGHT: A cold front approaches the state bringing a really good chance of strong to severe thunderstorms. A few thunderstorms may develop out ahead of the main line and some of those thunderstorms could contain some large hail along with a tornado risk as well. We are under a level 3 risk of strong storms out of a level 5. So there is confidence that a lot of these storms could reach severe criteria. Threats would be damaging winds and large hail. The tornado risk is low across parts of Indianapolis but it is not zero. A slightly higher risk of tornadic activity is possible in northern sections of Indiana.

Heavy rainfall could also lead to some flooding in parts of the state. Areas may see anywhere between 1 to 3 inches of rainfall.

Best timing on the thunderstorm activity will be anytime after 8:00 p.m. and lasting until Friday morning around 4.

TOMORROW: A few early morning rain showers will be possible on Friday. The main weather story is that it will be much cooler. High temperatures will climb around 49 which is below our normal high of 56. Winds switch direction out of the northeast and it will be a bit breezy at times as well. Low temperatures late Friday night into Saturday morning will drop into the upper twenties.

7 DAY EXTENDED FORECAST: A chilly start early Saturday morning but we will see lots of sunshine for the afternoon. High temperatures will climb around 52 for the afternoon.

Cloud cover returns on Sunday but it will be dry for the most part. Look for high temperatures to climb into the lower 60s.

Warmer next week with temperatures reaching the low and even middle and upper 70s by the middle part of the week. A dry start on Monday with some scattered showers possible on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Indiana

IU national championship picture displayed at IND airport

Published

1 day ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

IU national championship picture displayed at IND airport

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana University is making sure all the visitors in town for the Final Four don’t forget who won the football national championship.

A photo of former IU quarterback Fernando Mendoza and wide receiver Charlie Becker is displayed at the Indianapolis International Airport when visitors arrive and go to baggage claim.

IU football won its first national championship in program history in the 2025 season, defeating Miami in the national championship game. The Hoosiers completed the season with an undefeated, 16-0 record.

Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first IU player to win the prestigious award.

Mendoza threw for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns last season. He is projected to be the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Becker had 34 catches for 679 yards and four touchdowns last season.

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