Michigan State entered the 2016 college football season with national championship aspirations. The Spartans looked nothing like a contender Friday night.
The Spartans, ranked 12th in the AP poll and 11th in the Coaches poll, struggled to put away visiting Furman, the FCS school from Greenville, S.C. — which finished 4-7 and 2-5 in the SoCon last season. The Spartans pulled out an ugly 28-13 victory at Spartan Stadium against the game Paladins.
Taking over for three-year starter Connor Cook, senior quarterback Tyler O'Connor struggled to find any consistency, despite finishing with 190 passing yards on a 13-of-18 night.