Michigan State QB Aidan Chiles faces a tough test against Michigan

After a week of analyzing the good, the bad and the ugly of his first six starts as Michigan State's quarterback, Aidan Chiles delivered one of the most complete games of his career last week in a 32-20 win over Iowa.

It was a mature game, both in the way he combined a versatile passing and rushing game and in the way he built himself up to that moment through self-reflection. Chiles thrilled his coaches, both for the performance itself and for the prospect of what might come next.

“Some people get defensive in this situation and shift blame in a different way,” Michigan State offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren said Wednesday. “Aidan owned it and was really open to saying, 'Hey, I need to clean these things up.' Those are some of the things I need to work on in practice. “I felt like it came up a little bit on Saturday. He just needs to keep progressing, and I think he will.”

What's the progress: Next on the Spartans' schedule is a night game at arch-rival Michigan (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten). Such an intense environment can wear down a quarterback who isn't ready for the moment. Chiles may have broken through against Iowa, but he will face a tough challenge to compete against the Wolverines.

Michigan State coaches and players stayed tuned this week to keep the rivalry game hype at bay, but there's no denying what's at stake here. After a dismal run over the past two seasons filled with scandal and disappointment, the Spartans now find themselves on par with rival Michigan, whose slide after winning a national championship 10 months ago has left the program in crisis. A win this Saturday would be monumental for Michigan State (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) to stay in the rivalry.

This game, as much as it is a duel, will be emotional because of the stakes. It will be the type of game where you can get the best out of a young quarterback as well as him. Chiles will need to maintain the composure and resilience he showed against the Hawkeyes to put his Spartans in control.

This composure has been a major challenge for the Chileans this season. He threw eight interceptions and only five touchdowns in the first six games, often attributed to poor judgment under pressure. He forced throws downfield into coverage instead of advancing through reads or scrambling. And he also had a hard time recovering from his mistakes by making bad decisions one after another.

Not last week, though. Instead of forcing plays against the Hawkeyes, Chiles advanced through his reads, threw the ball out of bounds and even got involved in the rushing game, accounting for 51 yards. He still threw an interception, an area in which he still needs to improve, but made up for it with a touchdown.

It's that kind of performance that will be needed against Michigan, a team whose aggressive front seven is pretty much the only area that resembles the repeat Michigan State faced at home in a 49-0 loss a year ago . Chiles must take the lead with its offense in a difficult environment. The Spartans are 1-2 on the road this season, including a late loss to Boston College.

Even though he is young and still learning the ropes, his teammates and coaches have a lot of confidence in Chile's leadership abilities. Since his first start, he has taken the blame for the attacking mistakes himself. As you might expect, he also owed much of his success last week to his teammates.

“It’s great that we have Aidan to look forward to,” running back Nate Carter said Wednesday. “Even though a lot of people say how young he is, he is a great leader. He’s very mature.”

As for Chiles' development, it was always going to take him a while to settle in, like he did last Saturday. His selection as the Spartans' starting quarterback — defying the conventions of age and experience to hand the reins to a 19-year-old — had as much to do with the team three years from now as it did with the present. But at some point, potential has to be converted into performance, and that's what made Chile's performance against Iowa so exciting. It's also what could help his team so much in Ann Arbor.

“We knew there were going to be some ups and downs in the beginning every time you play with the young man,” Lindgren said, “and (we) just try to take advantage of every teaching moment you get.” Unfortunately he had to learn a lot of those things the hard way in the first six games, but I think he’s taken steps.”

Chiles' next step will be a big one, both for his own development and for his team's performance in an important clash. If he builds on last week's breakthrough, the Spartans could come away with a unique road win against a bitter rival. If he doesn't, they could go home after missing a great opportunity.

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@ConnorEaregood

Michigan State QB Aidan Chiles faces a tough test against Michigan

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