Michigan State needs a win against Rutgers on Saturday in East Lansing, Mich., to become bowl eligible for the first time in three years.”This is an important game for multiple reasons — our last home game, the last home game for some of our seniors, the opportunity to keep this group together for … another month if you can have success this Saturday,” said first-year Spartans coach Jonathan Smith. “All of that should add to their motivation.”The Spartans (5-6, 3-4 Big Ten) snapped a three-game losing streak last weekend, holding on for a 24-17 win over Purdue to put them in a position for a postseason berth.Aidan Chiles, who has passed for 2,265 yards and 12 touchdowns, has not thrown any interceptions in his last two starts after tossing 11 in his first nine games.”A tremendous athlete,” Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said of Chiles. “Really, a quarterback that you can see is just getting better and better each week. We recruited him. We’re very familiar with him. We really wanted him. He ended up going to Oregon State and now he’s at Michigan State, but somebody that we really thought was an excellent player.”The Scarlet Knights (6-5, 3-4) are trying to rebound from a crushing 38-31 loss to then-No. 25 Illinois. Rutgers gave up a 40-yard, game-winning touchdown pass with four seconds left.Schiano expects to see the best from Michigan State.
