Michigan State put up a hard fight, but in the end they just didn’t have enough to pull the upset on Saturday night.

Michigan State hung with the Trojans for most of the game, but a pair of touchdowns late put it away for the 45-31 USC victory on Saturday in Los Angeles. The Spartans trailed 31-24 late in the third quarter, but the defense couldn’t get a critical stop that may have turned the game in Michigan State’s favor.

Following the game, Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith essentially said the same thing, giving credit to his team’s effort but noting that they didn’t finish the game well enough to win.

“At the end of the day, we just didn’t have enough,” Smith said. “We found a way to make it a seven point game in the third quarter. They finished better than us.”

With the loss, Michigan State falls to 3-1 on the year and 0-1 in Big Ten play. The Spartans will be on a bye this week before returning to action at Nebraska on October 4.

Watch Smith’s complete press conference following the loss to USC below — video courtesy of SpartanMag.

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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: MSU head coach Jonathan Smith notes poor finish, breaks down loss at USC