College Football Quarterback Throws Wild INT on Game’s Very First Play

College football is indeed back, and so are its crazy plays. In what is a packed Labor Day weekend that started on Thursday night and will cap off on Monday to close out the official Week 1, it’s already been a wild one.

On Friday night, the Big Ten’s Michigan State began its 2024 season against the AAC’s Florida Atlantic in East Lansing.

The 2024 Michigan State team is in a rebuilding phase and not quite ready to compete with the elite of the Big Ten just yet. They’re bringing in former Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith, who brought with him promising quarterback Aidan Chiles.

Chiles, a former four-star recruit out of Downey, California, was named the starter for the Spartans heading into the game against the Owls on Friday night. However, the beginning of the sophomore’s career for the Spartans did not start off the way he had hoped.

On the very first play of the game, Chiles dropped back, moved to his left a bit, and just before taking a hit, threw it deep downfield to his receiver, Montorie Foster Jr. Foster bobbled the ball, and Owls defender Kahzir “Buggs” Brown took advantage by somehow finding the ball off one of the bobbles and intercepting the pass before going out of bounds in a truly fantastic play.

At first, it seemed as if Brown caught the pass without keeping a foot in bounds. But after a review by officials, and to the dismay of Chiles and Michigan State, Brown was determined to have maintained possession and keeping a foot in bounds to make the turnover.

Luckily for the Spartans, the Owls went three-and-out and only gained one yard on the ensuing drive.

Brown transferred to FAU from the University of Maine. In his three seasons with the Black Bears, Brown totaled 137 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, and eight interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.

Chiles originally committed to Oregon State last season before following Smith to Michigan State for this season. Last year, he made appearances in nine games, completing 24 of 35 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 79 yards and three more touchdowns. Even with little playing time, he was one of the top quarterbacks to enter the transfer portal last year.

Chiles hopes to be a big part of the future at Michigan State after the program has hit a string of bad luck and been gutted of not just promising talent but also coaching staff. Mel Tucker, who took over as head coach in 2020, was fired last season after coaching just two games due to sexual misconduct allegations.

In the last two seasons, Michigan State has gone 9-15, after going 11-2 in 2021 under Tucker. Smith’s last two seasons with the Beavers he went 18-7.