Three down

QB Noah Kim:

Three more interceptions raised Kim’s total to six on the season, all of them coming in the last three games, and the junior is now tied individually for the seventh-most interceptions in the FBS this season. That’s one fewer than six other players, with only Illinois' Luke Altmyer having thrown more among Big Ten quarterbacks. Kim went 25 of 44 for just 193 yards at Iowa and is 55 of 107 (51.4%) over the past three games, and the Spartans have scored just one touchdown in his past 34 drives.

Team discipline: MSU continues to commit penalties and turnovers at an alarming rate, an indictment on both players and coaches. The Spartans committed 10 penalties for 94 yards against the Hawkeyes. Their 8.0 penalties per game rank 117th out of 130 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and their 71.6 yards penalized rank 118th. MSU also turned the ball over four more times Saturday, and its 12 giveaways are tied for third-most in the country, one behind the 13 from Arizona State and Old Dominion. Their seven team interceptions are tied for eighth-most in the FBS.

Team health: Saturday began with linebacker Jacoby Windmon and defensive back Armorion Smith being ruled out for the season and starting safety Jaden Mangham, cornerback Charles Brantley and right guard Geno VanDeMark sitting out. The injury situation deepened when tight end Maliq Carr left the game near the end of a first quarter in which he was featured prominently for the first time in his career. It worsened as a number of others — including Haladay and starting cornerback Dillon Tatum — left the field but returned. And it reached a zenith late in the fourth quarter as defensive tackle Simeon Barrow and safety Malik Spencer both got hurt on the same play, then wide receiver Tre Mosley suffered an apparent left arm injury as he got drilled and fumbled with 3:29 to play.