Michigan State football will take its first cross-country flight in the new Big Ten in Week 6, a trip that will bring another challenging task in Jonathan Smith’s Year 1 rebuild of the Spartans program.
The opponent in that contest is, however, a familiar one for the first-year Spartans coach — it’s just not coming in a Pac-12 or Civil War Rivalry game.
Michigan State will take on No. 9 Oregon inside Autzen Stadium under the lights on Friday Night, with a 9 p.m. ET kickoff set for the Spartans’ second Big Ten road game of the season.
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Despite having an overall successful tenure at Oregon State, particularly the last two seasons, Oregon posed challenges for Smith at times during his tenure in Corvallis, Oregon.
Saturday’s contest, of course, is a Big Ten conference game as Oregon left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten this past offseason with UCLA, USC and Washington and ultimately left Smith’s former squad to be part of a “Pac-2” with Washington State.
But it is also one that the former Oregon State quarterback and coach will look to win and put Michigan State back on the map as a factor in the Big Ten.
Here’s Smith’s record against Oregon as a head coach:
Jonathan Smith’s record vs Oregon
Smith is 2-4 in his previous six matchups against Oregon as a head coach, with all six coming during his time at Oregon State.
The now-Spartans head coach started 0-2 against Oregon in his career, before he picked up his first win against the Ducks. In that 2020 contest in Corvallis, Oregon, Smith’s Beavers knocked off the No. 9 Ducks 41-38 with a late-game touchdown run on fourth down from backup quarterback Chance Nolan.
Since Smith picked up his first career-ranked win as a coach, he’s gone 1-2 against Oregon, including losing last year’s contest in Eugene 31-7 — which happened to be his final game manning the Oregon State sidelines.
Here’s a look at the result of past games Smith coached against Oregon:
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Nov. 23, 2018: Oregon 55, Oregon State 15
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Nov. 30, 2019: No. 14 Oregon 24, Oregon State 10
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Nov. 27, 2020: Oregon State 41, No. 9 Oregon 38
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Nov. 27, 2021: No. 11 Oregon 38, Oregon State 29
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Nov. 26, 2022: No. 22 Oregon State 38, No. 10 Oregon 34
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Nov. 24, 2023: No. 6 Oregon 31, Oregon State 7
Jonathan Smith coaching history
Prior to being hired in East Lansing by Michigan State in November, Smith spent six seasons at Oregon State.
In those six seasons in Corvallis, Smith led Oregon State to a 34-35 overall record and two bowl-game appearances in 2021 and 2022. His best season with the Beavers came in 2022, when he led Oregon State to the program’s just third 10 win or more seasons.
Smith got his start in coaching at Oregon State in 2002, when he traded his cleats for a clipboard as one of the Beavers’ graduate student assistants. He played four seasons at quarterback at Oregon State from 1998-2001, where he totaled 9,106 passing yards and 52 touchdowns.
Here’s a look at Smith’s coaching career, including head coach and assistant coaching experiences:
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Oregon State (2002-03): Graduate student
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Idaho (2004-09): Quarterbacks coach
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Montana (2010-11): Offensive coordinator/Quarterbacks coach
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Boise State (2012-13): Quarterbacks coach
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Washington (2014-17): Offensive coordinator/Quarterbacks coach
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Oregon State (2018-2023): Head coach
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Michigan State (2023-present): Head coach
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: What was Jonathan Smith’s record vs. Oregon while at Oregon State?
