Kay’ron Lynch-Adams heard the faint whistle but he already broke free and started to make his way around the crowd of players, and all he saw was green field ahead of him.

“I was out there just really trying to run,” Lynch-Adams said Friday after the Spartans’ 16-10 win over Florida Atlantic. “But I mean, I guess they’ve seen it a different way, so that was cool as well, but I mean it is what it is.”

Lynch-Adams’ end zone celebration was premature — much like the official who blew his whistle to end the play.

Lynch-Adams was awarded two yards for the run. Aidan Chiles ended the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run that put the Spartans up 9-0 after the second kick.

“You saw it,” Chiles said. “That was his touchdown but they gave it to me. But that was his touchdown, you know?”

On the Spartans’ next drive, Lynch-Adams got his taste of the end zone for real. Chiles handed the ball off to Lynch-Adams, who turned on the jets up the middle. Tanner Miller notably had a key block to help pave the way for the former UMass running back, who transferred to Michigan State this offseason.

A Florida Atlantic defender made a last-ditch effort to stop Lynch-Adams as he dove toward the ball carrier’s feet, but Lynch-Adams was already off to the races.

Touchdown Spartans.

“That was an offensive line touchdown,” said Lynch-Adams, who ran for 63 yards on that score, which put Michigan State ahead by 16 points. “As soon as I got that crease opened up, I just did what I was supposed to do, honestly.”

Lynch-Adams led Michigan State with 101 yards on the ground on nine carries. It was his fifth career game eclipsing 100 yards rushing.

Lynch-Adams came to the Spartans this offseason, hoping to help reignite the run game alongside Nate Carter. In his first game wearing the green and white, he showed plenty of potential to build off.

“I mean, he’s a dog. Nate Carter, too,” Chiles said.

“Those running backs, they work so hard, man. I’m so proud of them,” Chiles added. “They did everything for me today and I truly appreciate the way they blocked.”

Michigan State’s ground attack accounted for 179 of its 293 total yards of offense.

Chiles admittedly had an off-day, completing only 10 of his 24 passes for 114 yards and two interceptions. And while he would’ve liked to have done better moving the ball through the air, he was quite happy with the way the team’s run game.

“We didn’t get all the roads we wanted but them dudes, they told that thing,” Chiles said. “Like you can’t just push them over. They play football, that’s what they do and that’s their specialty. They come out here every day, they work. They talk, they’re leaders, they come out here and they showed it today. They came out here and ran the ball.

“When your backfield is on your backfield is on. I can’t complain.”

Malik Spencer ejected

Malik Spencer’s night ended prematurely after he was whistled for targeting early in the second quarter.

Spencer led with his helmet as he dove into Florida Atlantic quarterback Cam Fancher, who was in mid-slide. The contact managed to knock off Fancher’s helmet, which automatically sidelined him for the next play, per NCAA rules.

Officials ruled the hit and confirmed the call of targeting, which disqualified Spencer for the remainder of the game.

Spencer was replaced by Dillon Tatum.

A few players later, Angelo Grose intercepted Fancher’s pass and returned it for 15 yards to Michigan State’s 29-yard line.

Injuries to watch

Two players exited Friday’s game with apparent injuries.

Alante Brown wowed fans with his speed on a 33-yard kick return in the first quarter, but the redshirt senior, who was slotted in the first-string wide receiver spot to start the game, left the game in the second quarter and appeared to go to the tunnel to have an injury examined.

Meanwhile, Dillon Tatum didn’t play the fourth quarter after suffering an apparent injury.

Coach Jonathan Smith said he got a “quick briefing” on their conditions after the game but didn’t provide specifics about their situations.

“There’s more testing and nothing definite,” Smith said.