Michigan State now knows when it will host Illinois for homecoming.
The Spartans’ Oct. 10 game in East Lansing is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, the school announced Monday. Before that matchup arrives, Michigan State will travel to Wisconsin, while Illinois will be at home against Purdue.
This will be Illinois’ first visit to East Lansing since 2019. The last two games between the teams were played in Champaign, with Illinois winning 38-16 in 2024 and Michigan State pulling off a 23-15 upset of a then-No.
14 Illinois team in 2022. That Spartans win was later vacated.
The all-time series officially sits at Michigan State 26, Illinois 20, with two ties. At Spartan Stadium, the Spartans are 13-9-1 against the Fighting Illini.
There’s also a coaching wrinkle in this matchup. Pat Fitzgerald has built a strong record against Illinois from his Northwestern days, going 11-6 against the Fighting Illini while the Wildcats and Illini were Big Ten West rivals.
But Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has had success against him, beating Fitzgerald in each of his first two seasons in Champaign. Fitzgerald is 1-4 against Bielema overall, including Bielema’s time at Wisconsin.
Illinois enters Week 5 with the same 2-2 overall record and 0-1 Big Ten mark as Michigan State. The Illini should be favored at home against Purdue this weekend.
Their wins have come against UAB, 42-23, and FCS Southern Illinois, 48-10. Their losses were a 31-27 defeat to Duke and a 42-19 loss at then-No.
7 Ohio State.
The Duke loss stood out a bit, though it was hardly a season-wrecker; Duke won the ACC title last season.
Another layer to this game: Michigan State will see Illinois in its second game under a new defensive setup. Illinois moved on from coordinator Bobby Hauck after only four games on the job and shifted to a 3-3-5 system this season, but the results have been uneven. The Fighting Illini are allowing 391.0 yards per game, which ranks 111th nationally and 16th in the Big Ten.
And then there’s the quarterback storyline. Katin Houser will be back in East Lansing for the first time as Illinois’ quarterback.
Through four games, he has thrown for 1,021 yards, seven touchdowns and only two interceptions. He went for 263 passing yards and a touchdown Saturday at Ohio State.
In Other News...
Michigan State Now Faces A Bigger Problem Than The Nebraska Loss
The Nebraska loss itself was ugly enough for Michigan State, but the bigger concern coming out of Lincoln was the damage done to the roster. The Spartans were already thin in key spots, and the injury situation started before kickoff when starting cornerback Tre Bell was hurt in warmups and never made it into the game.
It only got worse from there. Running back Cam Edwards and offensive lineman Connor Moore went down on the same play, and defensive leader Jordan Hall also left with a leg injury after being taken off the field on a cart, leaving Michigan State with plenty to sort through beyond the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Faces A Bigger Offensive Problem Than Fans Feared
Michigan States offense has looked increasingly out of sync over the last few games, and the numbers underline just how much work remains. Through four games, the Spartans have managed only 88 points and nine touchdowns, both among the lowest marks in the Big Ten, while quarterback Alessio Milivojevic has been dealing with plenty of pressure, sacks and interceptions as the unit struggles to find any sort of rhythm.
The bigger concern is that the problems have not been limited to execution. Injuries have already thinned out the group and left the staff trying to patch together answers on the fly, with the offensive line and backfield both taking hits that make every snap feel a little more fragile. Michigan State is still searching for stability, but the margin for error keeps shrinking as the offense tries to get healthy enough to even resemble what it was supposed to be. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Suddenly Faces A Depth Chart Test Against Wisconsin
Michigan State left its trip to Nebraska with more than one injury concern, and the timing could not be worse with Wisconsin next on the schedule. Running back Cam Edwards and linebacker Jordan Hall were among the players hurt in the game, leaving the Spartans to sort through a depth chart that may look different by the time they line up again.
The backfield is especially worth watching because backup Jaziun Patterson handled relief work well after Edwards exited, and the staff is already leaning on him as it prepares for the next matchup. The bigger question now is how Michigan State will piece together its roster across the board if the injury list forces more changes, with the full extent of those setbacks still unclear. [Read more 🡒]