Michigan State had a chance to turn a rough season into something memorable against No. 25 Northwestern, and for much of the afternoon, the Spartans looked ready to do it. Then the finish arrived the way these games so often do for MSU lately: with a gut punch.
The Spartans were heavy underdogs at home, with plenty of attention on former MSU quarterback Aiden Chiles and former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald as the game unfolded. But the early script did not match the expectation that Michigan State would fold quickly under the weight of injuries on defense. Instead, the Spartans opened with a sharp first quarter, including a stop in the red zone that kept Northwestern off the board and got the home crowd leaning in.
MSU’s offense answered too, picking up momentum from the second half of its loss to Illinois the week before and driving for a touchdown to take the lead. For a stretch, it was hard to square the scoreboard with the matchup on paper.
The second quarter brought more of the familiar danger as Michigan State took risks that backfired, and Northwestern started to capitalize. Still, the Spartans made a major stand when they blocked a field goal to keep the margin at three. They weren’t just hanging around; they were trading blows.
Michigan State then added another touchdown before halftime and went into the break with a 14-10 lead over a ranked opponent. At that point, the upset was no longer some far-fetched idea. It was right there.
The third quarter turned into a defensive grind. Northwestern kept MSU from scoring, while the Spartans limited the Wildcats to a field goal. That left Michigan State up 14-13 heading into the fourth, still in front but feeling the pressure build.
Both offenses finally found life again in the final quarter. Each team scored a touchdown, and Northwestern added a two-point conversion to even things up before the two-minute warning. That set up the kind of closing stretch Spartan Nation had been begging for: one last chance to steal it.
With about a minute left, Michigan State lined up for a field goal that could have delivered the win. Northwestern got a block, flipping the script on the earlier special-teams sequence in the game and crushing the moment for the Spartans.
Michigan State then failed to stop Northwestern on the drive for a field goal, and the Wildcats finished the job in a 24-21 win. What looked like a real upset opportunity ended in another painful loss for MSU, one that left fans venting about the kind of outcome that keeps landing the same way.
Back-to-back heartbreaks, once again.
In Other News...
Michigan State Just Entered A Big Ten Recruiting Fight Up Front
Michigan State has added another name to its board up front, extending an offer to Illinois high school standout Ben Coleman, a 6-foot-4, 285-pound hybrid tight end and blocker whose recruiting profile has already put him on the radar of several programs. Coleman is viewed as one of the more highly rated prospects in his state and nationally, which makes this the kind of battle the Spartans have to stay active in if they want to keep pace in the Big Ten trenches.
What makes Coleman especially interesting is the way his game blends size with versatility, giving him a profile that could fit a few different offensive roles depending on how a staff wants to use him. With other schools involved and his recruitment still unfolding, Michigan State is now part of a competition that figures to keep growing as more programs press their case for one of the regions more intriguing blockers. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Suddenly Needs Unsung Spartans To Step Up Vs Northwestern
Michigan State is heading into its matchup with Northwestern with the kind of lineup uncertainty that forces depth pieces into the spotlight. With injuries affecting several spots, the Spartans will need more than their headline names to hold up, and that puts added pressure on players like running back Jaziun Patterson and the offensive line tandem of Rakeem Johnson and Robert Wright Jr. in a game where every clean snap and steady assignment matters.
On the other side of the ball, the margin for error looks just as thin. Defensive end Kenny Soares Jr. and cornerbacks Jeremiah Favorite and KJ Deriso are among the players who may have to absorb bigger roles, and Michigan State needs that next wave of Spartans to look ready quickly. The challenge now is whether those unsung players can stabilize the depth chart in time to keep the matchup from turning into a test of survival. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Showed 2 Encouraging Signs In A Brutal Northwestern Loss
For much of Saturday, Michigan State had enough going on to make the loss sting even more. The Spartans hung with No. 25 Northwestern deep into a close game, and there were real signs that the program is starting to sort out some problems. The defense generated multiple sacks, with Anelu Lafaele, Ben Roberts and Eli Coenen all getting in on the pressure, while Coenen also came through with a blocked field goal that kept the game within reach.
The offense also showed a little more life under Nick Sheridan, whose playcalling helped Michigan State move the ball more consistently than it has at times this season. Even with limited talent, the Spartans found enough rhythm to stay alive into the final stretch before the game turned on a blocked potential go-ahead kick and a late Northwestern field goal. It was still a brutal loss, but for a team trying to find traction, the performances on both sides offered a small bit of encouragement to carry forward. [Read more 🡒]