Michigan State’s trip to Pasadena comes with a steep climb already built into it. The Spartans are looking for their first Big Ten win, but they’ll have to chase it against a UCLA team that hasn’t lost yet and has quickly become one of the conference’s early heavyweights.
The matchup sends Michigan State west for its first game at UCLA since the Bruins joined the Big Ten. The Spartans enter at 2-5 overall and 0-4 in league play, riding a five-game losing streak into Saturday afternoon.
UCLA, meanwhile, has opened 6-0 under new head coach Bob Chesney. The Bruins are ranked No. 9 in the AP poll and are being treated like a serious Big Ten title and College Football Playoff contender.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., with CBS carrying the game.
Across the board, Spartans Wire staff expect the Bruins to handle business.
Andrew Brewster sees a 28-17 UCLA win.
“MSU has been short-handed of late, but still fought admirably, only to fall just short. That's pretty demoralizing for a program. UCLA is undefeated and this will be a tough road game in LA for the Spartans.”
Cory Linsner is even more skeptical of Michigan State’s offense in this spot, projecting a 24-13 Bruins victory.
“Michigan State says they’re close, but they haven’t had offensive success against a good defense this season. UCLA will be a much more formidable test than the last two weeks.”
Robert Bondy also has UCLA on top, 24-17, pointing to both the cross-country trip and the Bruins’ defense.
“Michigan State is playing better as of late but traveling out west is never easy. Combine that with UCLA having a pretty darn good defense and I struggle to find the Spartans putting up enough points to pull the upset.”
For Michigan State, the challenge is simple enough to say and hard to solve: stop the skid, find some offense, and do it on the road against a team that has yet to blink.
In Other News...
Michigan State Heads To UCLA With A Sudden QB Problem
Michigan State heads into its trip to UCLA with an unexpected twist at the most important position on the field, as starting quarterback Alessio Milivojevic is listed as questionable because of an unspecified injury. The Spartans were already navigating a tricky road spot, and now the uncertainty at quarterback adds another layer to a game that had enough moving parts on its own.
Cam Fancher is also out, which leaves Michigan State in a bind if Milivojevic cannot go. That could push true freshman Kayd Coffman or second-year quarterback Leo Hannan into the spotlight, and Coffman in particular brings intrigue after arriving as a highly rated member of the 2026 class despite limited game experience. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Heads To UCLA With A Huge Offensive Concern
Michigan State heads into its trip to UCLA dealing with a familiar kind of midseason uncertainty, and this one starts on offense. Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic and running back Jaziun Patterson are both listed as questionable, leaving the Spartans to sort through key decisions at the game's most important position and in the backfield before taking the field.
The injury report does not stop there. Linebacker Jordan Hall and cornerbacks Tre Bell, Tyran Chappell and Charles Brantley are among the other Spartans who are either out or questionable, adding to the challenge of matching up on the road. UCLA has its own issues, including the season-ending loss of starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, but Michigan State still has to figure out how much of its offensive plan it can count on before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Heads To UCLA With Its Offense Suddenly In Doubt
Michigan State heads west for a matchup with UCLA carrying more uncertainty than it expected, and the biggest question sits right at the heart of the offense. Starting quarterback Alessio Milivojevic and running back Jaziun Patterson are both listed as questionable, leaving the Spartans to navigate the kind of pregame uncertainty that can change how a staff plans the entire trip.
The injury report also leaves room for concern elsewhere, with left tackle Ben Murawski and linebacker Brady Pretzlaff among the players listed as questionable, while several others on both sides of the ball have already been ruled out. Michigan State is set to keep releasing updated injury reports leading up to the game, so the picture could still shift before kickoff, but for now the Spartans are walking into this one with a lot still unsettled. [Read more 🡒]