Michigan State gets another chance to show it can turn last week’s solid start into a cleaner finish when it hosts Eastern Michigan on Saturday afternoon.
The Spartans opened the season with a 30-20 win over Toledo, a game in which they controlled nearly every meaningful stat but still had to rally in the fourth quarter to put it away. Now they’re back in East Lansing for a week two non-conference matchup, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.
Eastern Michigan arrives at 1-1 after a home loss to San Jose State, and this will be the Eagles’ first road game of the season.
The Spartans Wire staff is expecting Michigan State to handle business comfortably and move to 2-0.
Prediction: Michigan State 37, Eastern Michigan 10
Michigan State took a small scare last week, but the performance was much better than the vibes indicated. The only thing that should keep this from being a 30+ point win is star staff playing backups to save some bodies for the upcoming stretch.
Andrew Brewster
I think Michigan State showed a lot in the win over Toledo, now is the time to put it together. Eastern Michigan just lost to San Jose State at home. The Spartans should roll here, or else we have some problems.
Robert Bondy
Prediction: Michigan State 41, Eastern Michigan 13
The Spartans do a better job of not settling for field goals in a matchup where they should overpower the Eagles early on to build a comfortable lead going into halftime. The reserves see some game action in the second half, which results in former Michigan State quarterback turned Eagle Noah Kim find the end zone in his return to Spartan Stadium. Still, Michigan State looks impressive and moves to 2-0 on the year with a monster road test at Notre Dame looming.
In Other News...
Michigan State Faces Its Next Big Ten Test At Ranked UCLA
Michigan States womens soccer team heads west with plenty of momentum after opening Big Ten play with a 5-0 win over USC, a result that helped reinforce just how well Jeff Hoslers group has handled both conference and non-conference competition. The Spartans, ranked No. 5/7, have leaned on a balanced attack and steady goalkeeping from Bella Schopp, with Kennedy Bell, Kayla Briggs and Bella Najera among the players helping set the tone for a team that has looked comfortable in almost every setting so far.
Sundays matchup at Wallis Annenberg Stadium brings a different kind of challenge. No. 16 UCLA is the next ranked test, and it comes in Los Angeles with the Spartans trying to prove their strong start travels as well as it has at home. For Michigan State, the trip is another early chance to measure itself against one of the Big Tens tougher opponents, and the kind of game that can say a lot about where this team stands as September unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Tom Izzo Just Entered A Huge Weekend For Michigan State's Future
Tom Izzos latest summer gathering put Michigan State back in familiar territory: former Spartans on campus, current players getting extra run and a recruiting weekend built around one of the programs most recognizable traditions. The event, known as Grind Week, has long doubled as both a workout setting and a sales pitch, giving prospects a closer look at the standard Izzo wants in East Lansing while leaning on alumni who can speak to what that standard has meant once players leave campus.
This years version also brought two visitors with offers from Michigan State, adding another layer to a weekend the Spartans clearly hope carries real future weight. The program has seen Grind Week matter before, and the stakes are obvious whenever it rolls around because the visits do not just fill a summer calendar, they can shape what the roster looks like down the line. For Michigan State, the challenge now is the same one it always is in July: turn the atmosphere, the presence of former players and the chance to work alongside the current team into something lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Cross Country Just Delivered An Opening Statement
Michigan States cross country teams opened the season by making a clean sweep of their home invitational, with both the men and women winning their respective races at the 45th-annual Spartan Invitational. The men controlled the 8k from the front, while the women backed up their victory in the 6k with a strong pack effort that featured three runners among the top 10. It was the kind of early September showing that gives a program more than a feel-good result at home - it offers a first look at depth, timing and the sort of group strength coaches like Aaron Simoneau and director Lisa Breznau want to see before the schedule gets tougher.
For Michigan State, the appeal goes beyond the trophies. Home meets can be deceiving, but this one suggested the Spartans have enough balance on both sides to start the year with real momentum, especially with the men putting together a dominant front-runner performance and the women answering with a tight team effort. Simoneau and Breznau both had reason to be encouraged by what they saw, though the bigger test now is how that early form holds up once the competition level rises and the season begins to reveal what this opening statement really means. [Read more 🡒]