Michigan State heads to Wisconsin on Saturday with a lot more than just a conference road game on its hands.
The Spartans are 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten, and the picture around the program has shifted fast after a couple of losses and some major injury hits, especially the season-ending loss of star running back Cam Edwards. Now they have to deal with a Wisconsin team that has been better than expected at 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the league.
Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.
One of the most interesting threads in this matchup is how many people have crossed paths with both programs. Wisconsin defensive coordinator Mike Tressel spent years on Michigan State’s staff from 2007 through 2020, including time as co-defensive coordinator from 2015 to 2017 and then as the lone defensive coordinator in 2018 and 2019.
That Badgers defense has been the clear strength of the team, and it carried the day in Wisconsin’s upset of then-No. 13 Penn State more than the offense did.
Michigan State also has some direct ties of its own. Running backs coach Devon Spalding coached the same position at Wisconsin from 2023 to 2025, and he’s now trying to keep the Spartans steady after Edwards’ injury. Spalding helped build depth in the room through the portal this offseason, and Jaziun Patterson is now the expected starter.
There’s even more overlap. MSU assistant running backs coach Grover Bortolotti played at Wisconsin for five years, mostly on special teams, and his brother Harrison is on the Badgers’ roster this year in the same phase of the game. Michigan State cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat also spent time at Wisconsin in 2021 and 2022, though Tressel arrived there in 2023, so the Spartans probably won’t be getting much inside information from that connection.
The player movement between the schools goes both ways, too. Wisconsin’s top receiver is Tyrell Henry, who has 24 catches for 307 yards and one touchdown this season after playing for Michigan State in 2022 and 2023. On the other side, Michigan State has rush end Anelu Lafaele, who has four tackles and a half sack so far and spent 2024 as a true freshman at Wisconsin.
For the Spartans, the bigger concern is simple: the offense needs to show something. Over the last two weeks against its first two Power Four opponents, Michigan State has scored only two touchdowns and 23 points total.
No. 3 Notre Dame and Nebraska both have strong defenses, but MSU still sits last in the Big Ten in total offense and yards per play.
That puts even more weight on quarterback Alessio Milivojevic. He has followed two rough outings with another pressure-packed week, and his start against Nebraska was probably the worst of his eight at Michigan State. The problems are bigger than the quarterback alone, but that’s where the conversation starts.
The run game needs to help, too, and that’s a lot harder without Edwards. Michigan State is averaging 4.41 yards per carry this season with sacks excluded, according to Connor Earegood of the Detroit News, which ranks 15th in the Big Ten. Patterson and Marvis Parrish are going to have to carry much more of the load.
Wisconsin’s defense may not be on the same level as Notre Dame’s or Nebraska’s, but it still looks like a top-half Big Ten unit. The Badgers rank 28th nationally and eighth in the conference in total defense, and they are seventh in the league on a per-play basis. ESPN’s College Football Power Index says Wisconsin has faced the toughest schedule in the Big Ten so far, just ahead of Michigan State, so this group has already been tested.
This is also the first real moment where the Pat Fitzgerald era at Michigan State feels like it’s running into resistance. The Spartans have talked about expecting to win every game on the schedule, but back-to-back losses have changed the tone, and the carted-off injuries to the team’s top offensive and defensive players in the same game only made things worse. Fitzgerald said Monday that he had no updates on linebacker Jordan Hall.
Saturday will show how solid that early foundation really is. Wisconsin’s win at Penn State points to a hostile setting, and a victory would help Michigan State steady itself quickly. Another flat showing, like the one against Nebraska, and the pressure will spike in a hurry.
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Michigan State May Finally Have A New Answer For Its Stalled Offense
Four weeks into Pat Fitzgeralds tenure, Michigan State is still searching for a cleaner offensive rhythm, and the strain has started to show on the other side of the ball as well. The Spartans have not found enough consistency to take pressure off a defense that has been asked to carry too much, so the staff is looking for ways to get more out of the roster it already has.
One possible piece is tight end Carson Gulker, the Ferris State transfer who has drawn notice for his athleticism and versatility. Offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said Gulker may be in line for more playing time as Michigan State tries to be more efficient with its personnel, though his blocking still needs work before he can become a major factor. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Still Has A Real Path To A Wisconsin Upset
Michigan State heads into its matchup with Wisconsin still looking for answers after a rough stretch, and Pat Fitzgerald knows the margin for error is thin. The Badgers have already shown they can beat a quality opponent, knocking off Penn State and landing just outside the AP Top 25, which makes this a tricky spot for a Spartan team trying to steady itself.
There are still reasons to think Michigan State can make this interesting if it cleans up its own issues and gets help from a few key areas. The Spartans will be leaning more on Jaz Patterson with Cam Edwards injured, and Patterson has already shown he can be productive against Wisconsin, giving Michigan State at least one familiar piece to build around as it tries to find the kind of opening that could turn this into an upset. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Enters Wisconsin With Its Offense Suddenly Under Pressure
Michigan State heads into Wisconsin with its offense facing a new layer of uncertainty after the loss to Nebraska and the season-ending knee injury to leading rusher Cam Edwards. The Spartans have already had to navigate an up-and-down stretch, and now the challenge becomes even more immediate against a Wisconsin team coming off its largest comeback win in two decades against Penn State, a result that has given the Badgers fresh momentum at home.
For Michigan State, the timing is especially tricky because the backfield picture has shifted so suddenly, forcing the staff to reshuffle around Edwards absence. Wisconsins recent surge adds another test, and both coaches have acknowledged the stakes of where each team stands entering the matchup. The Spartans are trying to steady an offense under pressure, while the Badgers are leaning into a strong response after a dramatic victory that changed the tone around their season. [Read more 🡒]