Michigan State’s season opener against Toledo comes with a fresh start on both sidelines, and four Detroit News writers see the Spartans taking advantage of it Friday night at Spartan Stadium.
Pat Fitzgerald makes his debut as MSU’s head coach, while Mike Jacobs begins his first year leading Toledo after bringing pieces of his Mercer program with him. That overhaul makes the Rockets a bit of a mystery, even if they enter with the reputation of a MAC contender. Michigan State, meanwhile, gets the edge in all four predictions, with each writer expecting the Spartans to handle business in East Lansing.
Angelique Chengelis sees Fitzgerald setting the tone right away. She says he already feels like the right fit at Michigan State and expects the Spartans to reflect that identity with toughness in the opener.
She also points to sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, who played in nine games last season and has kept making strides, as a player who should get off to a strong start. Her pick: Michigan State, 24-10.
Connor Earegood also likes MSU, but thinks there’s a little more juice to the opener. He notes Fitzgerald’s Monday joke that he’d rather open against his old Loyola Academy high school team than Toledo, only for Loyola to later beat Cathedral and earn a national ranking.
He says there could be emotion around Fitzgerald’s return to the college sideline and around the debuts of several key Spartans. Earegood also flags upset potential for Toledo because of the players Jacobs imported from Mercer, including FCS defensive player of the year Andrew Zock.
Still, he expects Michigan State’s talent and coaching to win out, with running back Cam Edwards making a strong first impression and the defense producing a couple takeaways. His pick: Michigan State, 27-10.
John Niyo focuses on how much turnover Toledo is dealing with. He calls the Rockets a perennial MAC winner, but says they’re at a different point to begin this season, noting they may have just one returning starter on either side of the ball, not counting the FCS transfers who followed Jacobs from Mercer.
Niyo thinks Michigan State’s revamped offensive line will help set the pace and give Fitzgerald early momentum. His pick: Michigan State, 31-17.
Bob Wojnowski sees the same broad outcome, even if he expects some rough edges. He says Fitzgerald will have his first MSU team ready emotionally under the lights, but questions remain about how fast the Spartans can strengthen both lines, which he views as the foundation of the team.
Wojnowski points to transfer back Cam Edwards, returning quarterback Alessio Milivojevic and the buzz around both, while also noting Michigan State does not have a deep group of skill players, which could make the game a grind. He adds that Toledo, with Jacobs and key Mercer imports, is still a dangerous MAC contender, but says the Rockets’ inexperienced quarterback, John Alan Richter, and lack of firepower keep the upset out of reach.
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Pat Fitzgerald Already Faces Michigan State's Biggest Year 1 Test
Pat Fitzgerald is back in college football, and the first big job waiting for him at Michigan State is less about installing a scheme than restoring a sense of who the Spartans want to be. After three years away from the college game, Fitzgerald arrives with a reputation for toughness and structure, and the early conversation around the program has centered on rebuilding the teams identity from the ground up. A lot of that will start with the quarterback room, where Alessio Milivojevic has emerged as an important figure heading into the season.
The pressure around Year 1 rarely waits for conference play, and Fitzgeralds opening test comes immediately against Toledo. It is the kind of first game that can shape the tone of an entire tenure, especially for a coach trying to put his stamp on a program before the real grind begins. For Michigan State, the questions are not just about how quickly Fitzgerald can make his mark, but whether the pieces already in place can show early signs that the rebuild is headed in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Opener Will Reveal If This Rebuild Is Ready
The season opener offers an early read on two first-year staffs coming at roster building from very different angles. Toledo coach Jacobs is making the jump from FCS to FBS with a group shaped heavily by transfers from his previous program, while Michigan State coach Fitzgerald arrives with plenty of major-college experience but no shortcuts in reconstructing a roster. It is the kind of matchup that says as much about spring and summer work as it does about opening-night football.
For Michigan State, the game is less about reputation and more about how quickly a new team has learned to function as one. The Spartans have spent months trying to blend newcomers with an entirely new staff, and Toledo will provide a useful measure of whether that process has taken hold. The result will not settle everything about either program, but it should tell the Spartans a lot about how ready this rebuild really is. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Is Making A Sideline Change Fans Will Notice Fast
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The shift comes as the NCAA has removed the rule that had limited the number of coaches, opening the door for Michigan State to carry 31 coaches and use additional staff in the press box to help communicate information. For a program trying to sharpen operation and get everyone in the right place before the snap, the setup gives the Spartans a different kind of game-day structure, even if the bigger question is still how much smoother it will make everything once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]