Michigan State left Ann Arbor with a 15-6 win Saturday night, and the Spartans earned strong marks across the board for how they pulled it off.
The offense didn’t reach the end zone, but it did enough against a Michigan defense that had been the toughest MSU had seen since Notre Dame. Alessio Milivojevic, still not 100% after a reported hand injury, looked more settled than he has all season.
He finished 21 of 32 for 188 yards with no interceptions, handling a defense that can make you pay for hesitation and mistakes. He made a couple, but not many.
Chrishon McCray finally gave MSU the kind of playmaking it had been waiting for, catching six passes for 92 yards. His yards after the catch mattered as much as the receptions themselves. Brandon Tullis, also dealing with an injury, added 25 carries for 86 yards and was a force behind an offensive line that opened up space for runners in what was one of its better run-blocking nights in years, even if pass protection was less reliable.
The Spartans also stayed on schedule enough to control the game, going 9-for-20 on third down and putting together one of the most impressive non-touchdown drives you’ll see: 17 plays, 79 yards, starting at their own 1-yard line and helping bleed the clock.
On defense, MSU was even better. Missing its two best players and then a third when Devin Vaught went down after recording one of the team’s two interceptions, the Spartans still turned in a huge road effort.
Michigan managed only 13 first downs, 138 passing yards - most of that late - 54 rushing yards and 2 conversions on 10 third-down tries. MSU also forced four turnovers, collected five sacks and added a sack from Kenny Soares on the late 2-point conversion try that sealed it.
The unit also delivered an early red-zone stop that forced a missed field goal.
Special teams was spotless. Liam Boyd was perfect, hitting field goals from 21, 37, 38, 24 and 49 yards.
He hasn’t missed a kick this season that wasn’t blocked. Rhys Dakin, already leading the Big Ten in punting, averaged 48.8 yards on four punts and kept pinning Michigan deep.
There was nothing notable in the return game, but there didn’t need to be.
From a coaching standpoint, this was a major step for Pat Fitzgerald’s group. It’s not the peak of the era, but it was a significant first big win in the middle of a six-game losing streak and a growing injury list.
Joe Rossi’s defense looked ready for Tommy Carr and the Wolverines’ run game, while Nick Sheridan managed the offense well, aside from a couple red-zone issues. MSU looked organized, prepared and connected in a way that stood out on a night when the other sideline did not.
The win won’t fix the season or erase the six losses before it, but it gave the Spartans something real to build on. It mattered for the team, for the staff and for a fan base that has been waiting for a reason to believe.
In Other News...
Michigan State Just Gave Pat Fitzgerald His First Defining Win
Michigan States 15-6 win over Michigan gave Pat Fitzgerald a signature moment early in his tenure, and it came in the kind of game that can tell you a lot about a programs direction. The Spartans had to piece things together through injuries and roster challenges, but they still found enough from Tommy Carr, Brandon Tullis, Chrishon McCray and a steady special teams effort to grind out a result that felt bigger than a single rivalry game.
For Fitzgerald, the value of the victory goes beyond the scoreboard. Michigan State did not just survive a difficult afternoon, it showed the sort of toughness and structure that coaches spend months trying to build, especially when the roster is stretched thin. A win like this can become a reference point for a new era, and the Spartans now have one to point to as they keep shaping what this team is supposed to look like. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Dantonio Had The Perfect Reaction To Michigan State's Rivalry Win
Michigan States rivalry win over Michigan landed as one of those results that instantly travels beyond the box score, especially with the Spartans pulling it off as a double-digit underdog. The game had the kind of defensive edge that tends to define this matchup, and for a program still measuring itself against its biggest in-state rival, it carried the sort of weight that goes well beyond one afternoon.
Mark Dantonio noticed. The former Michigan State coach took to social media to celebrate the upset, nodding back to his famous line about the rivalry and reminding everyone how deeply these games can resonate around East Lansing. Under current coach Pat Fitzgerald, the Spartans now have a victory that fits squarely into the programs larger culture, even if the conversation around it is still very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Just Exposed A Bigger Problem Than Losing To Michigan State
Michigans 15-6 loss to Michigan State did more than flip the scoreboard in a rivalry game where the Wolverines were favored by two touchdowns. It put a spotlight on the kind of offensive unraveling that has followed Michigan through stretches of the 2026 season, with just 192 total yards, four turnovers and a ground game that was outperformed by the Spartans.
For Michigan State, the win was the cleanest possible answer to a game the Wolverines were expected to control, but the bigger takeaway for the maize-and-blue side is how many problems surfaced at once. The offense never found rhythm, the coaching decisions came under scrutiny and even special teams became part of the conversation, leaving Michigan with more to sort through than a single bad result. [Read more 🡒]