Michigan State gets a shot at one of its biggest stages of the season Saturday, and the opponent brings plenty of familiar faces with it. No. 25 Northwestern comes to East Lansing for a noon ET kickoff at Spartan Stadium, with the game streaming on Peacock.
The headline is hard to miss: Pat Fitzgerald is back on his former turf. Fitzgerald spent four years as a linebacker at Northwestern and then coached the Wildcats for 17 seasons before eventually landing at Michigan State, where he now leads the Spartans. Fitzgerald has said the game is not about him, but his return to his alma mater gives the matchup an extra layer.
There’s another reunion built into the day, too. Former Spartan quarterback Aidan Chiles is back in East Lansing, this time running the show for Northwestern.
Chiles was benched during Michigan State’s final four games last season, and after former head coach Jonathan Smith left, he decided his time in East Lansing was done. Now he returns with the Wildcats ranked No. 25 and riding the kind of rushing attack that has powered their rise.
Michigan State is still looking for its first Big Ten win and comes in at 2-4 overall and 0-3 in conference play. The Spartans have dropped four straight, and the numbers tell the story of a team fighting to keep pace on both sides of the ball.
Defensively, Michigan State has had trouble getting stops. The Spartans are giving up 192 passing yards per game, which ranks sixth-most in the Big Ten, and 141 rushing yards per game, also near the bottom of the league.
In all, they allow 334 yards per game, the sixth-most in the conference, and 25.7 points per game, the fifth-highest average in the Big Ten. They’ve given up 154 total points this season.
The offense hasn’t offered much relief. Michigan State sits last in the Big Ten in scoring at 21.3 points per game and has scored the second-fewest total points in the conference with in-state rival Michigan on a bye this week.
The passing game has been especially shaky, with just 165 passing yards per game, the second-lowest mark in the league, and only five passing touchdowns - more than only UCLA’s two. On the ground, the Spartans average 124 rushing yards per game, which is fourth-lowest in the Big Ten.
Northwestern arrives with a very different profile. The Wildcats are 4-1, 1-1 in Big Ten play, and ranked No. 25 after last week’s win over Penn State. Their only loss came in a six-point defeat to Indiana, a top-10 team and the defending national champion.
What has separated Northwestern is defense that bends but rarely breaks. The Wildcats have allowed just 81 points this season, the fourth-fewest in the Big Ten, and they’re giving up 16.2 points per game after already using their bye week.
That said, the yardage totals show some cracks. Northwestern allows 220 passing yards per game, third-most in the conference, and 165 rushing yards per game, fourth-most.
Both teams have had trouble creating pressure, too. Northwestern has only eight sacks through five games, while Michigan State has seven through six.
That leaves the spotlight on the ground game. Northwestern averages 35.4 points per game, sixth-best in the Big Ten, and its offense leans heavily on the run. The Wildcats are averaging 203 rushing yards per game, third-highest in the conference, while the passing attack has been more modest at 219 yards per game, sixth-lowest in the league.
That combination sets up a matchup that figures to play out at a bruising pace. Both teams want to run the ball, and whichever side handles the line of scrimmage better, strings together longer drives and avoids mistakes may have the edge. For Michigan State, the stakes are clear: opportunities to rescue this season are shrinking, and a home date with a ranked opponent is one the Spartans can’t let slip away.
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One of the more interesting ripple effects could involve sophomore forward Cam Ward, who may wind up with a bigger role than initially expected. Izzo has acknowledged the possibility of using Ward at center, which would give Michigan State another option for small-ball looks and help the staff maximize its depth. For a team trying to balance talent, versatility and playing time, where Ward fits could end up being one of the more telling decisions of the preseason. [Read more 🡒]