Michigan State is getting a timely lift on defense, and it comes with a familiar face.
Senior linebacker Jordan Hall is expected to return for the Spartans’ 3:30 p.m. matchup with Illinois after missing time with a lower-body injury. Hall, the only returning senior to spend his entire collegiate career at Michigan State, went down on the opening drive against Nebraska and did not play the rest of that game or last week’s meeting with Wisconsin.
That absence showed up quickly. Michigan State’s defense, which had looked like one of the team’s strengths early in the season, lost some of its edge without Hall in the middle.
Nebraska was able to run the ball effectively once injuries started to pile up, and the Spartans had trouble matching up after that. Against Wisconsin, the problems lingered.
Michigan State gave up 31 points for the second straight game, and penalties kept extending Badgers drives at moments when the defense needed a stop.
Hall’s return matters because he brings more than production. As a captain and defensive leader, he helps keep the unit aligned with defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, handling communication and responsibilities that can get messy when a key voice is missing. Without him, other players have had to stretch into bigger roles, and that can lead to overreaching and broken assignments.
Getting Hall back should help settle things down. It won’t solve every issue Michigan State has faced on defense, but it does give the Spartans a better chance to stay organized, cut down on mistakes and make opposing offenses work harder.
The timing couldn’t be much more important. Michigan State and Illinois both enter Saturday at 2-3 overall, and neither team has picked up its first Big Ten win. The Spartans are at home, but they’ll need a much sharper defensive effort than they’ve shown over the last two weeks if they want to cash in on that edge.
If Michigan State can clean things up and get back to the defensive identity it flashed earlier in the year, Hall’s presence could be a big reason the Spartans finally get over the hump in conference play.
In Other News...
Michigan State Fans Had One Breaking Point With Officials Vs Illinois
Michigan States frustration with the officials reached a boiling point late in the game against Illinois, when freshman receiver Samson Gash appeared to come up with an onside kick recovery only for the play to be wiped away by an offsides call. The ruling set off a strong reaction from coach Pat Fitzgerald, who made his feelings clear on the sideline as the Spartans felt another key moment had gone against them.
The controversy only added to an already tense finish, and it loomed large when Michigan State later went to overtime. The Spartans had a chance to extend the game further, but a failed two-point conversion ended the night and left fans stewing over the sequence that helped turn the game in Illinois favor. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Fitzgerald Furious After Call Defined Michigan States Loss
Michigan States special-teams gamble briefly looked like the kind of momentum swing that can turn a tight college football game on its head. The Spartans appeared to recover an onside kick against Illinois, only for the play to be wiped away because of an offside penalty on freshman wide receiver Samson Gash, leaving the officials to sort through an extended review before upholding the flag and sending Michigan State back to re-kick.
For Pat Fitzgerald, the sequence became more than a lost chance. The head coach made it clear he disagreed with how the ruling was handled, and he intends to take his concerns to Big Ten officiating leadership. For a team already trying to find any edge in a close game, it was the kind of call that can linger long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan States Overtime Collapse Exposed A Bigger Problem
Michigan States rally against Illinois had all the markings of a program trying to fight its way through a difficult stretch. Alessio Milivojevic settled in after a slow start and finished with 196 yards and two touchdowns, and the Spartans showed real grit by erasing a late deficit and forcing overtime after tying the game at 31-31.
But the 38-37 loss also put a harsher spotlight on a defense that never got comfortable. Michigan State did not record a sack or much meaningful pressure, and when the game came down to a pivotal two-point try, the Spartans could not finish the comeback. The effort was there, and the response mattered, but the broader issue is still hanging over this team. [Read more 🡒]