Michigan State is through non-conference play, and the real roster churn starts now.
The Spartans have handled the first three games pretty much as expected, beating Toledo 30-20, rolling past Eastern Michigan 35-7, and losing at No. 3 Notre Dame 27-10. With the nine-game Big Ten schedule ahead, the fight for snaps is only getting tighter, and a few names are pushing their way into bigger roles.
At quarterback, one of the most interesting wrinkles is the presence of Cam Fancher. There was no offseason debate about Alessio Milivojevic being QB1, but Michigan State has clearly decided its sixth-year senior backup is worth getting on the field.
Fancher has mostly entered when the Spartans are already in scoring range, and the approach has made sense. He’s used his legs for 29 yards on five carries, including a 15-yard keeper that produced the team’s only touchdown against Notre Dame on Saturday.
He’s also 6-for-7 passing for 44 yards, with the lone miss coming on Kenneth Williams’ touchdown drop against the Irish.
Tight end Jayden Savoury is another player making a real push. Michigan State has leaned on Savoury and Brennan Parachek as its top two tight ends, but Savoury has been the clear production leader.
Through three games of his redshirt freshman season, he has 11 catches for 129 yards, both good for second on the team. The rest of the tight end room has combined for just three catches and 24 yards.
His usage has climbed steadily, too. Savoury played 44% of the snaps against Toledo, then 57% against Eastern Michigan, and then 69% at Notre Dame.
Parachek’s share has gone the other direction. Parachek may still be the better blocker, but Savoury is earning more trust every week, and the trend line points up fast.
Charles Taplin looks like another offensive player who could be in line for more. The second-year receiver didn’t play at all against Toledo and logged only two offensive snaps against Notre Dame, but Michigan State’s starting wideouts have had trouble creating separation, and that could force a change.
Taplin made his case against Eastern Michigan, turning 10 offensive snaps into three catches for 65 yards. One of those grabs went for a deep touchdown, and another moved the chains on a fourth-and-long.
That need for more juice at receiver feels even sharper after Notre Dame. MSU’s wideouts had only five catches in that game, and Milivojevic spent a lot of time holding the ball because nobody was open.
Nebraska’s pass defense enters the matchup ranked seventh nationally at 118.0 yards allowed per game, though that number has come against Ohio, Bowling Green, and FCS North Dakota. Even so, the Cornhuskers were third in pass defense last season and held Michigan State to 156 passing yards a year ago - 85 for Aidan Chiles and 71 for Milivojevic.
If the Spartans want something different than what they showed against Notre Dame, giving Taplin more chances is an obvious place to start.
On defense, Trey Lisle was one of the more surprising contributors against Notre Dame. After playing just eight total defensive snaps over Michigan State’s first two games, the transfer from FCS Southeast Missouri State jumped to 26 defensive snaps against the Fighting Irish.
The Spartans and Pat Fitzgerald’s staff have valued versatility, and Lisle appears to fit that mold. He lined up at defensive end in a three-point stance at times Saturday, but he also kicked inside and played defensive tackle with both hands in the dirt on a few snaps.
Fitzgerald explained Monday why Lisle’s role expanded so much against Notre Dame, and the answer pointed to growth during camp. Lisle had been struggling at one point, Fitzgerald said, but he chose to make an impact by working his way through scout-team reps.
"I think that's the sign of a young man who's really maturing and growing into a role," Fitzgerald said. "We're really proud of him, and we're going to push him even harder now that he's shown that he's got it."
Tyran Chappell is already a starter, but he’s starting to look like Michigan State’s best cornerback. He’s been easy to miss through three games, which is usually a good sign for a corner.
According to PFF, Chappell has allowed just two catches on three targets for 12 yards and has been flagged once so far this season. He’s one of 21 corners in the Power Four who have played at least 50 coverage snaps and given up 20 yards or fewer.
That stands out even more when stacked against Michigan State’s other corners. Charles Brantley has allowed 162 yards, and Tre Bell has given up 139. Chappell, meanwhile, has quietly turned himself into one of the steadier pieces in the secondary as the Big Ten schedule arrives.
In Other News...
Michigan State Fans Just Got A Real Pat Fitzgerald Rebuild Test
Michigan States latest trip through a marquee nonconference test offered a little more resistance than the recent scores suggested, even in a 27-10 loss to No. 3 Notre Dame. The Spartans were beaten by a contender, but the margin was closer than in recent years, and that alone gives a clearer sense of where the rebuild stands under Pat Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald still came away dissatisfied, which is hardly surprising for a coach trying to reset expectations while trying to move the program forward at the same time. He has pointed to the need for continued hard work, the importance of recruiting, and the short window he has to keep building this roster, and games like this are the kind that show both the progress and how much remains unfinished. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Faces A Bigger Nebraska Test Than Fans Expected
Michigan State heads into Saturdays 5 p.m. ET kickoff on the Big Ten Network trying to steady itself after taking its first loss and moving to 2-1. Nebraska, meanwhile, is unbeaten at 3-0, though the Cornhuskers have built that record against lower-tier competition, which has left a little uncertainty about how sturdy their start really is.
The matchup is drawing a sharper analytical read than the betting market. SP+ sees Nebraska holding a clear edge and expects the Cornhuskers to pull away by a wider margin than the current line suggests, a sign that this could be a tougher test for the Spartans than some fans were expecting. For Michigan State, the bigger question is whether the result will confirm Nebraska as a legit step up or show that the gap is not as wide as the numbers imply. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan States Title Hopes May Ride On One Lingering Weakness
Michigan State is back on the practice floor with the season opener on Nov. 2 looming, and the early buzz around Tom Izzos group is exactly what you would expect from a program with title expectations. A strong preseason ranking should follow, Jeremy Fears Jr. gives the Spartans another steady hand in the backcourt, and the freshman class led by Jordan Scott and Cam Ward adds the kind of long-term talent that keeps a roster from feeling top-heavy.
Even with all that optimism, the frontcourt still carries the one question that could shape how far this team goes. The Spartans are sorting through their center options, with Anton Bonke expected to be the starter but still pushed by Jesse McCulloch and Ethan Taylor, and that kind of internal competition usually says as much about uncertainty as it does depth. For a team talking openly about national championship goals, settling that spot may end up being the difference between a good season and one that matches the hype. [Read more 🡒]