Michigan State gets Illinois at home on Saturday, and the Spartans are looking for anything that feels like a reset after three straight losses.
At 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play, Pat Fitzgerald’s team has already taken some rough punches, and the defeats against Nebraska and Wisconsin have been especially frustrating. Illinois comes in with the same record, and on paper this is the kind of matchup Michigan State has to make count.
A lot of that starts with Alessio Milivojevic. The quarterback is still searching for a strong showing against a Power Four opponent this season, and he has gone three straight games without a touchdown pass.
For a Michigan State starter, that kind of drought hasn’t happened since Brian Lewerke in 2018. Over the last three weeks, the offense has produced just 26 points and two touchdowns.
This looks like a chance for Milivojevic to breathe a little. Illinois has only three sacks on the season, and its pass defense has been leaky all year, ranking 117th in the FBS and last in the Big Ten by allowing 255.0 passing yards per game. Against Power Four opponents, that number jumps to 276.0 per contest.
If Michigan State is going to take advantage, Rodney Bullard Jr. needs to be more involved. He managed only one catch for 13 yards at Wisconsin, though that was still the Spartans’ longest play of the game. Through five games, Bullard leads MSU with 206 receiving yards, and he remains the team’s best shot at a deep ball.
Illinois has also given up a pile of chunk gains, which only adds to the opportunity. The Illini have allowed the third-most pass plays of 10 yards or more in the Big Ten with 47, the third-most of 20 yards or more with 18, and the most of 30 yards or more with nine. Michigan State has been stuck in an explosiveness drought, so this is the kind of defense that could finally open the door to some confidence-building plays.
Fredrick Moore is another name to watch in that passing game. He was Milivojevic’s favorite target at Wisconsin, drawing 12 targets, but that turned into just four catches for 23 yards.
It was not a clean or efficient night for the Spartans, and Moore still hasn’t broken a reception longer than 18 yards through five games and starts. Michigan State needs more from him, whether that comes as bigger gains or more yards after the catch.
On the other side, Charles Brantley could be in for a demanding assignment. Illinois wideout Collin Dixon has been one of the most productive receivers in college football, piling up 548 receiving yards and eight touchdowns already. That’s more receiving yards than Michigan State’s three starting receivers combined, and Dixon is one touchdown shy of MSU’s entire offense.
The Spartans are also dealing with some thin numbers in the secondary. Tyran Chappell, Keshawn Williams and NiJhay Burt are all out again, while Tre Bell is listed as questionable.
Bell played last week, but once he left the game, true freshman Jeremiah Favorite got snaps. With that group banged up, Brantley stands as the top fully available corner for Saturday.
There’s also a familiar face on the other sideline in a different way. While much of the attention this week will be on Illinois quarterback Katin Houser returning to East Lansing, Michigan State defensive tackle Eli Coenen will also face his former program. Coenen spent the 2025 season at Illinois after beginning his career with two years at D-II Bemidji State.
His role with the Illini was rotational, but at Michigan State he has grown into a starter at 3-tech. Along with Ben Roberts, who plays 2i-tech, Coenen has been one of the Spartans’ most effective defensive line pieces so far this season, and Michigan State has been leaning on that pair for more and more snaps.
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Northwestern now brings a personal wrinkle, too. Tucker is set to face his former team and defensive coordinator David Braun, a matchup that adds a little extra weight to a game already carrying meaning for Michigan State. Tucker said he takes pride in what he was part of at Northwestern, but his attention remains on getting the Spartans where they need to go. [Read more 🡒]
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Still, the ending left the sort of sting that tends to linger, because the comeback only got the Spartans as far as overtime. After trading blows with Illinois into the extra session, Michigan State came up just short in a 38-37 loss when a two-point try failed, leaving plenty to sort through even as the team can point to real progress. Pat Fitzgeralds visible passion on the sideline matched the urgency of the moment, and for once the Spartans could at least take something concrete from the performance even if the final result refused to cooperate. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan States Most Puzzling Illinois Usage Change Came In A Huge Spot
Michigan States 38-37 overtime loss to Illinois was already going to be remembered for its late swings, but the personnel choices inside the game were just as eye-catching. With injuries thinning out the secondary and linebacker group, the Spartans had to shuffle roles on the fly, and that meant leaning on true freshman cornerbacks in important spots while sorting through a defense that was short-handed in the middle of the field.
Offensively, one of the stranger wrinkles came with tight end Carson Gulker, who actually lined up at quarterback and completed a pass, a small but telling sign of how much Michigan State was willing to dig into its bag. At the same time, running back Marvis Parrish, listed as the second back, saw limited involvement, leaving another subtle usage question hanging over a game the Spartans had every chance to steal. [Read more 🡒]