Michigan State’s opening week was messy enough, but a look around the rest of the Spartans’ schedule showed plenty of other teams stumbling, too.
Eastern Michigan, which will visit Spartan Stadium next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on BTN, already has two games in the books.
The Eagles opened in Week 0 with a 28-17 win over Sacramento State, the MAC’s newest team after moving up from the FCS. But Week 1 brought a setback at home on the grey field in Ypsilanti, where San Jose State beat EMU 27-21.
Former Spartan Noah Kim started at quarterback and went 24-of-43 for 174 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
One of the more notable games on Sunday’s slate also involves two future Michigan State opponents. No.
4 Notre Dame and Wisconsin are set for Lambeau Field in Green Bay at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
The Spartans visit Notre Dame in Week 3 and head to Madison to face Wisconsin in Week 5.
There were some uneasy openings elsewhere, too. Ohio gave Nebraska a real push early, looking like the better team for much of the first 1.5 quarters. The Cornhuskers led only 14-13 at halftime, and the Bobcats were still within one score early in the fourth quarter before Nebraska took control with three touchdowns in the final period.
A few Nebraska players stood out in that game. New quarterback Anthony Colandrea, a UNLV transfer, looked sharp but seemed susceptible to mistakes.
True freshman running back Jamal Rule made a huge debut, piling up 169 scrimmage yards and three total touchdowns; he was a three-star recruit who had visited Michigan State at one point. Wide receiver Jacory Barney Jr. also flashed big-play ability.
Illinois had its own fight on its hands against UAB before settling in. The Fighting Illini spent much of the first half on defense, and UAB trimmed the lead to one with 18 seconds left in the half on a 10-yard touchdown. Illinois answered with an end-of-half Hail Mary, then took over after halftime and won comfortably.
That game also featured former Spartan quarterback Katin Houser, the third ex-MSU starter Michigan State will see this season. Houser, who transferred to East Carolina after leaving East Lansing, completed 13 of 17 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns in his return to the Big Ten.
Aidan Chiles also opened his new chapter with a win, leading Northwestern past South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits are an FCS opponent, but a strong one; they were ranked No. 2 in the FCS preseason poll, behind only Montana State, and are probably better than most Group of Six teams.
Chiles made an immediate splash, uncorking a 71-yard first throw to Griffin Wilde and following it with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Alex Honig. He finished 14-of-24 for 273 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
UCLA, meanwhile, got the Bob Chesney era rolling with a strong road win at Cal. The Bruins pulled away late and outscored the Golden Bears 21-0 in the fourth quarter.
The run game carried the day, with UCLA racking up 277 rushing yards at 8.7 yards per carry. Anthony Woods ran for 118 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries, and Wayne Knight added 71 yards and three touchdowns on just eight carries of his own.
Michigan also had a rough Saturday night against Western Michigan, even if a last-second Hail Mary changed the final look of the score. That play didn’t erase what happened over the first 59:59, and maybe 60:00, of the game.
Michigan’s offense stalled after its opening drive, Bryce Underwood showed some of the same footwork issues that bothered him last year, and his interception with seconds left in the first half handed WMU three points. The Wolverines also piled up procedural penalties, turnovers and a late hit, looking flat-out undisciplined in the process.
It would not be surprising if Michigan dropped out of the AP top 25 when the poll updates Monday.
Another future Spartans opponent was in action Sunday as well, with No. 17 Washington taking on Washington State at 4 p.m. ET on NBC.
Oregon also found itself in a much tighter battle than expected against Boise State. The Ducks came away with only a one-score win, which was a surprise even if Boise State is widely viewed as the Group of Six team most likely to reach the College Football Playoff.
Oregon’s offense still moved the ball, though, as Dante Moore threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns. Michigan State will see the Ducks in November, and that game still looks like a long shot for the Spartans.
Rutgers ended up taking the Week 1 misery crown. The Scarlet Knights were embarrassed at home by UMass, which led 30-7 early in the fourth quarter and made the final 16-point margin look far kinder than the game actually was.
Losing to UMass carries a different kind of weight, too: the Minutemen went 0-12 last season and haven’t won more than four games since joining the FBS in 2012. ESPN’s SP+ had UMass rated below D-II Ferris State and Grand Valley State entering the game, along with one Division III team and one NAIA team.
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