Michigan State walked out of Week 6 with a 38-37 overtime loss to Illinois, but the way the Spartans got there told a much bigger story than the final score.
Down 16 in the second half, Michigan State rallied all the way back to tie the game and force overtime. That kind of comeback had been missing for five years, and it was the program’s largest second-half fightback since 2021, when the Spartans trailed Michigan 30-14 before storming back to win in regulation behind Kenneth Walker III’s five touchdowns.
This time, the finish wasn’t nearly as sweet. Michigan State appeared to have the tying touchdown in overtime, then Pat Fitzgerald decided to go for two and rolled out some trickeration.
Illinois saw it coming, and that was the end of it.
Still, the loss didn’t erase everything encouraging that came out of the night.
Alessio Milivojevic delivered the kind of response Michigan State needed from him. After a rough stretch that reached back to the Notre Dame game in South Bend, doubts about whether he could handle QB1 were getting louder.
That skepticism only intensified after the Wisconsin game, and the calls for someone else under center were impossible to ignore. Against Illinois, though, Milivojevic answered in a big way.
He completed 22 of 26 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns, finishing as one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten in Week 6. He started slowly, but he finished strong, and the pressure around him didn’t seem to shake him.
The final two-point try wasn’t on him; it was a play-call issue. On the whole, it was one of his best outings in a Spartan uniform, and that should carry real value for his confidence moving forward.
Fitzgerald also gave Michigan State something it had been missing in its own way: a coach who looks like he wants it badly enough to set everything on fire for a win. The onside kick mess is going to be replayed all season, and the tirade at the officials is going to stick in everyone’s mind for a while.
Fitzgerald even risked a hefty fine for flipping the bird at the officials, which is not exactly subtle, but it does speak to the edge he brought. The frustration was obvious, the emotion was real, and the players responded to it.
You could see it when he was firing up the crowd and getting in the officials’ ears, letting loose every obscenity in the book.
That sort of fire is exactly what Michigan State wanted from its next head coach, and it showed.
The offensive side had plenty to like, too. Nick Sheridan took some heat for the slow start, and fair enough, but the offense was humming by the time the game wore on.
Over the final three quarters and overtime, the unit kept improving. On its last three drives, Michigan State piled up 164 yards on 26 plays, which works out to 6.31 yards per play.
The full offense finished with 342 total yards and averaged 6.3 yards per play overall.
That matters because the Spartans were doing it without a ton of volume, running just 54 plays compared with Illinois’ 70. With even a little more balance there, the numbers could have looked even better. Instead, Michigan State spent most of the second half and overtime moving the ball steadily, only to see the final two-point conversion turn into the ugliest call of the night.
After five weeks of struggling to find explosive plays and consistent drives, that late offensive uptick still counts for something.
In Other News...
Mel Tuckers Northwestern Return Comes At A Big Moment For MSU
Mel Tucker is leaning on a familiar lesson as Michigan State continues its rebuild: a football program works best when everyone pulling in the same direction is actually pulling in the same direction. He pointed back to his time at Northwestern as an example of how important alignment is across the university leadership structure, and he framed that idea as part of the bigger job in front of him while the Spartans keep preparing for another important stretch.
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 🡒]
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 🡒]
Michigan State May Be Building Real Recruiting Momentum With Top-100 Target
Michigan States recruiting push is starting to look more intentional under Pat Fitzgerald, and a recent visit from 2027 target Gideon Gash is another sign the Spartans are trying to turn that approach into real momentum. Gash is currently committed to Texas Tech, but his trip to East Lansing also fits a broader effort to strengthen ties at Detroit Catholic Central High School, where Michigan State has been working to establish itself as a regular presence.
There is also the family angle, with Gideons older brother Samson already in the program as a freshman wide receiver, giving the Spartans a built-in connection that matters when relationships are the foundation of recruiting. More than anything, it speaks to the cultural shift Fitzgerald is trying to sell, one that could help Michigan State stay in the mix for prospects who already have a pledge elsewhere while keeping the program in the conversation at key local schools. [Read more 🡒]