Michigan State heads to Wisconsin with plenty working against it, but there are still a few reasons to think the Spartans can make things interesting in Madison.
The biggest one starts with the spot itself. Wisconsin is coming off a massive upset at No.
13 Penn State, a win that gave Luke Fickell national coach of the week honors and pushed the Badgers into the first-team-out spot in the AP Top 25. Now they’re back home for the last time until Oct. 24, facing a Michigan State team that has been scuffling and may not look like much of a threat.
That’s exactly the kind of setup that can turn into a letdown, especially with Wisconsin sitting on a bye afterward and then staring down UCLA, USC, and Iowa in back-to-back-to-back games. The Badgers could easily be looking ahead.
Michigan State also has a potential answer in Jaz Patterson. With Cam Edwards out, Patterson is stepping into the RB1 role, and he already knows what it looks like to go against this Wisconsin defense.
While at Iowa, he put together one of his early breakout performances against the Badgers, running for 56 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries in a 42-10 win back in 2024. Wisconsin comes in with the No. 19 run defense in the country, but Patterson was effective against Nebraska’s 14th-best rushing defense, and the Spartans will need him to bring that same edge again.
Then there’s the turnover angle, which could end up swinging the whole afternoon. Michigan State has had trouble forcing takeaways, while Wisconsin has been giving the ball away too much, averaging two giveaways per game.
That’s the kind of weakness the Spartans have to exploit if they want a real shot. The Badgers have been loose with the football all season, and if Michigan State finally wins the turnover battle, it could be the difference.
In Other News...
Michigan State May Finally Have A New Answer For Its Stalled Offense
Four weeks into Pat Fitzgeralds tenure, Michigan State is still searching for a cleaner offensive rhythm, and the strain has started to show on the other side of the ball as well. The Spartans have not found enough consistency to take pressure off a defense that has been asked to carry too much, so the staff is looking for ways to get more out of the roster it already has.
One possible piece is tight end Carson Gulker, the Ferris State transfer who has drawn notice for his athleticism and versatility. Offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said Gulker may be in line for more playing time as Michigan State tries to be more efficient with its personnel, though his blocking still needs work before he can become a major factor. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Enters Wisconsin With Its Offense Suddenly Under Pressure
Michigan State heads into Wisconsin with its offense facing a new layer of uncertainty after the loss to Nebraska and the season-ending knee injury to leading rusher Cam Edwards. The Spartans have already had to navigate an up-and-down stretch, and now the challenge becomes even more immediate against a Wisconsin team coming off its largest comeback win in two decades against Penn State, a result that has given the Badgers fresh momentum at home.
For Michigan State, the timing is especially tricky because the backfield picture has shifted so suddenly, forcing the staff to reshuffle around Edwards absence. Wisconsins recent surge adds another test, and both coaches have acknowledged the stakes of where each team stands entering the matchup. The Spartans are trying to steady an offense under pressure, while the Badgers are leaning into a strong response after a dramatic victory that changed the tone around their season. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Needs Answers From A Few Key Spartans At Wisconsin
Michigan State heads to Wisconsin trying to steady itself after back-to-back losses and the season-ending injury to running back Cam Edwards, a setback that leaves even more weight on the players still available. The Spartans will need answers from some of their most important pieces, starting with quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, running back Jaziun Patterson and center Trent Fraley, as the offense looks for a cleaner, more reliable rhythm on the road.
The challenge is even bigger because the defense was thinned by injuries in the previous game, and that kind of strain can show up quickly in a road environment. With several cornerbacks still in question after the Nebraska game, Michigan State is going into this one with more uncertainty than it would prefer, which only heightens the pressure on the Spartans to get steadier play from the veterans and the next men up. [Read more 🡒]