Michigan State’s offense is halfway through a season that has delivered more frustration than answers, and the grade sheet shows a unit still searching for stability.
The Spartans’ latest setback came Saturday in a 38-37 overtime loss to Illinois, their fourth straight defeat. That leaves MSU at 2-4 overall and 0-3 in Big Ten play, with a finish better than 4-8 now looking like a major shock. With six games left, the offense has already revealed who has carried it, who has faded, and where the cracks still run deepest.
At quarterback, Alessio Milivojevic has been uneven. He opened the year looking sharp against Toledo and Eastern Michigan, then settled into a stretch that was pedestrian at best over the next three games.
Against Illinois, though, he moved in the right direction, throwing for 196 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers. Even so, given the Illini’s defensive issues, a bigger day probably felt within reach.
Those final six games matter a lot for Milivojevic’s future in East Lansing. Pat Fitzgerald and the staff could face a real decision this winter if the struggles return, with the choices likely coming down to sticking with Milivojevic for another year or going after a new starter through the transfer portal.
If there’s been one clear backbone for this offense, it’s been the run game. That said, Michigan State has had to survive without Cam Edwards for most of the year after he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Nebraska. Before that, Edwards had been exceptional, using his jump cut and knack for turning dead plays into useful gains.
Jaziun Patterson has done more than keep things afloat behind him. Against Illinois, he was the Spartans’ best player, finishing with four total touchdowns and more than 100 yards from scrimmage. He’s brought a physical edge week after week and looks very much like the Iowa-made back MSU thought it was getting out of the portal.
Receiver, meanwhile, has become a real concern. That’s a surprising turn for a position that hasn’t usually been a weakness for the Spartans, but this season the group may be the offense’s biggest problem. Michigan State didn’t bring in any portal additions this offseason with a serious production track record, even after losing Nick Marsh to Indiana and Omari Kelly to the exhaustion of his eligibility.
The starting trio of Rodney Bullard Jr., Fredrick Moore, and Chrishon McCray sits near the bottom of the Big Ten, and the results show up in the passing game. MSU has been one of the least explosive offenses in the country through the air, with just 10 pass plays of 20 yards or more - tied for the fewest among Power Four teams.
Tight end has offered a little more life. A big part of that has been second-year tight end Jayden Savoury, who has stepped into a major role. Through six games, his 23 catches are tied for the team lead, and his 228 receiving yards trail Bullard by just 14 for the team lead.
Keeping Savoury in the fold will be a major winter priority for MSU. He’s exactly the kind of player the Spartans have had trouble retaining, and with three years of eligibility left, he would draw plenty of attention on the open market. Brennan Parachek opened the year as TE1, but Savoury quickly claimed the spot once the season got rolling.
Up front, the Spartans invested heavily in the portal and hoped that would finally solve the line. Michigan State brought in Ben Murawski from UConn, Nick Sharpe from South Carolina, and Trent Fraley from North Dakota State, aiming to strengthen a group that had too often been a problem. The line is probably better than last year’s version, but it still hasn’t been consistent enough in pass protection or in creating movement in the run game.
The numbers back that up. MSU has given up 19 sacks, the second-most in the Big Ten.
Milivojevic has played a part in that by holding the ball too long at times, but the line has to take some of the blame when the quarterback keeps ending up on the ground. The ground game hasn’t been much cleaner, either: Michigan State ranks third-worst in the conference at 124.2 rushing yards per game, and its 3.31 yards per carry is the second-fewest in the Big Ten.
In Other News...
Pat Fitzgerald Furious After Call Defined Michigan States Loss
Michigan States late-game frustration in its loss to Illinois centered on one of the most debated plays of the afternoon, an onside kick that seemed to swing momentum before it was wiped away. Freshman wide receiver Samson Gash was flagged for offsides on the attempt, and after an extended review, officials upheld the penalty and forced the Spartans to kick again. It was the sort of sequence that can change the feel of a game in an instant, especially when a team believes it has finally created a break.
Pat Fitzgerald made it clear afterward that he disagreed with the ruling and plans to take his concerns to Big Ten officiating leadership. For Michigan State, the complaint is about more than one call, because the play came at a pivotal moment and left the Spartans chasing a result that felt even more out of reach after the ruling stood. With the dust still settling, the broader issue now is how the conference answers for a decision that will linger well beyond this one loss. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan States First Ranked Big Ten Test Ended In A Frustrating Call
No. 2 Michigan States first ranked Big Ten test turned into a painful lesson in margin for error, as the Spartans fell 2-1 at No. 25 Purdue in a match that hinged on one early second-half moment. Kayla Briggs gave Michigan State the lead, but Emilia Deppe brought Purdue level before the home side went in front on a penalty kick from Irene Campo.
Noelle Henning did her part to keep the Spartans in it, turning away a season-high six shots even as her shutout streak came to an end on Purdues equalizer. But Michigan State never fully recovered from the sequence that followed, and the result left a strong conference opening with a frustrating ending. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Escaped Michigan State But Fans Can't Ignore One Problem
Illinois escaped East Lansing with a 38-37 overtime win, but the final score only told part of the story for a team that spent much of the night trying to hang on to an early cushion. Illinois built the lead it wanted, yet the second half brought defensive problems that let Michigan State back into the game and turned what looked manageable into a tense finish.
Michigan States offense also had to adjust when starting quarterback Katin Houser was injured late in the third quarter, forcing freshman Michael Clayton II into a difficult spot. Clayton handled the pressure well enough to keep the Spartans alive deep into overtime, and Illinois ultimately survived when it stopped the two-point conversion attempt that decided the game. [Read more 🡒]