Michigan State opened the season with a win over Toledo, and the reaction from Spartan Nation swung just as hard as the game itself did.
The first quarter gave fans plenty to like. MSU struck on its opening drive by leaning on Cam Edwards, and that early score immediately changed the mood.
After a rough season last year, the Spartans looked like a team trying to reset its identity, and the way that first possession unfolded left a strong impression on supporters. Some were quick to praise the toughness of the approach, while others pointed to the play design and the fresh look of the offense under Pat Fitzgerald.
The offense didn’t stay in the end zone after that opening burst, though. Rodney Bullard Jr. nearly hauled in a touchdown pass before MSU settled for a field goal, but the Spartans still finished the first quarter ahead 10-0. Milivojevic appeared comfortable in the starting role, Edwards kept driving the offense forward, and the new staff earned plenty of early approval from the fan base.
Michigan State added to that momentum early in the second quarter when Kenny Soares Jr. came up with an interception. The Spartans turned that takeaway into another field goal and stretched the lead to 13-0. For a team many expected to be in a tight fight with a top MAC program, the start looked better than anticipated.
Toledo did not stay quiet for long. The Rockets answered with a huge 60-yard play for their first points, but MSU responded with another field goal to keep control of the game. By halftime, the Spartans were up 19-7, though there was a clear sense that the lead should have been larger.
That feeling only grew as Michigan State continued to stall in Toledo territory. Milivojevic had trouble finding targets, and several drives ended with field goals instead of touchdowns. Boyd drilled his fourth first-half field goal from 35 yards, leaving MSU ahead but still leaving points on the table.
The second half brought more trouble. Cam Edwards left the field looking shaken after one play, and a blocked kick shifted momentum away from Michigan State. Then Toledo punched in another touchdown, and the early optimism that had filled the first quarter started to fade.
The fourth quarter turned into a tense back-and-forth stretch. Both teams scored in quick succession, Toledo briefly grabbed the lead, and MSU answered with a risky two-point conversion to move ahead 27-20. The final minutes required the Spartans to protect a 10-point edge, and they managed to close it out.
It wasn’t clean, and it certainly wasn’t without concern. But Michigan State did enough to leave with the win, and plenty of fans came away feeling that the program looks very different than it did a year ago. Still, the message from the crowd was clear: the victory mattered, but there is a lot that needs to improve before bigger expectations can take hold.
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Even with a few drops mixed in, Bullard showed why Michigan State wanted him involved so quickly, because his touchdown and two-point conversion helped build a late lead. The debut also did something else: it raised the obvious question of how much more there is in his game once he and the offense settle in, especially after he already topped his previous season totals in one afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
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Alessio Milivojevic Gave Michigan State A Reason To Believe Again
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He finished by distributing the ball around and making life manageable for a team that still had some issues turning red zone chances into touchdowns. Even so, the performance mattered for a program looking for proof that the position could be stable again, and Milivojevic gave the Spartans a reason to think the answer might already be in-house. [Read more 🡒]