Week 7 brings a strange one to East Lansing, and the storylines are impossible to miss.
Michigan State is facing Northwestern, which means Pat Fitzgerald is seeing his former school for the first time since he was let go. Fitzgerald has downplayed the personal angle publicly, insisting the game is about the players, but there’s no hiding the fact that this one means plenty. On the other sideline, Aidan Chiles is making his own return trip to East Lansing after transferring to a Big Ten program, and he’ll have revenge on his mind too.
That’s where the intrigue starts. Chiles has looked far more settled this season, throwing nine touchdowns with no interceptions through five games, even against defenses like Penn State and Indiana.
But this is the kind of spot that can test a quarterback’s nerves, especially with the noise around going back “home” and seeing former teammates and friends. Michigan State’s defense may also be short-handed on the back end, with Charles Brantley and Tre Bell among the missing pieces, but there’s still a feeling that one turnover is coming.
Devin Vaught would be the one to snag it for a second straight game against an ex-Spartan.
On the other side of the ball, Jaziun Patterson feels like he’s hitting his stride at exactly the right time. The “Jazzmanian Devil” has gone from underused at Iowa to a featured piece in East Lansing, and the numbers show it.
He had 121 carries over the last two seasons with the Hawkeyes, and he’s already up to 61 this year. Against Illinois, he posted a career-best 93 yards, and that sets up another milestone here: his first 100-yard game in college.
The prediction is a big one - 20 carries, 115 yards and two touchdowns - against a Northwestern defense that has been better at keeping teams out of the end zone than at stuffing them overall, ranking 61st in yards allowed and 11th in points allowed.
Still, the boldest call is that Michigan State will actually be in position to win late. Fitzgerald’s message in the game trailer was clear: “We’re this close. Don’t stop now.”
And the Spartans did show something real against Illinois. The offense came alive in the second, third and fourth quarters, then kept rolling in overtime, offering a glimpse of what this team can look like when it starts humming. That kind of surge should carry over here, at least long enough to put Michigan State ahead by three in the fourth quarter.
But the finish is where things go sideways. The defense is expected to have trouble protecting the lead, and the offense, after doing too much already, runs out of gas trying to cover for Joe Rossi’s side of the ball. So even with Michigan State leading late, the prediction is another brutal ending - a heartbreaker that slips away in the end.
In Other News...
Michigan States Latest Collapse Puts The Blame On One Costly Problem
Michigan States latest defeat was the kind that lingers because it came down to the smallest moments and the biggest misfires. The Spartans were right there against Northwestern before late-game coaching decisions and execution errors tilted the outcome, turning a winnable matchup into another painful reminder of how thin the margin has been for this team.
Joe Rossis defense drew the sharpest criticism for the way the final minutes unfolded, and special teams also played a role in the collapse. Alessio Milivojevic had chances to help close it out, too, but Michigan State could not turn those opportunities into the finishing touch it needed, leaving the Spartans searching for answers after a loss that felt avoidable. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Scott Could Swing Michigan States Season In A Bigger Role
Jordan Scott is entering the kind of season that can quietly shape Michigan States outlook before Big Ten play even fully settles in. With Tom Izzo already talking about his efficiency, work ethic and versatility, Scott looks like a player the Spartans can lean on in more ways than one, whether that means starting or sliding into different spots depending on the matchup.
What makes Scott especially interesting is how much his game has grown beyond simple depth-chart value. He has been working on both the mental and physical sides of his development, taking on point guard responsibilities while also extending his perimeter shooting, and Izzo believes he can handle three positions. If that expansion carries over once the games count, Scott could end up being one of the quieter reasons Michigan States season goes where it wants to go. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Suddenly Needs Unsung Spartans To Step Up Vs Northwestern
Michigan State heads into its matchup with Northwestern dealing with a patchwork lineup, and that has put a spotlight on the players who may have to carry more than their usual share. With injuries forcing changes at several spots, the Spartans will be leaning on a mix of depth and adaptability, from running back Jaziun Patterson to offensive linemen Rakeem Johnson and Robert Wright Jr., with the hope that the next men up can help stabilize things in a tricky week.
Defensively, the same theme applies as Kenny Soares Jr. is among the names expected to matter up front, while cornerbacks Jeremiah Favorite and KJ Deriso could be asked to absorb even more responsibility on the back end. It is the sort of test that can expose how much a roster can withstand, and for Michigan State, the challenge is less about one star carrying the load than about a cluster of unsung Spartans keeping the game from tilting the wrong way. [Read more 🡒]