Michigan State’s Sunday matchup with No. 18 Washington brings together two of the Big Ten’s unbeaten teams, but the Spartans also know exactly what kind of test is coming. The Huskies have had MSU’s number since joining the league, going 4-0-2 all-time against the Spartans and 1-0-1 since entering the Big Ten for the 2024 season.
That includes a 2-1 Washington win in Seattle last year that ended MSU’s 14-game unbeaten start, plus the most recent meeting: the Big Ten Tournament title game, where Washington won on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw through regulation and two overtime periods.
MSU will try to keep its three-game Big Ten homestand rolling after Emerson Sargeant delivered the winner in Thursday night’s 3-2 victory over Nebraska. Sargeant broke a 2-2 tie in the 87th minute, while Kennedy Bell and Shelby Vaughn also scored. Bella Najera collected two assists, and Bella Schopp made two saves.
Washington arrives in East Lansing with an 8-0-2 record and a 3-0-1 mark in Big Ten play. Nicole Van Dyke, in her seventh season leading the Huskies, guided them to the double a year ago and has them among the country’s 16 unbeaten teams this week. Washington beat Michigan 1-0 on Thursday and has conference wins over Maryland and Rutgers, plus that 2-2 draw at Nebraska last Sunday.
Michigan State sits at No. 2 in the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches national poll after last Sunday’s loss to Michigan, and the Spartans have remained in the top five every week this season. The first RPI rankings of 2026 also dropped Monday, with MSU checking in at No.
- The Spartans are 2-1-1 against top-25 RPI teams and 4-1-1 against opponents ranked in the top 50.
At 7-1-2 overall, MSU is one of four Big Ten teams with just one loss. Washington is the conference’s only unbeaten side, while Wisconsin also remains without a defeat in league play at 3-0-1. MSU is among four teams with three conference wins.
The Spartans have been scoring at a much faster clip lately, piling up 15 goals over their last six games after producing six in the first four. Defensively, they have five shutouts, though nine of the 11 goals they’ve allowed have come across the last six matches.
Jeff Hosler continues to stack wins at a blistering pace in conference play. The MSU coach owns a 38-8-10 Big Ten record, including a 33-4-9 run over the last four-plus seasons after the Spartans went 5-4-1 in his first year in 2021. He is 77-21-22 at Michigan State and 310-88-40 overall in his 21st season as a head coach.
MSU’s pressure has shown up all over the field. The Spartans have limited opponents to 104 shot attempts in nine games, with 35 on target. They also lead the Big Ten and rank sixth nationally with 85 corner kicks, a 38-3 edge over their opponents.
The Spartans have also been one of the cleaner teams in the league, averaging 9.5 fouls per game, 10th in the Big Ten. They have been whistled for fewer fouls than their opponent in eight of 10 games, including a 21-4 margin Thursday against Nebraska. MSU’s four fouls in that game were a season low.
Sargeant’s late goal gave her back-to-back games with a score and pushed her to a 4-2-10 line, third on the team. Her career totals now stand at 16 goals and 18 assists, and she became the 23rd player in program history to reach 50 points. She is tied for 22nd in points and 12th in assists in MSU’s record book.
Najera’s two-assist night against Nebraska put her at four on the season, tied with Kayla Briggs for the team lead. Najera now has 70 career points, moving her into 10th on the Spartans’ all-time scoring list.
Her 18 career assists are tied with Sargeant for 12th in program history, and her 26 career goals rank 11th. She remains the most prolific scorer of the Jeff Hosler era.
Bell’s opener against Nebraska was her sixth goal of the season, tops on the team. Set up by Briggs and Najera, it was another example of the sharp passing that has powered MSU’s attack. The reigning Big Ten scoring champion overall and in conference play now leads the Spartans with six goals and 15 points, both team highs and both among the top marks in the league.
Briggs has put together a productive season of her own with 14 points on five goals and four assists. She and Najera share the team lead in assists, which ranks third in the Big Ten.
Briggs also owns the game-winning goal in four of MSU’s seven victories this season, the most in the conference and second nationally. With nine game-winners in 32 games as a Spartan, she is tied with Najera for eighth in program history.
Renee Watson scored her first goal of the season at USC and then assisted on Briggs’ winner at UCLA on Sept. 10-13.
She posted career highs of four goals and five assists last season in the midfield, but has played all 10 games this year on the back line. Watson ranks third on the team with 787 minutes played, including 346 of 360 minutes in MSU’s four Big Ten games.
Another Spartan also added her second goal of the season last Thursday against Nebraska, finishing with a season-high 31 minutes. She scored three goals in 2025.
Bella Schopp is in goal for MSU.
In Other News...
Michigan State Now Faces A Bigger Problem Than The Nebraska Loss
The Nebraska loss itself was ugly enough for Michigan State, but the bigger concern coming out of Lincoln was the damage done to the roster. The Spartans were already thin in key spots, and the injury situation started before kickoff when starting cornerback Tre Bell was hurt in warmups and never made it into the game.
It only got worse from there. Running back Cam Edwards and offensive lineman Connor Moore went down on the same play, and defensive leader Jordan Hall also left with a leg injury after being taken off the field on a cart, leaving Michigan State with plenty to sort through beyond the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Faces A Bigger Offensive Problem Than Fans Feared
Michigan States offense has looked increasingly out of sync over the last few games, and the numbers underline just how much work remains. Through four games, the Spartans have managed only 88 points and nine touchdowns, both among the lowest marks in the Big Ten, while quarterback Alessio Milivojevic has been dealing with plenty of pressure, sacks and interceptions as the unit struggles to find any sort of rhythm.
The bigger concern is that the problems have not been limited to execution. Injuries have already thinned out the group and left the staff trying to patch together answers on the fly, with the offensive line and backfield both taking hits that make every snap feel a little more fragile. Michigan State is still searching for stability, but the margin for error keeps shrinking as the offense tries to get healthy enough to even resemble what it was supposed to be. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Suddenly Faces A Depth Chart Test Against Wisconsin
Michigan State left its trip to Nebraska with more than one injury concern, and the timing could not be worse with Wisconsin next on the schedule. Running back Cam Edwards and linebacker Jordan Hall were among the players hurt in the game, leaving the Spartans to sort through a depth chart that may look different by the time they line up again.
The backfield is especially worth watching because backup Jaziun Patterson handled relief work well after Edwards exited, and the staff is already leaning on him as it prepares for the next matchup. The bigger question now is how Michigan State will piece together its roster across the board if the injury list forces more changes, with the full extent of those setbacks still unclear. [Read more 🡒]