In-Depth Look into Michigan State Football's Game at Iowa
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Time and opportunities for Michigan State (3-7 overall, 0-7 Big Ten) are running out for it to avoid ending the year with zero Big Ten wins. No Spartan team, since MSU joined the Big Ten in football in 1953, has lost every one of its conference games. Michigan State had a winless record in 1958 during conference play, but there was also a tie.
The Spartans’ penultimate game is against Iowa (6-4, 4-3), which will be MSU’s final road game this year and the Hawkeyes’ senior day. Kickoff is set for 3:40 p.m. ET on FS1. Michigan State’s season finale is against Maryland, who enters the weekend 4-6 overall and 1-6 during B1G play, at Ford Field in Detroit on Nov. 29.
Perhaps mercifully, the season is nearing its end. Attention is already shifted to the successes of the men’s basketball and hockey teams, though following that game against the Terrapins is followed by a 279-day wait for the next game. Perhaps head coach Jonathan Smith will be the one to lead Michigan State out of the tunnel, perhaps it will be somebody else.
Alas, the humiliation of a fourth consecutive year without a bowl game has already set in. What’s worse than that, though, is the idea of an 0-9 Big Ten record. Iowa marks opportunity number eight in avoiding that. Here’s how the Hawkeyes and Spartans stack up.
When Michigan State has the Ball
Somehow, some way, MSU needs to find a way to put up some points in this game. It hasn’t for a while; the Spartans haven’t scored more than 20 points in five consecutive games.
Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic is expected to make his third consecutive start after surpassing Aidan Chiles on the depth chart before the game against Minnesota on Nov. 1. Chiles, now the backup, is also questionable for this game against the Hawkeyes and was unavailable against Penn State last week with a walking boot on his left foot.
Milivojevic has looked solid over his first two starts, especially during his 311-yard performance against the Golden Gophers, but he’s been hampered by poor offensive line play. Injuries have hampered that unit, but even though Milivojevic has only started in two games and has made relief appearances five times, he’s still the 10th-most sacked quarterback in an 18-team Big Ten (14 times).
That floundering offense, which ranks 108th in yardage and 90th in scoring, has to face Iowa, a program that has hung its hat on defense for years. Hawkeye defensive coordinator Phil Parker, a former MSU defensive back, has been the DC since 2012, and this defense is currently top-10 in both total and scoring defense.
Iowa is strong at stopping both the run and the pass, ranking 16th and sixth in those categories, respectively. What also stands out is how much of a team effort it is; the Hawkeyes’ leading tackler, linebacker Karson Sharar, is tied for 21st in the conference for tackles entering the weekend. That’s a sign that the responsibilities have been spread out pretty well.
MSU’s 32-20 victory over Iowa last year is still the last time that the Hawkeyes have surrendered at least 30 points in a game. The stats this year don’t really seem to indicate the Spartans replicating that.
When Iowa has the Ball
Iowa’s offense has always been an easy target over the years. It’s not traditional — starting quarterback Mark Gronowski, a South Dakota State transfer, hasn’t thrown for 200 yards in a game this season.
The jokes don’t really work when Michigan State is 3-7, and the Hawkeyes are 6-4. Iowa is also scoring a respectable 28.7 points per game, which is better than what eight Big Ten teams can say (MSU included).
Gronowski, especially, is an interesting part. Just 1,216 yards and six touchdowns through the air through 10 starts is easy to furrow the eyebrow at. His top receiver, Jacob Gill, has only 237 yards, which is 59th in the conference.
His other way to contribute is rushing touchdowns --- Gronowski’s 13 scores on the ground are tied for the most in the Big Ten. He’s had at least one in every single game this season.
As those passing stats also suggest, Iowa likes to run the ball. The Hawkeyes have 377 rushing attempts to 226 total passes this year, which is about a 63:37 run-to-pass ratio. Top running back Kamari Moulton has 612 yards on the ground in just eight games.
Michigan State’s defense has found some more juice ever since defensive coordinator Joe Rossi began coaching from the sidelines, rather than up in the press box, during the Michigan game.
The Spartans had been surrendering 39.8 points per game during the four Big Ten contests where Rossi was up high, and have allowed 27.3 points per game since he moved down.
The issue now for MSU is how it finishes games. It was one stop away from beating Minnesota, but the Spartans gave up a touchdown with 29 seconds remaining in regulation that forced overtime. Last week against Penn State, the Nittany Lions had a nine-minute touchdown drive during the fourth quarter that put them up by two scores and effectively ended the game.
Special Teams
The final element to go over is special teams, which certainly appears to favor the Hawkeyes.
Iowa kicker Drew Stevens is 17-for-22 (77.3%) this season on field goals and is 4-of-5 from 50+ with a long of 58. MSU’s Martin Connington is 10-for-14 (71.4%), but he’s only made one kick from beyond 40 yards, which was a 50-yarder during his college debut against Boston College.
Punter does favor Michigan State a bit. MSU’s Ryan Eckley averages nearly 50 yards per boot, placing 15 inside the opponent’s 20-yard line compared to just one touchback. Iowa punter Rhys Dakin averages 42.5 yards per punt, placing 12 inside the 20, with three touchbacks.
Returner is where the Hawkeyes really have an advantage, though. Kaden Wetjen has returned one kickoff and two punts for touchdowns this season. MSU has never really caused much excitement in the return game; it has only taken out eight kickoffs in 10 games, and punt returner Omari Kelly averages 14.0 yards per return to Wetjen’s 24.4.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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