3 Instant Observations from MSU's Victory over Eastern Michigan

Here's the instant reaction to the Spartans' win over the Eagles.

Michigan State’s Kenny Soares Jr., right, sacks Eastern Michigan’s Noah Kim during the first quarter on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

EAST LANSING — The first half was shaky, but Michigan State looked sharp coming out of the halftime break to roll over Eastern Michigan 35-7 on Saturday afternoon.

MSU now starts 2-0 on the season with a pair of wins over MAC schools, but a date with Notre Dame in South Bend awaits. For now, though, here are three instant takeaways from the Spartans' victory over the Eagles:

Must Better Start in Second Half

Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald greets players on the sidelines against Eastern Michigan at Spartan Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

The third quarter was the worst one for Michigan State in Week 1 vs. Toledo. It may have been the best one for the Spartans in Week 2 against Eastern Michigan. There was a little bit of nervousness at halftime after EMU marched down the field to make it a one-score game before the break.

MSU responded well to that, though. It got the ball first in the third quarter, and the Spartans marched 75 yards to make it a 14-point game again. The defense and Charles Brantley than forced a fumble to get the ball back, and the offense scored three plays later to make it 28-7 and essentially break the game open.

Poor Play in Trenches in First Half

Michigan State linebacker Dion Crawford (18) pursues an Eastern Michigan running back at Spartan Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

The Spartans' offensive line and defensive line were not Big Ten-level during this game. Big Ten teams should generally dominate or have some sort of obvious advantage in the trenches against MAC opponents, and that's not what it felt like on Saturday. Excluding sacks, Eastern Michigan averaged 6.8 yards per carry during the first half, compared to just 4.4 yards a pop for MSU.

It got better towards the end of the game, but it shouldn't take three quarters to get a push against a MAC foe. That type of issue could perhaps be brushed off after Week 1 against Toledo, but it becomes really concerning when it happens twice in a row to start the season. No. 3 Notre Dame is up next, and the Fighting Irish were busy cooking Rice while Michigan State was fending off the Eagles.

Red Zone Offense Shows Immediate Improvement

Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic awaits a snap against Eastern Michigan at Spartan Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

One of the most promising things about the first half was the fact that Michigan State was scoring touchdowns, rather than field goals. All the drives that resulted in three points, rather than seven, were part of the reason Toledo hung around and was able to take the lead at one point in the fourth quarter during Week 1.

MSU's offense opened up the day with a three-and-out, but the next two drives resulted in paydirt. The first touchdown drive started on Eastern Michigan's 24-yard line after a great punt return by Chrishon McCray, and Alessio Milivojevic found Fredrick Moore for a 16-yard touchdown pass. The next one was much more of an odyssey, going 80 yards over 16 plays and 7:19. Michigan State converted on a fourth-and-11 at one point there, and Cam Edwards eventually punched it in from the one.