3 Instant Takeaways From MSU's Gut-Wrenching Loss to Northwestern
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EAST LANSING — Michigan State had it. Then they didn't.
MSU had a 33-yard field goal lined up to take the lead with just more than a minute left. That got blocked. Northwestern then quickly carved up the Spartans' short-handed defense in the clutch to go win it with its own field goal, 24-21.
MSU's 'Bedrock' Beginning to Take Shape
Fitzgerald has often talked about building his program in East Lansing on "bedrock." It's starting to become a little clearer what that might mean exactly, even after such a gut-wrenching loss. Is this the most talented team Fitzgerald will have? Not even close. Is this MSU in its final form with Fitzgerald? Same answer, but there are things that have nothing to do with talent or the Spartans' NIL budget that there is to like, especially from this one.
Firstly, there is never any question that the effort is there. That couldn't be said last year, and it's easier said than done to get a 2-4 football team to go full throttle every Saturday in this college football climate, and with how many injuries have piled up. Michigan State also minimizes dumb penalties --- silly false starts or unsportsmanlike flags are rare this year. There are plenty of mistakes to clean up on the field, but that's not the "bedrock" Fitzgerald has largely been talking about.
Offense, Sheridan Gaining Traction
Offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan is also beginning to gain a pretty good feel for what kind of stuff works with the limited amount of talent he has at his disposal. It didn't feel like MSU was running a lot of plays or using a lot of concepts that didn't match with the personnel that was on the field.
Illinois and Northwestern (down several key players in the secondary) are two of the lesser defenses Michigan State will face this season, but Sheridan seems to be putting players in a good position to succeed right now. With some better execution and throws from Alessio Milivojevic in a few key spots, the Spartans would've won this game, and with some separation, too.
Rossi's Defense Holds Up (Until the End)
Defense was perhaps the main concern for Michigan State entering Saturday's game. The Spartans played this one without their top four corners and top three linebackers. Injuries have really, really piled up on that side of the football, and it felt like MSU could be overmatched a little bit against a Northwestern offense that has been humming with well-regarded offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.
Joe Rossi's group held up relatively well, though. Perhaps it was a bit of insider knowledge on the kind of things that make NU quarterback and former Spartan Aidan Chiles uncomfortable, but Michigan State's defenders punched above their weight class during this one.
The defensive tackles were particularly exceptional during this one. Ben Roberts and Eli Coenen have been asked to do a ton to keep MSU afloat at times on that side of the ball, and both of them may have had their best individual performances of the year on Saturday. Roberts had two TFLs and a sack. Coenen had half a sack and a critical blocked field goal during the first half.
It all just ran out of gas at the very end. Michigan State struggled to make open-field tackles all day, and Northwestern took advantage of the very soft coverage during the fourth quarter.
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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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