3 Instant Takeaways From MSU's Heartbreaking OT Loss to Illinois
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EAST LANSING — Michigan State put up a heck of an effort at a comeback, but that first Big Ten win still eludes the Spartans.
MSU dropped its fourth consecutive game on Saturday, this time falling to Illinois in overtime, 38-37. The Spartans went for the win with a two-point conversion, but Illinois snuffed out the trick play. Here are three key observations from Spartan Stadium.
A Culture in Progress Peeks Through Curtains
It felt pretty remarkable that there was a chance for Michigan State to win this game entering the fourth quarter. Illinois pretty much dominated the first 2.5 quarters of the game, but some credit deserves to go to the defense for getting MSU around by forcing the Illini to kick field goals rather than allow touchdowns.
The big swing was Devin Vaught's interception during the third quarter. Pressure from the defensive line forced him to make a throw downfield under some duress, and Katin Houser put too much juice on it. Vaught was waiting for it, and he returned it all the way down into Illinois' red zone. Running back Jaziun Patterson was able to stretch the ball across the goal line on the very next play.
What almost feels puzzling is the question, "Where was that during the first half?" Perhaps it is Illinois getting a bit more conservative or easing up with the lead, maybe it was Katin Houser leaving the game, but it felt like a different level of execution and effort during the second half. Still, it wasn't enough to steal a game that was definitely winnable.
MSU Facing Worst Season in Ages
This very well could end up being Michigan State's worst football team in a long time. The program's last season with three wins or fewer (excluding 2020) was back in 2016, but that was a year after MSU made the College Football Playoff. The Spartans' last two-win season was back in 1982, the final year of the Muddy Waters era.
A final record of either 2-10 or 3-9 feels like a probability at this point. Only the games against Washington and Rutgers feel like truly winnable games in the team's final six games. Even then, Washington is still definitely better right now, and Rutgers has at least shown some decent fight and some improvement since its humiliating loss to UMass in Week 1.
Injuries on Defense Complicate Matters
It's also simply difficult to win a game with as many injuries as Michigan State has on defense. It's not the only reason the Spartans fell short in this one, but the number of players in green shirts who went down on Saturday felt pretty devastating once again.
Both of MSU's starting linebackers, Jordan Hall and Brady Pretzlaff, were out of the game before the first half was up. Then, the Spartans' corners, already dealing with a number of hurt guys, also saw Tre Bell and Charles Brantley exit the game. It got so dire that Michigan State had two true freshmen playing corner during a one-score game in the fourth.
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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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