3 Worst Stats from Michigan State's 0-4 Big Ten Start

Here are some of the toughest stats for the Spartans after a four-game losing streak to start conference play.

Oct 18, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Amare Ferrell (1) breaks up a pass intended for Michigan State Spartans wide receiver Chrishon McCray (13) during the second half at Memorial Stadium. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Things keep going from bad to worse for Michigan State football, as the Spartans dropped another game on Saturday. It was against No. 3 Indiana and, technically, a better performance than when they lost by an identical score against UCLA last week.

MSU now sits at 3-4 overall and is still winless, 0-4, in Big Ten play. Here are some of the toughest statistics from the last four games for the Spartans.

4 Double-Digit Losses

Michigan State's Jordan Hall, left, tackles UCLA's Anthony Frias II during the third quarter on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's not just about the fact that Michigan State is losing; it's how badly it is. The Spartans have lost all four of their games during conference play by double figures.

MSU lost by 21 to USC, 11 at Nebraska, 25 versus UCLA, and then 25 against Indiana. A negative-20.5 per-game point differential is... atrocious. Michigan State is only scoring 21 points per game against the Big Ten.

The Spartans are in the bottom half of the Big Ten in points scored and are dead last in scoring defense during conference play.

0 Games Remaining as a Favorite

Indiana's E.J. Williams Jr. (7) heads in for a touchdown during the Indiana versus Michigan State football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The schedule is not offering any light at the end of the tunnel, either. That was supposed to be the game against UCLA for Michigan State, but obviously, that did not go as expected.

Five teams in the Big Ten do not have a conference win, MSU included. The only one the Spartans play is Penn State. Even with all the drama centered around the firing of James Franklin, the Nittany Lions' 0-4 conference record has all been one-possession games.

Michigan will likely be ranked in the next AP Poll when it comes to East Lansing. Minnesota is playing above expectations, and that game is on the road. That gets MSU to the bye, and there still isn't any reason yet to trust the Spartans over PSU, Iowa, and Maryland.

1 Second-Half Lead

Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith looks downward during the Spartans' game against USC on Sept. 20, 2025. | Darrell Craig Harris, On SI

This aligns with the fact that Michigan State and head coach Jonathan Smith haven't kept a game within single digits, but the Spartans have just been out of it for a large portion of second halves.

Through four conference games, the only time MSU has held a lead in the second half is when it was 21-14 against Nebraska. That lasted for a whole minute and 26 seconds, as the Cornhuskers tied it up with a touchdown and then ended up scoring the next 24 points.

Oct 18, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) warms up prior to the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

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