MSU Has a Reliable Backup QB Against Indiana
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Coming off three tough losses in a row, the Michigan State Spartans are set to face the No. 3-ranked Indiana Hoosiers, and they might be doing so without their starting quarterback, Aidan Chiles.
This wouldn't be the first time that the Spartans have had to play without Chiles, but they have never had to go a full game without him.
With Chiles' status up in the air, his backup, Alessio Milivojevic, will be preparing to take the reins on the road. The question is whether he is ready for the spotlight that comes with being MSU's QB1.
Milivojevic Against Nebraska
- Milivojevic has taken part in two games thus far in the 2025 season, aside from a couple of plays in their season opener, and he has led well in both.
- During his first game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Milivojevic went six for seven on passing attempts for 71 yards through the air, as well as one short passing touchdown to tight end Jack Velling.
- He added a rushing touchdown on top of his passing, and in part to him, the Spartans were able to continue competing on the Cornhuskers' home turf.
- However, he did have to rely on the rushing attack that had 37 carries in the game, and his passes averaged around 11-12 yards on mostly screens and short check-downs.
- Milivojevic was unable to give the offense the spark they needed to pull away with the game in the fourth quarter, and the team ended up losing without that spark that Chiles would have usually provided.
Milivojevic Against UCLA
- In the Spartans' most recent loss against the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins, a game in which they were humiliated 38-13, Milivojevic had similar opportunities to throw compared to Chiles, and he outperformed Chiles, but just barely.
- He was unable to produce more than six points for MSU, and the ball was not traveling the same as it had been when Chiles was less banged up at the start of the season.
- He had 34 more passing yards on the same number of completions, and one more touchdown, but he had much more time than Chiles and hardly produced more than him.
- Milivojevic was also unable to get the deep ball humming, which was a place many of the Spartans' receivers thrived, and it allowed the Bruins to trample MSU by the end of the game.
Compared to Chiles, Milivojevic has produced the same statistics in his stead, but he hasn't been able to get points on the board.
Furthermore, Chiles has been banged up in the Spartans' past two games, and when he was healthy in the first four weeks of the season, he was outplaying Milivojevic's current stats by a mile.
Hopefully Milivojevic will be able to prove himself against the Hoosiers, should he have the reins for the full game, and show the Spartans' that he is capable, but until then not enough has been seen to say that he will be a reliable replacement for MSU.
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Nathan Berry is a senior at NCCS and was raised a Michigan State Spartan fan. With a great interest in sports and writing, journalism is a great avenue to pursue both.