Overall Grades For Michigan State Football vs Penn State

Michigan State football has fallen to 3-7 on the season, losing seven straight games. Having lost 28-10 against Penn State, Michigan State will no longer be eligible for a bowl game. This is now the fourth straight year Michigan State will not be competing in a bowl game.

Overall, Michigan State had a game that would be best described as a tale of two halves. In the first half, Michigan State played well on defense and decently on offense. In the second half, MSU couldn't move the ball as they punted or turned the ball over on every second-half possession.

PFF has released its grades for the Michigan State and Penn State game. For Michigan State, just as the game was not good to watch, the PFF grades are not good to look at.

Overall, the Spartans had a grade of 66.1, which is the second-highest during their seven-game losing streak.

Pros

Michigan State's Elijah Tau-Tolliver celebrates his touchdown against Penn State during the first quarter on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan State had a rushing grade of 80.6, the highest grade MSU has had all season for the running game. The Spartans didn't utilize the rushing attack to their advantage. Elijah Tau-Toliver had 79 yards rushing with a 57-yard rushing touchdown, all on six carries. Makhi Frazier had 27 yards on eight carries in the game.

The pass rush also had a good game. With two sacks on the day and 17 total pressures, MSU had its highest grade since week one with 71.3.

Cons

The offensive line picked a bad day to have its worst graded game of the season. Redshirt freshman Alessio Milivojevic was sacked five times on the day and pressured 21 times. It seemed as though every other passing play, there was a defender in his face.

The pass blocking was given a grade of 22.9. That is the lowest grade this season by far, 14.7 points lower than the second-lowest grade against Nebraska.

Michigan State's Alessio Milivojevic runs the ball against Penn State during the second quarter on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The overall passing game wasn't very good against the Nittany Lions, as the PFF grade was 55.2. Milivojevic went 17-27 for 128 yards on the day and had a QBR of 15.8. The receiving game was about the same with a 55.7 grade and Tau Toliver was the leading receiver with 73 yards.

Coming into the season, the expectation was for head coach Jonathan Smith to lead this team to a bowl game. With that no longer possible, the talk of Smith being fired will surely be louder at the end of the season.

Michigan State senior Sam Edwards, right, is recognized by head coach Jonathan Smith during a ceremony before the game against Penn State on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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