Spartan Nation

Social Media Reacts To MSU's First Loss Of The Year

Michigan State lost their first game of the season to Duke, and social media had many things to say.
Nathan Berry|
Nov 21, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; A young Spartan fan voices his approval of play against the Detroit Mercy Titans during the second half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images
Nov 21, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; A young Spartan fan voices his approval of play against the Detroit Mercy Titans during the second half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images | Dale Young-Imagn Images

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Michigan State Spartans

Michigan State was heading into its biggest test of the year against the #4-ranked Duke, undefeated, and they hoped to keep their perfect season alive with an upset win.

Spartan Nation was just as hopeful as the team, and they were getting hyped before tipoff, and players that had been on the upswing were getting love of their own.

While the hype was real before the game, the actual start of the match was not what had been hoped for or expected, because the Spartans came out slow and fell behind quickly.

This was in part often to a lack of three point shooting, as MSU had taken a step back in their threes made, as well as the fact that Duke was playing out of their minds to begin the game.

Before anybody could tell what was going on, they were already down five, but the Spartans were still giving fans a show because of two huge dunks by Carson Cooper and Coen Carr, respectively.

MSU began climbing back into the game with each possession after that and the game went from looking like MSU's first loss to a possible victory.

Players like Jaxon Kohler were electric, and despite the close game, praises were pouring out from almost every corner. There was some unhappiness, but it would be drowned out by positivity the second it came forth.

The teams went back and forth, but the Spartans kept on getting the better end of the deal, and by the end of the first half, MSU had a slim lead, 34-31.

Many rejoiced at the lead, but some were still skeptical and needed to see more out of the team to be impressed, though most were still hyped.

The second half started with a bang, in which Cooper got a big dunk to start the half off hot.

After the dunk, the game continued to be an immensely close match-up, one that was very engrossing because Spartan Nation began posting much less than before.

Unfortunately, what MSU had been doing well in the first half was slipping a bit, and fans made sure to point that out despite the engrossing match.

About halfway through the second half, there was a chance for MSU to be charged with a fragrant foul on the Blue Devils, which had a chance to severely alter the game's dynamics.

However, it did not end up being a flagrant, yet speculation began running around about the referees being partial, which was met with arguments on both sides.

With less than two minutes left, MSU had the game tied up 55-55, and it was their moment to prove that they can win games as big as this.

Shooting was the biggest problem for the Spartans as said by Spartan Nation, and it was the main reason that the game was so close just before the final buzzer.

Said issues led to a cold finish by MSU, as even though Duke star Cameron Boozer fouled out, they were unable to climb back into the game or force overtime.

They lost their undefeated status with a final score of 66-60, and Spartan Nation was almost immediately to point out what led to the defeat, but also to look forward to the rest of the season.

Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on MSU's match against Duke when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Don't forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.

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Nathan Berry
NATHAN BERRY

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.