3 Instant Takeaways From MSU's Sketchy Win vs. Toledo

The Spartans certainly weren't a polished product in their first game.

Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic readies to take a snap against Toledo at Spartan Stadium on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- That certainly wasn't pretty.

Michigan State started strong on Friday night, but the mood isn't all that positive after the Spartans escaped with a 30-20 victory over Toledo in the team's 2026 season opener. Here are three instant takeaways -- one positive, two negative.

Milivojevic Looks Poised

Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic calls for the snap against Toledo at Spartan Stadium on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

The play by Alessio Milivojevic was impressive on Friday night. Michigan State wasn't unleashing much deep, but Milivojevic consistently took what the Toledo defense was giving him, which was generally short-to-intermediate stuff. It's a change of pace from what Aidan Chiles was doing during his two seasons at MSU, where he'd do some extremely impressive stuff now and then, but also make the more-than-occasional head-scratching decision.

Milivojevic seemed calm and composed, making a couple of big plays with his legs and arm in the fourth quarter. The offense certainly wasn't perfect (as will be discussed below), but Michigan State held the ball for nearly 22 minutes in the first half and for 43 minutes overall. That's one of the silver linings from this game.

First-Half Red Zone Offense Lets Toledo Hang

Michigan State wide receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. is unable to haul in an endzone pass against Toledo on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Four field goals during the first half were a good and a bad thing for MSU. The good part was that Liam Boyd made a statement by showing he could be a reliable kicker for the Spartans this season, making five field goals. The bad part was that it meant Michigan State was leaving lots of points on the table. That 19-7 halftime lead could've been a lot bigger had MSU turned more of its drives into touchdowns.

It kept happening at the start of the second half, with Michigan State settling for a 54-yard kick that was blocked. Field goals will be enough to scrape by against Toledo, but threes will need to be turned into sevens against Notre Dame in two weeks and against Big Ten teams the rest of the way.

Explosive Plays Allowed

Michigan State’s Michael Richard celebrates after a tackle against Toledo during the first quarter on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

MSU also allowed a pair of pretty long touchdowns during the game. The first was a 60-yard bomb to Toledo receiver Adjatay Dabbs, who fooled Spartan corner Charles Brantley badly on a double move without any safety help. The second was a 71-yard run from Connor Walendzak, which gave the Rockets a lead during the fourth quarter.

The defense actually seemed relatively fine on a play-by-play basis for most of the game, but when a mistake was made, Toledo was certainly the more opportunistic team. It's also worth noting that Michigan State's offense didn't come close to matching the Rockets' explosiveness. MSU's longest play of the game was just 26 yards.