3 Matchups To Watch During MSU's Next Test vs. Northwestern

A couple of individual or positional battles will have to swing Michigan State's way for it to pull off an upset on Saturday.

The Spartans (2-4 overall, 0-3 Big Ten) are preparing for an interesting matchup with No. 25 Northwestern (4-1 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) on Saturday in East Lansing, with kickoff set for noon ET on Peacock. If MSU wants to win the war, it needs to win these smaller battles.

Northwestern's RBs vs. MSU's Linebackers

Oct 2, 2026; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats running back Caleb Komolafe (5) runs the ball and is pushed out of bounds by Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Josiah Zayas (17) during the second half at New Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Michigan State's defense might have its hands full during this one. The Wildcats probably run one of the most unique offenses in college football, sometimes lining up a receiver 15 yards or so behind the line of scrimmage and sometimes breaking out a Wing-T formation. This has made running the ball easier for NU. The Wildcats average 203.0 yards per game on the ground, which is fourth in the Big Ten.

Northwestern's rushing attack can also be pretty explosive. The Wildcats are averaging 5.21 yards per carry so far, which is 30th in the country and fifth in the conference. Caleb Komolafe is the top back and is still an efficient runner at 5.6 yards per carry and 334 total rushing yards. Gavin Sawchuk, somebody MSU looked at in the portal this past offseason, also gets regular carries, picking up 5.2 per pop and 194 total yards.

Michigan State’s Jordan Hall signals before a play against Nebraska during the first quarter on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Joseph Himon II is NU's most explosive option, though. He's only gotten 23 carries in five games, but he's gotten a stunning 319 yards on those rushes. That's 13.9 yards per carry. Himon had eight rushes out of 99 go for 15+ yards all of last year. He's already got seven such carries in 2026.

Stopping Northwestern's running backs will be very difficult for MSU's short-handed linebacker corps. The Spartans were playing the end of the Illinois game with their LB5 (Cam Stodghill) and LB6 (DiMari Malone).

WR Griffin Wilde vs. MSU's Cornerbacks

Once Northwestern drops quarterback Aidan Chiles back to pass, the No. 1 option will often be wide receiver Griffin Wilde. He's got 24 catches for 425 yards and three touchdowns this season. Wilde has two 100-yard games this year, going for 104 against FCS South Dakota State and 144 last week against Ball State.

Wilde was an exceptional receiver last season at Northwestern as well. The 2025 season was his first in the FBS after transferring up from South Dakota State, and he finished with 71 receptions for 880 yards and eight touchdowns. He comfortably led NU in all three categories. That earned him All-Big Ten Third-Team honors.

Another big question will be which cornerbacks will be available for Michigan State this weekend. This was another position group that was crushed by injuries last week vs. Illinois. MSU was without its top five corners during crunch time against the Illini. Starter Tyran Chappell and key reserves NiJhay Burt and Keshawn Williams have been out for a few weeks now.

Last week's starters, Tre Bell and Charles Brantley, both left the game against Illinois as well. The Spartans were playing true freshmen Jeremiah Favorite and KJ Deriso in the fourth quarter. Michigan State's defense has been saying "next man up" quite a few times this season. Whichever men are up on Saturday will have a big challenge.

MSU's Wide Receivers vs. Northwestern S Robert Fitzgerald

Northwestern's best defensive player this season is safety Robert Fitzgerald (no relation to Pat Fitzgerald). He's a Pat Fitzgerald-era recruit who has spent all five years of his collegiate career at Northwestern. Robert received All-Big Ten Second-Team honors last season after finishing with a staggering 115 total tackles, with a conference-high 70 solo tackles.

Fitzgerald may be even better this year. He's second in the Big Ten with 49 total tackles so far, and that's with most teams in the conference being six games into the season, whereas NU has only played five. Fitzgerald also already has two interceptions, including a pick-six last week. That matches his career total from the prior four seasons.

Michigan State’s Fredrick Moore, left, celebrates his touchdown catch against Eastern Michigan with Rodney Bullard Jr. during the first quarter on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The tackling numbers are very impressive, but Fitzgerald is also great in coverage. He's only allowed one catch on five targets for nine yards this season, according to Pro Football Focus. His 89.9 coverage grade on PFF is the third-best mark among FBS safeties this season (min. 100 coverage snaps).

Michigan State's wide receivers could also use another positive day, which Fitzgerald will obviously try to take away. The Spartans' passing attack took a step forward last week against Illinois, but the question is whether MSU can keep it up or if it was just because Illinois had a pretty weak defense. The battle on the back end between Michigan State's wideouts and Fitzgerald will help answer that.

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