MSU's Fitzgerald Ducking Compliments, 'Rat Poison,' After ND Loss
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EAST LANSING -- Pat Fitzgerald isn't having any sort of praise after a loss.
Michigan State performed better than most were expecting against No. 3 Notre Dame on Saturday. The Spartans were never in any serious position to actually win during the 27-10 defeat, but MSU prevented a blowout in a game that this program has normally lost by 30+ or 40+ points in recent years.
Fitzgerald's Response to the Loss
Fitzgerald has been open about things being a work in progress regarding his vision for the program. Even this version of Michigan State isn't a finished product, let alone the program as a whole. Following the loss, Fitzgerald said that he probably wouldn't sleep that night and added that MSU would be "a completely different team" when the Spartans face Notre Dame again in East Lansing next year.
"Yeah, there's no such thing as a moral victory," Fitzgerald said Saturday night. "You guys [in the media] are going to get to know me, but I'm a competitive S.O.B., so I'm not very happy right now. You fix it by getting back to work."
Fans seemed mostly okay with how Saturday went, though. Saturday previewed how Fitzgerald's first team measured up against one of the nation's elite, and while this may not be where people wish to see Michigan State 3-5 years from now, the fact that MSU seemed to belong on the same planet as the Fighting Irish was progress.
The Spartans lost by an average of 31.8 points per game across six contests against AP Top 5 opponents from 2022-25. MSU's only such game last year was at then-No. 3 Indiana, where it lost 38-13. Michigan State didn't even necessarily play poorly that day, but the gap between it and the eventual national champs was painfully obvious. There was a gap between MSU and Notre Dame, but the Spartans weren't quite as overwhelmed by it this time.
"Listen, we're taking the standard up and getting it to where it needs to be, and it's my job to get it there," Fitzgerald said Monday about some of the positive feedback before channeling some inner Nick Saban. "I'd be lying to you if I didn't tell you that I think a little bit of that is rat poison. Like, 'Hey, good job. You played hard.' That drives me nuts."
"Stacy asked me if I punched the wall after the game, because she knew how I was going to react. I was like, 'No, I'm older now. I'm not going to do that.' We need to earn that support, and not winning games is not winning it. I'm thankful and grateful for the support, but we're raising the standard of expectation, and we should be held accountable for that."
More on Vision for Future
Fitzgerald seems like a coach who knows he only has so much time to turn things around. His predecessor, Jonathan Smith, was fired after only two seasons -- the shortest tenure for a permanent head coach in East Lansing in nearly a century.
"I wish I had three years to build it, but that's not how the world works," Fitzgerald said. "That's not how football works. So, pedal's down, and the hard work is ongoing."
Smith's $30+ million buyout that the school will be paying off until after 2030 should give Fitzgerald some more time, too, but Fitzgerald's ability to communicate his vision for the program, and then seeing parts of that immediately appear on the field, will grant him a lot more patience than Smith got.
It was never entirely clear where Michigan State was headed identity-wise during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. There were flashes of a foundation or something to build upon, particularly Iowa in '24, but nothing was sustained. Fitzgerald has the benefit of 17 seasons at Northwestern that plenty of MSU fans were at least vaguely aware of, while Smith was much more isolated at Oregon State.
Still, Fitzgerald doesn't seem to have compromised his on-field values from Northwestern. He's made needed modern twists, though, like taking in 32 transfers this offseason. Michigan State also has just 15 scholarship commitments in its 2027 recruiting class, the third-fewest in the Big Ten. In an age with a hard roster limit, it's actually probably smart to take in fewer freshmen and leave spots open for more portal prospects.
We still don't know whether Fitzgerald's strategy will work yet. Having a vision is one thing -- executing it is another. He's eyeing an immediate improvement this season, and this Saturday's game against Nebraska and a relatively manageable conference slate will determine whether Year 1 is a success or not.
Full Pat Fitzgerald Monday Press Conference
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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