Grading MSU's Three Phases in Upset Victory at Michigan
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Michigan State has waited a long time to get *that* win.
The Spartans went into the Big House on Saturday night and trounced Michigan as much as an extremely beat-up 2-6 team could,15-6. It snapped MSU's six-game losing streak, as well as a four-game losing streak to the Wolverines.
UM's Kyle Whittingham was so stunned by what happened in the immediate aftermath that he forgot to take his headset off when he went out to shake Pat Fitzgerald's hand. Michigan fans were leaving the game early. Michigan State never trailed. It nearly pitched a shutout. Everything about it was straight out of a Spartan fan's wildest dream, all circumstances considered.
The grades this season generally haven't been kind. It'll be a little different this week.
Offense: B
Getting a "B" is about as good as you can do without scoring a touchdown. Alas, this was one of Michigan State's better offensive performances against Michigan. The Spartans had every single reason to be completely overwhelmed and/or outmatched on that side of the ball. They didn't have their top three running backs; their top tight end and starting wideout Rodney Bullard Jr. got hurt early in the game.
It's long been at the point where it's felt like an impossible predicament for offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan. The roster lacked real playmakers in the preseason, and there are almost none left now with all the injuries. Even quarterback Alessio Milivojevic was playing with a hurt thumb in his throwing hand, judging from the tape on his hand.
Somehow, Sheridan and the laundry list of other backups who got playing time made it work. Fifteen points and 298 total yards of offense is hardly a clinic, but they gave Michigan State a chance to win. They completely took the air out of the ball by holding the ball for 38:07 of the game, including one 17-play field-goal drive that started on the 1-yard line and took 10:41 off the clock in the third quarter.
Brandon Tullis and Chrishon McCray were the big winners. Tullis, who has largely been MSU's fifth running back this year, carried the ball 25 times for 86 yards. The 3.4 yards per carry doesn't indicate how well he played and the grit he showed. Tullis was a non-contact participant during Tuesday's practice, and he was clearly playing through some pain during the game. McCray had six catches for 92 yards, his highest total in his two seasons at Michigan State.
Defense: A+
Michigan State needed to completely muck things up to win on Saturday. The Spartans' defense did that, and then they mucked it up some more. They were minutes away from pitching their first shutout of Michigan since 1967, only allowing their first points of the night with 1:35 remaining in front of a half-empty stadium.
Is Michigan's offense good? Absolutely not, but that doesn't make the performance from MSU's defense on Saturday any less impressive. The Spartans didn't have their best player at all three levels available for the final three quarters -- defensive tackle Ben Roberts was out, linebacker Jordan Hall was missing his third game in a row, and safety Devin Vaught left the game early on.
The big stat was the four takeaways. Michigan State entered the game with just five forced turnovers all season, though they were perhaps due for some luck with the number of passes they've gotten their hands on and the number of fumbles they've forced. The ball finally seems to be bouncing MSU's way a bit now.
Vaught had a tip-drill pick, and NiJhay Burt made a fantastic play on the ball for the second pick of the night. Burt also forced a fumble, as did Anelu Lafaele. Burt's performance feels particularly impressive; he's one of the many players on this team being asked to do more than their original role with the injuries. He's probably the fourth or fifth corner on the depth chart when everybody is healthy. Burt's night should be one of the main things people remember from this one.
Special Teams: A
Special teams have been up and down for the Spartans this year, particularly on field goals. Blocked kicks have been an issue for Michigan State, with it most notably happening in crunch time against Northwestern and being part of why MSU lost that game.
The protection did enough to give kicker Liam Boyd the space he needed for his kicks on Saturday. Boyd has been surprisingly great for the Spartans this year after transferring in from Charlotte. He made all five of his kicks on Saturday from distances of 21, 37, 38, 24, and 49 yards (in that order). Boyd is now 16-for-19 on the year, and again, some of those misses aren't on him.
Lest we forget about punter Rhys Dakin, too. He's been fantastic for Michigan State this year, and he came through on Saturday. His four punts averaged 48.8 yards on Saturday, with a long of 57. Importantly, three of his punts were downed inside Michigan's 20-yard line. Dakin's 49.2 yards per punt this season lead the Big Ten and rank third in the FBS.
Fitzgerald also said postgame that he believed that Eli Coenen tipped the ball on Michigan's doinked 26-yard field goal in the second quarter. If that's so, that's a huge play from him.
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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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