How MSU Football Can Pull Off Monstrous 2026 Upset

If there is one thing and one thing only for MSU that draws in more and more fans every year, and has the highest level of intensity from fans and players alike, it is the in-state rivalry game against the Michigan Wolverines.

The Spartans do not have the best record against the Wolverines in recent memory and have gone 0-4 in the past four meetings, but this year could be different.

MSU, Pat Fitzgeral — Michigan State's head coach Pat Fitzgerald, center, huddles up with the team during spring football practice on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Both the offense and defense will have a job to do, but if both can do it to a tee, the Spartans could have a sneaky-good chance of finally beating their in-state rival and getting closer to a bowl game.

How MSU Can Win Defensively

Michigan State linebackers Brady Pretzlaff, left, and Jordan Hall participate in a drill during football practice on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

No matter what the final score is, one thing will be true for MSU's defense: it is going to be a very difficult game, and they will have times when they cannot get a stop on the Wolverines, and that's okay.

Last year they allowed 31 points, and the offense only put up 20, so it was a big loss. The year before that, they let up 24 points, and MSU only put up 17, leading to another loss. See the pattern here?

Michigan State's NiJhay Burt, left, celebrates his interception with Nikai Martinez during the football Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In recent memory, the Spartans have always been somewhat close, except for a 49-0 loss in 2023, but the offense has just not been able to put up enough of a fight to win.

So, what the Spartans need to do this time around defensively is not be perfect; it is to keep the game in a reasonable place to win. They cannot allow 40 points, but 24 would be manageable, which is easier said than done; MSU's defense has been trending upward since last year and still has some stars in Jordan Hall and Nikai Martinez who could make it happen.

How MSU Can Win Offensively

Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic throws a pass during football practice on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Spartans will have to rely on what they must rely on every game before rivalry week: Alessio Milivojevic and Cam Edwards.

The former will be more important than ever, because he will have to match and even outdo the level of play Wolverines star Bryce Underwood brings to the table, but he showed good things last year when he got six attempts to throw and nailed five of them for 60 yards and a score.

If Milivojevic can play like that for a full game, especially if he can do so with a receiver core that could be set in stone at that point, MSU will have a real shot at winning, and he will still have help from Edwards, who has the talent to put the team on his back in sticky situations.

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