Previewing & Predicting MSU's Week 11 Game vs. Washington
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The vibes feel truly positive around Michigan State football for the first time in a few years.
MSU just beat Michigan, which means everything is okie-doke for at least a week, even though the victory only improved the Spartans to 3-6 this season and 1-5 during Big Ten play. Washington (5-4 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) doesn't particularly care about that. Alas, the Huskies are next up on the schedule, and they're a team that is relatively beatable.
When MSU Has the Ball
There won't be any quarterback injury drama this week. Alessio Milivojevic played through a thumb injury on his throwing hand against Michigan, which had him listed as "questionable" to play all week. He's not been listed on the availability report at all this week. The question is whether that wrap will remain on Milivojevic's thumb and if it will affect anything.
The other main injury news is that Rodney Bullard Jr. will not play against Washington. He appeared to suffer a lower-body or hip injury early on against Michigan. Expect Bryson Williams to largely fill in as the X receiver. Running back Jaziun Patterson is also "doubtful" to play with an undisclosed injury that has sidelined him for the last two games. Getting him back would be major, though Brandon Tullis -- the RB5 -- made a big statement with his play in the Big House last week.
Washington's defense is...pretty average, which is still better than what the Spartans' offense can say, being towards or at the bottom of the Power Four in most major statistical categories. UW is in the 60s nationally in total, rushing, and passing defense. The Huskies rank 45th at 21.9 points per game allowed.
Alex McLaughlin at safety is the player to know on the Huskies' side. He's intercepted three passes this year, including one for a pick-six. He also leads UW in tackles (64), tackles for loss (7.5), and sacks (3.0). McLaughlin was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week two weeks ago after getting that pick-six to seal up Washington's victory at Nebraska.
Red zone offense will be the key for Michigan State's offense in this one. Fifteen points on five field goals were enough to beat UM, but it probably won't be enough here. Backup quarterback Cam Fancher's status will be big in that area. Fancher was a big part of MSU's game plan when it approached the end zone early in the year before he suffered a leg injury at Wisconsin. He's questionable to play on Saturday.
When Washington Has the Ball
It's all about containing the quarterback this weekend for Michigan State's defense. The Spartans were able to fluster Tommy Carr last week, but Demond Williams Jr. is much, much more experienced. He's very difficult to stop when he's on his A-game. Williams actually seems to be dealing with some sort of injury. He popped up as "questionable" to play on Wednesday's initial availability report, but was upgraded to "probable" the following day. Elijah Brown is the Huskies' backup.
Jedd Fisch and Washington will want to air it out. The Huskies average 265.1 passing yards per game, which is 27th in the nation. That's in contrast to just 99.3 rushing yards per game, all the way down at 131st nationally.
Chris Lawson and Dezmen Roebuck are the two wide receivers to know. Lawson is seventh in the Big Ten with 727 receiving yards on 49 catches. Roebuck is the most common pass-catcher with 57 receptions, but he's used more often in the short-to-intermediate game, having totaled 539 receiving yards.
All in all, this will be a big test for Michigan State's secondary, as well as the Spartans' pass rush, which has to keep Williams in the pocket as best it can. The good part is that MSU may have some more reinforcements coming in off the injury report. Tyran Chappell, the team's best corner, played a little bit against Michigan last week. Now, Tre Bell and Charles Brantley are questionable to play on Saturday.
The tough news is that Devin Vaught is out, but Aveon Grose has been okay while filling in at that boundary-side safety spot. Vaught's instincts in the run game are nearly impossible to replace, though.
What's also huge is that Ben Roberts is questionable to play Saturday, too. His season felt destined to be over after he suffered an injury at UCLA and came out of the locker room on crutches and with a wheelchair. Roberts has been MSU's best player this year. Whether he plays or not changes the complexion of things.
Final Thoughts, Prediction
This game feels very difficult to pick. It feels like Michigan State may have broken through the wall with last week's win, but one wonders whether the Spartans can keep up that level of focus again, and whether the mucked-up game script MSU executed is very replicable. Washington has also generally played better on the road than at home, getting wins at Purdue and Nebraska and a close loss at now-No. 18 USC.
Washington has more talent and a better roster than the Spartans, but Michigan State came painfully close to beating Northwestern and Illinois, opponents of a pretty similar caliber. I think the Michigan win is, in fact, a true breakthrough moment for MSU, and that the Spartans end up finding a way in this one. Liam Boyd makes a game-winning field goal at or just before the buzzer.
Final Prediction: Michigan State 23, Washington 21
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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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