Top Things Spartan Fans Want as Season Winds Down

The Michigan State Spartans are 3-6 at their second bye week, and the team is looking for any way to turn the season around.

Theoretically, the Spartans could win their next three games and reach a bowl game for the first time since 2021, but that does not appear likely. MSU’s next three games are against teams that are just as talented as the Spartans.

It is unknown if Jonathan Smith will return as MSU’s head coach next season, as chatter has grown louder from the fanbase about wanting to move on. Will new Athletic Director J Batt cut ties with Smith and find his own head coach?

Whether that happens after the season or not, the Spartans still have three games to play. With that, let’s break down what fans should want to see as the season winds down.

Better trench play

Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) calls for a snap from offensive lineman Matt Gulbin (51) against Western Michigan during the first half at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Friday, August 29, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MSU has struggled to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.

The Spartans’ run game has not gotten going, and teams are comfortable running the ball against them. The pass rush has still struggled to get home, too.

While center Matt Gulbin has been solid on offense, there has been little to write home about on the defensive side of the ball. If the Spartans can improve up front and on the edges, fans might be encouraged by this staff’s progress.

A youth movement

Michigan State's Jace Clarizio, center, listens to coaches after a drill during football practice on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MSU would not consider its season ‘lost,’ but it is time for more young players to get run.

Since there are fewer than four games left, the staff can play redshirt players without burning their eligibility. That means we should see more players like freshman running back Jace Clarizio and defensive lineman Mikeshun Beeler, among others.

East Lansing's Jace Clarizio snags a pass against Everett, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, which he ran in for a Trojan TD. East Lansing won 39-26. | Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It is always fun to look into the future of the football program, and the future can play out in front of fans in the present if the staff lets them see the field.

Consistency at quarterback

Alessio Milivojevic Aidan Chile — Michigan State's quarterback Aidan Chiles, left, and Alessio Milivojevic look to throw during football practice on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Spartans have had a healthy dose of Aidan Chiles this season, but Alessio Milivojevic looked the part last week against Minnesota.

Smith and his staff have the bye week to figure out which QB they want to play against Penn State, which will not be an easy choice. Whoever it is, fans want that quarterback to be ‘the guy.’

Chiles has NFL potential but has struggled in recent weeks, while Milivojevic’s sample size is too small to know if he is the future. Politics aside, fans just want to see someone make throws and put the ball in the end zone.

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