Spartans Travel to Minnesota to Face Golden Gophers on Saturday

Game 9: Michigan State (3-5, 0-5 B1G) at Minnesota (5-3, 3-2 B1G)

Date: Saturday, Nov. 1
Kickoff: 3:31 p.m. ET/2:31 p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Stadium: Huntington Bank Stadium (50,805)
Surface: FieldTurf
Game Notes: MSU | Minnesota

►BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Big Ten Network
Streaming/Mobile: FOX Sports app
Announcers: Guy Haberman (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analyst), Rhett Lewis (sidelines)
Live Stats: msuspartans.com | Live Stats

Radio: Spartan Media Network | Affiliate Listings
Play-by-Play: George Blaha
Analyst: Jehuu Caulcrick
Sidelines: Tre Mosley
Broadcast Hosts: Will Tieman, Dalton Shetler
Website/Mobile: msuspartans.com/watch, MSU Spartans app, Tune In radio
Flagship Stations: Lansing: WMMQ (94.9 FM)/WJIM (1240 AM); Detroit: WJR (760 AM); Grand Rapids: WBFX (101.3 FM)
Affiliates: 21 affiliates listed at msuspartans.com
Satellite: SiriusXM Ch. 372 | SiriusXM App
Pregame Show: Begins at 2 p.m. ET

►SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time Series: MSU leads, 30-19
Series in Minneapolis: MSU leads, 13-12
Series in Big Ten Games: MSU leads, 29-19
Last Meeting: Minnesota 27, MSU 12 (2023 in Minneapolis)
Current Series Streak: 2 by Minnesota

►HEAD COACHES
MSU Head Coach: Jonathan Smith
MSU Record: 8-12 (second year)
Overall Record: 42-47 (eighth year)
Record vs. Minnesota: 0-0

Minnesota Head Coach: P.J. Fleck
Minnesota Record: 63-42 (ninth year)
Overall Record: 93-64 (13th year)
Record vs. MSU: 2-3

►SPARTANS TRAVEL TO MINNESOTA TO TAKE ON GOLDEN GOPHERS
• Michigan State heads back on the road to face Minnesota on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT in Minneapolis. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network and streamed on the FOX Sports app with Guy Haberman (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analyst) and Rhett Lewis (sidelines) on the call.

• The Spartans enter the contest at 3-5 (0-5 Big Ten) following a 31-20 loss to No. 25/24 Michigan last Saturday night in East Lansing. The Golden Gophers stand at 5-3 (3-2 Big Ten) after falling at Iowa, 41-3.

• Saturday's game marks the 50th meeting between Michigan State and Minnesota. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 30-19, including a 13-12 record in games played in Minneapolis.

• MSU fell to Minnesota, 27-12, in its last trip to Minneapolis in 2023 and is 2-2 in games at Huntington Bank Stadium, which opened in 2009. Overall, Michigan State has won 24 of the last 32 meetings, dating back to 1977, including five out of the last seven.

►NICK MARSH SURPASSES 1,000 CAREER RECEIVING YARDS
• Sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh leads the Spartans with 42 receptions for 479 yards (59.9 ypg; 11.4 avg.), including a team-best five touchdown catches. The Detroit, Michigan, native ranks among the Big Ten leaders in TD catches (tied for seventh with five), receptions (tied for seventh with 42; 5.3 pg) and receiving yards (12th with 479 yards; 59.9 pg). During the Indiana game on Oct. 18, Marsh surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for his career; he has a total of 83 catches for 1,128 yards in 19 collegiate games.

►MAKHI FRAZIER NOTCHES SECOND CAREER 100-YARD RUSHING GAME
• Sophomore running back Makhi Frazier rushed for a career-high 109 yards on 14 carries against Michigan, including a career-long 49-yard run in the second quarter that set up MSU's first touchdown of the game. It marked Frazier's second 100-yard rushing game of the season (103 vs. Western Michigan in season opener on Aug. 29). Frazier leads the team in rushing yards (493; 61.6 ypg) and carries (108) and is tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 18 runs of 10-plus yards.

►RED ZONE EFFICIENCY
• Michigan State has scored on 27 of its 29 trips to the red zone this season, good for a .931 percentage, which ranks third in the Big Ten and 20th in the FBS. The Spartans have scored 21 touchdowns in the red zone, including 13 rushing TDs, along with six field goals. MSU's TD percentage in the red zone (.724) ranks third in the Big Ten and 26th in the FBS.

►20 CONSECUTIVE STARTS UNDER CENTER FOR JUNIOR QUARTERBACK AIDAN CHILES
• Junior Aidan Chiles has started 20 consecutive games at quarterback for the Spartans. Now in his second season at MSU, Chiles is completing 63 percent of his passes (128-of-203) for 1,392 yards and 10 touchdowns against three interceptions.

• He currently ranks among the Big Ten leaders in points responsible for per game (eighth with 12.3 ppg), rushing TDs (ninth with six), passing touchdowns (10th with 10), passing efficiency (11th with 134.0 rating) and total offense (14th with 202.4 ypg). The Long Beach, California, native has accounted for 16 total touchdowns (10 passing, six rushing).

• Chiles was 27-of-33 passing for 243 yards and one touchdown in the loss at No. 3 Indiana on Oct. 18. He completed a career-best 82 percent of his passes while also leading the team in rushing with 48 yards on eight carries, including a career-long 64-yard rush in the fourth quarter. At one point, Chiles completed a school-record 20 consecutive passes, which tied the second-longest completion streak in any Big Ten Conference game (record: 22 by Chuck Long vs. Indiana in 1984).

►OMARI KELLY PROVING TO BE A PRODUCTIVE ALL-AROUND THREAT FOR MSU
• Senior wide receiver Omari Kelly, who is in his first season at MSU after transferring from Middle Tennessee State, leads the team in all-purpose yards (570; 71.3 ypg) and ranks second in receptions (30) and receiving yards (435; 54.4 ypg). Kelly ranks 17th in the Big Ten in receiving yards per game (54.4) and tied for 22nd in receptions per game (3.8), while also ranking second in the Big Ten in punt returns (18.6 avg.).

►MATT GULBIN ANCHORING THE OFFENSIVE LINE
• Graduate senior center Matt Gulbin, a Wake Forest transfer who joined the program in 2025, has taken every snap on offense this season for the Spartans (538). He is graded the second-best center in the FBS by Pro Football Focus (85.4). Gulbin is currently on the Rimington Trophy Watch List for the nation's best center.

►JORDAN HALL LEADS TEAM, RANKS AMONG BIG TEN LEADERS IN TACKLES
• Junior co-captain linebacker Jordan Hall leads the team and ranks 11th in the Big Ten with 60 tackles (7.5 pg). He recorded a career-high 15 tackles, including nine solo stops, in the win over Boston College on Sept. 6 to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. Hall had his first career interception to go along with eight tackles at Nebraska on Oct. 4.

►ALEX VANSUMEREN A VETERAN PRESENCE ON THE DEFENSIVE LINE
• Redshirt junior defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren has started 20 straight games on the defensive line for the Spartans (all 12 games in 2024; all eight games in 2025).

• VanSumeren has already recorded a career-high 36 tackles, which ranks most among the Spartan defensive line and third most on the team.

►PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN RYAN ECKLEY A WEAPON ON SPECIAL TEAMS
• Redshirt junior and preseason All-American punter Ryan Eckley was named one of "Ray's 8" this past week by the Ray Guy Award for his performance against Michigan. Eckley averaged 47.4 yards on seven punts (332 yards), including a long of 55 yards and two placed inside the 20.

• Eckley has shown why he is one of the best punters in the nation in the first eight games of the season. Although he doesn't meet the NCAA stat minimums, Eckley would rank No. 1 in the FBS with his 50.4-yard punting average. He also ranks first in the Big Ten in 50-yard plus punts (16) and tied for third with 11 punts inside the 20. Eckley has dropped seven punts inside the opponents' 10-yard line, including three at the 1 and one at the 2.

• Eckley has a career punting average of 47.9 yards per punt (127 punts for 6,087 yards), which would rank No. 1 in school history (current record: Bryce Baringer, 46.0 avg.). That average also ranks No. 1 among current active players in the FBS.

Makhi Frazier action vs Michigan — **Makhi Frazier rushed for a career-high 109 yards against Michigan last Saturday in Spartan Stadium.**

►STAT LEADERS
Michigan State:
Rushing – So. Makhi Frazier (108 carries for 493 yards, 4.6 avg., 2 TDs, 61.6 ypg)
Passing – Jr. Aidan Chiles (128-of-203, .631, 1,392 yards, 10 TDs, 3 INTs, 174.0 ypg)
Receiving – So. Nick Marsh (42 receptions for 479 yards, 11.4 avg., 5 TDs, 59.9 ypg)
Tackles – Jr. LB Jordan Hall (60 tackles, 3.5 TFLs for 10 yards, 2.0 sacks for 8 yards, 1 FF, 1 INT)

Minnesota:
Rushing – Jr. Darius Taylor (80 carries for 354 yards, 4.4 avg., 1 TD, 59.0 ypg)
Passing – R-Fr. Drake Lindsey (145-of-236, .614, 1,546 yards, 10 TDs, 6 INTs, 193.3 ypg)
Receiving – R-Sr. Le'meke Brockington (31 receptions for 339 yards, 10.9 avg., 3 TDs, 42.4 ypg)
Tackles – R-Sr. LB Devon Williams (65 tackles, 6.5 TFLs for 11 yards, 1.5 sacks for 3 yards, 2 PBUs)

►SERIES NOTES
• Saturday's game marks the 50th meeting between Michigan State and Minnesota. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 30-19, including a 13-12 record in games played in Minneapolis. MSU fell to Minnesota, 27-12, in its last trip to Minneapolis in 2023 and is 2-2 in games at Huntington Bank Stadium, which opened in 2009. Overall, Michigan State has won 24 of the last 32 meetings, dating back to 1977, including five out of the last seven.

►MSU-MINNESOTA CONNECTIONS
• Michigan State defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Rossi spent six seasons (2018-23) at Minnesota, where he helped build the Gophers into one of the best defenses in the Big Ten as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Minnesota's defense ranked among the top 10 in the FBS in total defense three times (No. 3 in 2021, No. 8 in 2022, No. 10 in 2019) and scoring defense twice (No. 4 in 2022, No. 6 in 2021) under Rossi's direction. Rossi coached 30 All-Big Ten honorees, two first-team All-Americans and 10 NFL Draft picks during his time in Minneapolis.

• Co-special teams coordinator/rush ends coach Chad Wilt spent two seasons at Minnesota (2020-21) as the defensive line coach under Joe Rossi.

• Assistant linebackers coach Andrew Bindelglass worked with current Spartan defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Rossi for five seasons at Minnesota (defensive graduate assistant in 2019-21; defensive quality control in 2022-23).

►QUICK GLANCE AT MINNESOTA (5-3, 3-2 BIG TEN)
• Minnesota is 5-3 overall and 3-2 in B1G play coming off a 41-3 loss at Iowa in the rivalry battle for Floyd of Rosedale trophy with the Hawkeyes last Saturday in Iowa City.

• The Gophers were denied its season-long three-game win streak, as Minnesota has two in a row twice, opening the season with a pair of nonconference wins over Buffalo (23-10 on Aug. 28) and Northwestern State (66-0 on Sept. 6), before a loss at California (27-14 on Sept. 13). After a win over Rutgers (31-28 on Sept. 27), the Gophers lost at No. 1 Ohio State (42-3 on Oct. 4), before another two-game win streak with home wins over Purdue (27-20 on Oct. 11) and Nebraska (24-6 on Oct. 17), before Saturday's loss at Iowa.

• Offensively, the Gophers are 14th in the B1G and 96th in the FBS in scoring offense (23.9 ppg), while ranking 11th in the league and 47th in the nation in scoring defense (21.8 ppg).

• Minnesota's offense is 17th in the conference and 121st in the country in total offense (314.6 ypg), ranking 16th in the B1G and 118th in the FBS in rushing offense (110.5 ypg), along with 12th in passing offense (204.1 ypg).

• Defensively, the Gophers are sixth in the league and 15th in the nation in total defense (292.1 ypg), while ranking fifth in the conference and 19th in the country in rushing defense (102.1 ypg), in addition to ranking ninth in the B1G and 32nd in the FBS in passing yards allowed (190.0 ypg).

• Individually, redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey is 11th in the B1G and 86th in the FBS in passing yards/game (193.3 ypg), along with 10th in the league and 65th in the nation in passing TDs (10). Lindsey is 145-of-236 (.614) passing with 10 TDs and six INTs for 1,546 yards. Lindsey also has a team-high two rushing TDs, two of his 19 rushes, but has -63 net yards rushing, with a season-long rush of 3 yards.

• Redshirt senior wide receiver Lemeke Brockington is 18th in the B1G and 133rd in FBS in receptions/game (3.88), with 31 total catches on the season for 339 yards (42.4 ypg). Brockington and redshirt senior tight end Jameson Geers are tied for the team lead and tied for 20th in the league in receiving TDs (3).

• Junior running back Darius Taylor, who is a native of Detroit and the lone Michigander on the Gophers' roster, is 16th in the conference and 106th in the country in rushing yards/game (59.0), as well as 17th in the league and 113th in the nation in rushing yards/carry (4.43). Taylor has 354 yards on 80 carries with one rushing TD.

• The Gophers' defense is led by redshirt senior linebacker Devon Williams with 65 total tackles, ranking seventh in the B1G and 45th in the FBS in tackles/game (8.1), adding 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two pass break-ups and one QB hurry.

• Redshirt junior defensive lineman Anthony Smith leads Minnesota and ranks third in the league and tied for 21st in the nation in tackles for loss (9.5), while tied for tops in the conference and tied for seventh in the country in sacks (7.0).

• Junior defensive back John Nestor is tied for fourth in the B1G and tied for 11th in the FBS with three interceptions, and is one of 15 players in the conference with an INT return for a TD. Nestor is also tied for third in the B1G and tied for 24th in the FBS in passes defended (8), adding five pass break-ups, which ranks tied for fifth.

• Redshirt sophomore linebacker Matt Kingsbury leads the league and ranks tied for first in the nation with three fumble recoveries.

• Senior placekicker Brady Denaburg is 10th in the conference and 57th in the country in field goals/game (1.25), along with 12th in the league and 67th in the nation in field goal percentage (.769), making 10-of-13), with a long of 46, making all nine attempts inside 40 yards, with his only misses coming from 41, 50 and 51-yards. Denaburg is also 21-of-21 on PATs.

• Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck is in his ninth year guiding the Golden Gophers, posting a 63-42 overall record at Minnesota. Fleck is in his 13th year overall, amassing a 93-64 all-time collegiate head coach record, which includes three seasons as Western Michigan head coach.

Dunnigan_Quindarius vs UM 2025

LAST TIME OUT: NO. 25/24 MICHIGAN 31, MICHIGAN STATE 20

►GAME RECAP
Michigan State scored 13 points in the fourth quarter but fell to No. 25 Michigan, 31-20, in front of a sellout crowd of 75,085 fans at Spartan Stadium last Saturday night.

Sophomore running back Makhi Frazier had 14 carries for a career-high 109 yards to lead MSU, while junior quarterback Aidan Chiles completed 14-of-28 passes for 130 yards and had a 1-yard rushing touchdown, his sixth rushing TD of the season.

Junior linebacker Jordan Hall led the defensive unit with nine tackles, while graduate linebacker Darius Snow and junior defensive lineman Jalen Thompson had six tackles apiece and redshirt junior defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren added five tackles.

►SCORING SUMMARY
The Spartans received the opening kickoff, but fumbled on their third play, giving Michigan good field position at the UM 37-yard line. MSU's defense held the Wolverines to a 21-yard field goal by Dominic Zvada.

The Wolverines (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) took a 10-0 lead with 3:58 left in the first quarter on Bryce Underwood's 13-yard rushing touchdown.

Michigan State cut the lead to 10-7 thanks for Aidan Chiles' 1-yard rush midway through the second quarter. MSU's TD drive was aided by Makhi Frazier's season-long 49-yard rush to the Spartan 26-yard line; the total drive encompassed 73 yards on 10 plays and took 6:36 off the clock.

The Wolverines scored on their first possession of the second half, going 71 yards on seven plays, capped by a 5-yard touchdown run by Justice Haynes. On third-and-8 from the MSU 21-yard line, Malcolm Bell blitzed off the edge and forced an Underwood fumble, but Bell was called offsides, and the Wolverines scored two plays later.

Michigan increased its advantage to 24-7 on Haynes' second touchdown run, this time from 14 yards out, at the 3:08 mark in the third quarter.

The Spartans responded with a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to make it 24-13 with 12:34 remaining, but didn't convert the 2-point conversion. Chiles' 24-yard pass to Marsh to the UM 1 set up Brandon Tullis' 1-yard rushing score.

The Wolverines pushed their lead to 31-13 on a 56-yard score from Jordan Marshall with 2:48 to play in the game.

Michigan State redshirt freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic engineered a nine-play, 75-yard drive in the final minutes, throwing a 21-yard touchdown pass to redshirt junior tight end Michael Masunas to make it 31-20.

►OFFENSIVE NOTES
• Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles was 14-of-28 passing for 130 yards . . . Chiles posted his third straight game and sixth game of the season without an interception.

• Chiles also scored a rushing TD for his sixth rushing TD of the season . . . it was the fourth game in the last five contests that Chiles has scored a rushing TD, and he has five rushing TDs in that four-game span highlighted by two TDs at Nebraska (10/4/25) . . . Chiles now has nine rushing TDs for his two-year MSU career and 12 total rushing TDs in his collegiate career.

• Sophomore running back Makhi Frazier rushed for a career-high 109 yards on 14 carries, including a career-long 49-yard scamper in the second quarter . . . Frazier posted his second 100-yard rushing outing after his previous career-best of 103 yards vs. Western Michigan in the season opener (8/29/25) . . . the 49-yard run also topped his previous longest rush of 28 yards from the same game vs. WMU.

• Sophomore running back Brandon Tullis scored his third rushing TD of the season but first Big Ten touchdown, with his 1-yard TD early in the fourth quarter . . . Tullis' previous TDs came in the season opener vs. Western Michigan (9/29/25) and vs. Youngstown State (9/13/25).

• Sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh had game highs of six catches for 75 yards . . . Marsh now has 20 receptions for 216 yards in the last three games after seven catches in both the games vs. UCLA and Indiana and six Saturday vs. Michigan . . . Marsh has five or more catches in six of the eight games this season.

• Marsh has at least one catch in all 19 games he's played in as a Spartan, including multiple catches in the last 18 in a row, after one catch in his Spartan debut vs. Florida Atlantic, and then multiple catches in the last 18 straight.

• Redshirt freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic was 5-of-6 passing for 60 yards with one TD . . . Milivojevic tossed his third TD of the season, all coming in the last four games, with one each at Nebraska (10/4/25) and vs. UCLA (10/11/25).

• Redshirt junior tight end Michael Masunas caught his third TD pass of the season, but also his first in a Big Ten game . . . his previous TDs came in back-to-back games vs. Boston College (9/6/25) and Youngstown State (9/13/25) . . . Masunas now has at least one catch in seven of the eight games, with the Nebraska game the only contest without a catch.

• Senior wide receiver Omari Kelly had three catches for 29 yards, as he has at least one catch in all eight games played as a Spartan this season, as part of multiple receptions in seven of the eight contests . . . Kelly added one punt return for 12 yards.

►DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Junior linebacker Jordan Hall led MSU with nine tackles, marking this second-highest tackle total of the season behind his career-high 15 tackles vs. Boston College (9/6/25) . . . Hall has registered six or more tackles in each of the last four games as part of six of the eight games this season.

• Junior defensive lineman Jalen Thompson logged a career-high six tackles.

• Graduate linebacker Darius Snow logged six stops, his second-highest of the season, behind his season-best seven stops which came against vs. Boston College (9/6/25).

• Redshirt junior defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren posted five tackles, marking his fifth straight game with four or more stops and sixth time in eight games . . . Van Sumeren also posted the first pass break-up of his career.

• Senior defensive back Nikai Martinez returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Week 4 against USC and logged five tackles, for his second game with five or more stops.

• Redshirt senior linebacker Wayne Matthews III tallied five stops, marking the fourth consecutive game with five tackles as part of five or more tackles in seven of the eight games.

►SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Ray Guy Award Watch List member Ryan Eckley had seven punts of a 47.4 ypp average, with a long of 55 yards, one of three punts of 50+ yards . . . Eckley had 51 and 55-yarders in the first quarter, adding another 51-yarder in the second quarter.

• Eckley now has 16 punts of 50+ yards this season and 60 for his career.