Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State Hosts No. 25 Northwestern Saturday in Spartan Stadium
10/13/2026 2:41:00 PM | Football
Game 7:Â Michigan State (2-4, 0-3Â B1G) vs. No. 25 Northwestern (4-1, 1-1 B1G)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 17
Kickoff:Â 12:06 p.m.
Location:Â East Lansing, Mich.
Stadium:Â Spartan Stadium (74,866)
Surface:Â Natural Grass
Game Notes:Â MSUÂ
Purchase Tickets: msuspartans.com/fbtickets
â–ºGAME DAY INFORMATION
Game Day Central (Parking/Tailgating/Timeline)
Parking:Â All parking lots will open at 7 a.m. |Â Parking Map
Game Day Updates: Fans can sign up to receive game day updates from MSU Police and Public Safety this season by texting SPARTANFB26 to 888777. Updates will include safety information, potential game delays, traffic suggestions, etc.
Promotions:Â Go Green, Wear White
â–ºBROADCAST INFORMATION
TV/Streaming/Mobile: Peacock
Announcers:Â Paul Burmeister (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analyst), Caroline Pineda (sidelines)Â
Radio:Â Spartan Media Network |Â Affiliate Listings
Announcers: George Blaha (play-by-play), Jehuu Caulcrick (analyst), Tre Mosley (sidelines), Dalton Shetler (broadcast host)
Website/Mobile: msuspartans.com/watch, MSU Athletics app, Tune In radio
Flagship Stations:Â Lansing:Â WMMQÂ (94.9 FM); Detroit: WJR (760 AM); Grand Rapids:Â WBFXÂ (101.3 FM)
Affiliates:Â 17 affiliates listed at msuspartans.com
Satellite:Â SiriusXM Ch. 85 | SiriusXM App Ch. 85
Pregame Show:Â Begins at 10:30 a.m. ET
â–ºSERIES INFORMATION
All-Time Series:Â MSU leads, 40-20
Series in East Lansing:Â MSU leads, 19-9
Last Meeting: MSU 38, Northwestern 21 (2021 in Evanston)
Current Series Streak:Â 3 by MSU
â–ºHEAD COACHES
MSU Head Coach:Â Pat Fitzgerald
MSU Record: 2-4 (first year)
Overall Record: 112-105 (18th year)
Record vs. Northwestern: 0-0
Northwestern Head Coach: David Braun
Northwestern Record: 23-20 (fourth year)
Overall Record: 23-20 (fourth year)
Record vs. MSU: 0-0
SPARTANS HOST NO. 25 NORTHWESTERN SATURDAY
• Michigan State plays host to No. 25/RV Northwestern on Saturday, Oct. 17 at noon in Spartan Stadium. The game will be streamed on Peacock with Paul Burmeister (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analyst) and Caroline Pineda (sidelines) on the call.Â
• The Spartans (2-4, 0-3 B1G) nearly rallied from a 17-point deficit against Illinois last Saturday on Homecoming, but ultimately fell to the Fighting Illini, 38-37 in overtime. Getting the ball second in OT, MSU scored a touchdown, but then went for the win on the 2-point conversion attempt and failed to convert on an incomplete pass. Northwestern (4-1, 1-1 B1G) entered the AP Top 25 this week at No. 25 following a 45-14 win over Ball State last Saturday in Evanston. The Wildcats' only loss of the season came at defending National Champion and fifth-ranked Indiana on Sept. 25, 29-23.
• Michigan State's six opponents to date have a combined 26-10 record, which ranks tied for the 10th-toughest in the FBS by the NCAA and 12th-toughest by ESPN.Â
• Saturday's game marks the 61st meeting between Michigan State and Northwestern. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 40-20, including a 19-9 record in East Lansing. MSU has won three in a row over the Wildcats. The two teams last met in the 2021 season opener at Northwestern, a 38-21 victory for Michigan State as All-American Kenneth Walker III ran for 264 yards and four touchdowns in his Spartan debut. It marks the first meeting in Spartan Stadium since MSU beat the 11th-ranked Wildcats, 29-20, on Nov. 28, 2020.Â
• One of the winningest coaches in Big Ten history, Pat Fitzgerald was named Michigan State's 27th head coach on Dec. 1, 2025. Over 17 seasons as the head coach at Northwestern from 2006-22, Fitzgerald won 110 games, while guiding the Wildcats to 10 bowl games, five AP Top 25 finishes and a pair of appearances in the Big Ten Football Championship Game after winning the Big Ten West Division title in both 2018 and 2020. He was named the 2018 Big Ten Coach of the Year, and in 2020, won the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Year Award after leading the Wildcats to a No. 10 national ranking and a win in the Citrus Bowl over Auburn.
• Fitzgerald's 112 wins rank 13th all-time for a Big Ten football coach, while his five bowl game victories rank tied for 12th among conference coaches.
• Graduate running back Jaziun Patterson scored four touchdowns against Illinois, the most by a Spartan in a game since Kenneth Walker III scored five in the win over Michigan in 2021. Patterson rushed for 93 yards and three TDs on 17 carries, and added three catches for 26 yards, including a 6-yard TD reception.
QUICK GLANCE AT THE SPARTANS
â–ºOFFENSEÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• Jaziun Patterson, who played his first four seasons at Iowa, has the led the Spartans in rushing for three straight games following the season-ending injury to Cam Edwards in Week 4 vs. Nebraska.Â
• Patterson has 61 carries for 255 yards and five TDs on the season, averaging 42.5 yards per game. The last three games, Patterson has 51 carries for 209 yards (17.0 carries per game and 69.7 ypg). He had 10 rushing attempts for 46 yards (3.3 carries per game and 15.3 ypg) in the first three games of the season.
• Patterson ranks sixth in the Big Ten with five rushing touchdowns and seventh with six total TDs.
• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic has started the last 10 games for the Spartans, including the final four games of the 2025 season and the first six of this season. Milivojevic has completed 66 percent of his passes (102-of-155) for 1,047 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions in the first six games of the season. Milivojevic completed a career-high 85 percent of his passes (22-of-26) for 196 yards and two touchdowns against Illinois.
• Redshirt senior Chrishon McCray is tied for the team lead with 23 receptions and ranks third on the team with 183 receiving yards (30.5 ypg).
• Redshirt freshman tight end Jayden Savoury also has 23 catches and is second with 228 receiving yards. Savoury leads all Big Ten tight ends in receptions (23).
â–ºDEFENSEÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• Fourth-year safety Devin Vaught leads the Spartan defense and ranks tied for 19th in the Big Ten with 38 tackles. Vaught is in his first season after playing his first three years at Maine (2023-25).
• Fourth-year defensive lineman Eli Coenen, an Illinois transfer, leads the team with four tackles for loss (22 yards) and three sacks (22 yards).
• Fifth-year defensive lineman Ben Roberts was named the team's defensive player of the week vs. Illinois after tallying a career-high seven tackles. Roberts has 18 stops on the year and is currently graded out at 81.1 by Pro Football Focus.
• Senior captain linebacker Jordan Hall has missed two games due to injury, but still ranks tied for third on the team with 25 tackles and tied for second with three tackles for loss. A first-team preseason All-Big Ten selection by Phil Steele, Hall is the first Spartan linebacker to be named a captain in back-to-back years since Joe Bachie (2018-19). Hall entered entered 2026 on preseason watch lists for the Bednarik Award (best defensive player), the Butkus Award (nation's top linebacker) and the Wuerffel Trophy (premier community service award in college football).
â–ºSPECIAL TEAMSÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• Fifth-year graduate kicker Liam Boyd is tied for second in the Big Ten and tied for 11th in the nation with 10 field goals, already surpassing his previous career high of nine from a year ago at Charlotte. Boyd is 4-for-4 from 30-39 yards and 5-of-5 from 40-49 yards and also connected on a career-long 51-yarder in the season opener vs. Toledo.
• Third-year punter Rhys Dakin, a transfer from Iowa in his first season at MSU, leads the Big Ten with his 51.6-yard average (15 for 774 yards). He would rank No. 1 in the FBS as well, but doesn't have the minimum amount of punts to qualify for the national leaders. Dakin booted a career-high 74-yard punt in the Illinois game. A native of Melbourne, Australia, Dakin also ranks second in the conference with nine punts of 50-plus yards and has placed six punts inside the 20.
LAST TIME OUT: ILLINOIS 38, MICHIGAN STATE 37 (OT)
â–ºGAME RECAPÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• Michigan State outscored Illinois 24-11 in the second half, but its comeback fell short in a 38-37 overtime loss last Saturday at Spartan Stadium.
• After trailing 20-7 at halftime and 31-17 early in the fourth quarter, the Spartans rallied to tie the game at 31 with 1:17 left in regulation to send the game into overtime. Illinois scored a touchdown on its first play in overtime, but the Spartans bounced right back on Jaziun Patterson's third rushing touchdown of the game to cut the deficit to 38-37. MSU then went for the win on the 2-point conversion attempt, but failed to convert on an incomplete pass.
• Patterson led the Spartans on the ground for the third consecutive game with 93 yards on 17 carries and three rushing touchdowns. Patterson also caught three passes for 26 yards and a touchdown to finish with four total scores.
• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic was 22-of-26 passing for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Redshirt freshman tight end Jayden Savoury led MSU with six receptions for a team-high 49 yards and redshirt junior wide receiver Fredrick Moore caught two passes for 42 yards and a touchdown.
• Senior Cam Stodghill led Michigan State with 11 total tackles (five solo). Redshirt junior safety Devin Vaught returned a third quarter interception 37 yards to set up a Patterson touchdown.
â–ºSPARTAN PLAYERS OF THE GAME VS. ILLINOISÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• Offense: #4 Gr. RB Jaziun Patterson (17 carries for 93 yards and three TDs; three catches for 26 yards and one TD)
• Offensive Playmaker: #63 Gr. C Trent FraleyÂ
• Defense: #55 R-Sr. DL Ben Roberts (7 tackles, 0.5 TFL)
• Defensive Playmaker: #2 R-Jr. S Devin Vaught (37-yard INT return, 5 tackles)
• Special Teams: #37 Gr. K Liam Boyd (5-for-5 PATs, 42-yard FG), #5 Fr. Samson Gash
â–ºOFFENSIVE NOTESÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• Michigan State scored a season-high 37 points, topping the previous high score on the season of 35 points vs. Eastern Michigan (9/12/26).
• Graduate running back Jaziun Patterson made his second straight start and scored a career-high three rushing TDs for the first multiple TD outing of his collegiate career. He became the first Spartan with three rushing TDs since Nathan Carter had three vs. Richmond in 2023. Patterson also logged a career-high 93 yards on 17 carries.
• Patterson also caught a 6-yard TD pass from Milivojevic for not only his first collegiate TD catch, but also became the first Spartan with at least one rushing and one receiving TD in the same game since Nathan Carter had a 2-yard rush and a 20-yard reception for scores vs. Purdue on Nov. 22, 2024.
• Patterson's four total touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) ties for fourth most in a single game in school history and is the most by a Spartan in one game since Kenneth Walker III had five against Michigan in 2021.
• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic was 22-of-26 passing for 196 yards, with two TDs and no INTs . . . the two TD tosses marked his second multi-TD outing of the season, matching his outing vs. Eastern Michigan (9/12/26), as part of his fourth career game with multiple TDs . . . his 85 percent completion rate was a career best.Â
• Redshirt freshman tight end Jayden Savoury snared a career-high six catches for 49 yards.
• Redshirt junior wide receiver Fredrick Moore had his second TD catch of the season and third of his career . . . he had two catches for 42 yards overall.
â–ºDEFENSIVE NOTESÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• Redshirt junior safety Devin Vaught snared an interception near midfield in the third quarter and returned it 37 yards, setting up MSU's second TD of the game. It was Vaught's first interception as a Spartan, and the seventh of his collegiate career, with six picks during his time at Maine, with three each in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
• Senior linebacker Cam Stodghill notched a season-high 11 tackles, nearly doubling his previous season total of six stops entering the game . . . the 11 tackles marked his seventh career game with double-digit tackles, posting 10+ stops six times during his career at Albany (2023-25), with five outings in 2025 and one in 2024.
• Graduate safety Nikai Martinez posted a season-high nine tackles, one shy of his career-high of 10 tackles (vs. Minnesota, 11/1/25).
â–ºSTAT LEADERS
Michigan State:
Rushing – Gr. Cam Edwards (64 carries for 304 yards, 4.8 avg., 3 TDs, 76.0 ypg)
Passing – R-So. Alessio Milivojevic (102-of-155, .658, 1,047 yards, 5 TDs, 3 INTs, 174.5 ypg)
Receiving – R-Sr. Chrishon McCray (23 receptions for 183 yards, 8.0 avg., 0 TDs, 30.5 ypg)
Tackles – R-Jr. S Devin Vaught (38 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT)
Northwestern:
Rushing – R-Jr. Caleb Komolafe (60 carries for 334 yards, 5.6 avg., 3 TDs, 66.8 ypg)
Passing – Sr. Aidan Chiles (80-of-112, .714, 1,172 yards, 9 TDs, 0 INTs, 234.4 ypg)
Receiving – Sr. Griffin Wilde (24 receptions for 425 yards, 17.7 avg., 3 TDs, 85.0 ypg)
Tackles – R-Sr. Robert Fitzgerald (49 tackles, 0.5 TFLs, 2 INTs, 2 PBUs, 1 FR)
â–ºMSU-NORTHWESTERNÂ SERIES NOTESÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• Saturday's game marks the 61st meeting between Michigan State and Northwestern. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 40-20, including a 19-9 record in East Lansing.Â
• MSU has won three in a row over the Wildcats.Â
• The two teams last met in the 2021 season opener at Northwestern, a 38-21 victory for Michigan State as All-American Kenneth Walker III ran for 264 yards and four touchdowns in his Spartan debut.Â
• It marks the first meeting in Spartan Stadium since MSU beat the 11th-ranked Wildcats, 29-20, on Nov. 28, 2020.Â
â–ºMSU-NORTHWESTERN CONNECTIONSÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• One of the winningest coaches in Big Ten history, Pat Fitzgerald was named Michigan State's 27th head coach on Dec. 1, 2025. Over 17 seasons as the head coach at Northwestern from 2006-22, Fitzgerald won a school-record 110 games, while guiding the Wildcats to 10 bowl games, five AP Top 25 finishes and a pair of appearances in the Big Ten Football Championship Game after winning the Big Ten West Division title in both 2018 and 2020. He was named the 2018 Big Ten Coach of the Year, and in 2020, won the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Year Award after leading the Wildcats to a No. 10 national ranking and a win in the Citrus Bowl over Auburn.
• Fitzgerald is not only the winningest coach in Northwestern football history, he also was the leader of a stout Wildcat defense that won back-to-back Big Ten Championships in 1995 and 1996. He was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year twice and he became the first player ever to win both the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Chuck Bednarik Award two times, a feat he accomplished his junior and senior seasons. Fitzgerald also won the 1996 Jack Lambert Trophy, awarded to the top linebacker in college football, and was named NU's recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1997, recognizing him for athletic and academic excellence. The only two-time consensus All-American in Wildcat history, Fitzgerald was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 as player; he is also a member of the Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame.
• Spartan fifth-year linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. played for Pat Fitzgerald at Northwestern during the 2022 season and spent three seasons overall (2022-24) with the Wildcats. He played two seasons under currrent Wildcat head coach David Braun. Soares transferred to North Carolina State for the 2025 season before playing at MSU in 2026 to spend his final year under Fitzgerald.
• Northwestern senior quarterback Aidan Chiles played in 21 games at Michigan State (2024-25), including 20 starts. He threw for 3,807 yards and 23 touchdowns during his time as a Spartan.
â–ºSPARTANS FROM THE LAND OF LINCOLNÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• Michigan State has eight players on its 2026 roster from the state of Illinois: DL Mikeshun Beeler (Chicago/Simeon HS), LS Nick Duzansky (Glen Ellyn, Ill./St. Francis HS), RB Zion Gist (Frankfort/ Lincoln-Way East HS), DL Carlos Hazelwood (Chicago/Tinley Park HS), QB Alessio Milivojevic (Naperville/St. Francis HS), TE Kai Rios (Rock Island/Rock Island HS), LS Trey Serauskis (Frankfort/Lincoln-Way East HS) and WR Zach Washington (Naperville/St. Francis HS).
â–ºBRIEF GLANCE AT NO. 25 NORTHWESTERN (4-1, 1-1 BIG TEN)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
• The Wildcats come to town with a 4-1 overall record and a 1-1 Big Ten mark in tow. Northwestern completed non-conference action undefeated for the first time since 2015 after a 45-14 win over Ball State on Saturday in NU's Homecoming game.
• In Big Ten action, NU pushed No. 5/4 Indiana to the brink in Bloomington on Sept. 25, falling in a hard-fought battle, 29-23. The Wildcats then dominated Penn State, 34-13, on Oct. 2 to open New Ryan Field, the new home of Northwestern football. NU rushed for 413 yards in the win over Penn State, the Wildcats' third-most in a game since 1995.
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• In last week's win over Ball State, former Spartan quarterback senior Aidan Chiles completed 73.9 percent of his passes on 17-of-23 through the air for 272 yards and three passing TDs, while also adding a rushing score for the fifth straight game, finishing with 32 yards rushing.Â
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• The Wildcats are seventh in the B1G and 37th in the FBS in scoring offense (35.4 ppg), while ranking sixth in the conference and 22nd in the country in scoring defense (16.2 ppg).
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• Northwestern's offense is seventh in the league and 41st in the nation in total offense (437.4 ypg), ranking fourth in the B1G and 32nd in the FBS in rushing offense (203.0 ypg) and 13th in the league and 64th in the nation in passing offense (234.4 ypg).
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• The Wildcat defense is 16th in the B1G and 98th in the FBS in total defense (380.6 ypg), ranking 14th in the conference and 78th in the country in rushing defense (147.2 ypg), along with and 15th in the league and 100th in the nation in passing yards allowed (233.4 ypg).
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• Chiles is eighth in the B1G and 51st in the FBS in total offense (249.0 ypg), ranking fifth in the league and 39th in the country in passing yards/game (234.4). He adds 14.6 ypg rushing on 44 attempts for 82 yards. Chiles has thrown nine TDs with no INTs, while adding six rushing TDs, which ranks third in the league and 23rd in the nation.
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• The Wildcats have a potent 1-2 punch at running back with redshirt junior Caleb Komolafe and graduate senior Joseph Himon II. Komolafe is 10th in the B1G and 79th in the FBS in rushing yards/game (66.8), while Himon is close behind at 12th in the league and 91st in the nation (63.8), and they both have three TDs each. Komolafe is also seventh in the conference and 44th in the country in rush yards/carry (5.57).
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• Senior wide receiver Griffin Wilde is seventh in the B1G and 25th in the FBS in receiving yards/game (85.0), with 24 catches for 425 yards, ranking ninth in the league and 33rd in the country in total receiving yards. Wilde and Himon are tied for the team lead with three receiving TDs apiece, with Himon snaring just four catches total.
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• Redshirt senior defensive back Robert Fitzgerald leads the NU defense and ranks tied for third in the B1G with 45 total tackles, (20 solo, 25 assists), ranking fourth in the league in assists and tied for 19th in solo stops, adding a team-leading two interceptions, ranking tied for second in the conference, along with two pass break-ups and one fumble recovery. Fitzgerald sealed the win over Penn State with his first interception of the season, then snared an INT in the Ball State game and returned the oskie 15 yards for a TD, one of 14 players in the B1G with a pick six.
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• Graduate linebacker Braydon Brus had 37 total tackles with 9.0 tackles for loss, including 3.0 sacks. Brus leads the B1G and ranks sixth in the FBS with 1.8 TFL per game, also ranking second in the league and ranking tied for eighth in the nation in total TFLs.
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• Graduate defensive back Ore Adeyi leads NU and ranks tied for fourth in the B1G and tied for 19th in the FBS in passes defended (6), with five pass break-ups and one INT, ranking tied for fifth in the league and tied for 18th in the nation in PBUs, including tying teammate redshirt-junior defensive back Josh Fussell with five PBUs.
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• Senior placekicker Jackson Kleather is 8-of-9 on FGs with a long of 52 yards, with his only missing coming from 50+, adding 21-of-21 PATs.
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• Redshirt freshman punter Nikola Dugandzic is tied for 12th in the conference with 16 punts, ranking 17th in the B1G with a 37.4 ypp average, logging a long of 72 yards, his only punt of 50+ yards, with five inside the 20 and inducing seven fair catches.
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• Northwestern head coach David Braun is in his fourth year at the reins of the Wildcat program, posting a 23-20 record, leading NU to a pair of bowl wins (2023 Las Vegas, 2025 GameAbove Sports).Â
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/ FootballMonday, October 12
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Monday, October 05
Saturday, October 03