Spartans, Badgers Set to Clash Saturday in Madison

Game 5: Michigan State (2-2, 0-1 B1G) at Wisconsin (3-1, 1-0 B1G)

Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
Kickoff: 12:31 p.m. ET / 11:31 a.m. CT
Location: Madison, Wis.
Stadium: Camp Randall Stadium (76,057)
Surface: FieldTurf
Game Notes: MSU | Wisconsin

►BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Big Ten Network
Streaming/Mobile: FOX One
Announcers: Jason Horowitz (play-by-play), Jake Butt (analyst), Brooke Fletcher (sidelines)

Radio: Spartan Media Network | 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: Lansing: WMMQ (94.9 FM)/WJIM (1240 AM); Detroit: WJR (760 AM); Grand Rapids: WBFX (101.3 FM)
Affiliates: 20 affiliates listed at msuspartans.com
Satellite: SiriusXM Ch. 257 | SiriusXM App Ch. 257
Pregame Show: Begins at 11 a.m. ET

►SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time Series: MSU leads, 31-24
Series in Madison: Tied 14-14
Last Meeting: MSU 34, Wisconsin 28 (2OT) (2022 in East Lansing)
Current Series Streak: 1 by MSU

►HEAD COACHES
MSU Head Coach: Pat Fitzgerald
MSU Record: 2-2 (first year)
Overall Record: 112-103 (18th year)
Record vs. Wisconsin: 5-8

Wisconsin Head Coach: Luke Fickell
Wisconsin Record: 20-22 (fourth year)
Overall Record: 83-47 (11th year)
Record vs. MSU: 0-1

►SPARTANS, BADGERS SET TO CLASH SATURDAY IN MADISON
• Michigan State heads to Madison to face Wisconsin on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 12:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. CT in Camp Randall Stadium. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network and streamed on FOX One with Jason Horowitz (play-by-play), Jake Butt (analyst) and Brooke Fletcher (sidelines) on the call.

• The Spartans (2-2) lost their Big Ten opener to Nebraska, 31-13, last Saturday in East Lansing. The Badgers rallied for a 17-point comeback victory at No. 13/14 Penn State, 24-20, to improve to 3-1 on the season (1-0 B1G). Trailing 20-10 entering the fourth quarter, Wisconsin scored two touchdowns in the final four minutes of the game, including a 72-yard TD reception by Jacob Harris with just 1:13 remaining, to post the victory.

• Fitzgerald faced Wisconsin 13 times during his tenure at Northwestern, collecting a 5-8 record, with all five of those victories against ranked Badger teams.

• Saturday's game marks the 56th meeting between Michigan State and Wisconsin. It's the first game in Madison between the two teams since 2019. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 31-24, with the series tied at 14-14 in Madison. MSU defeated Wisconsin, 34-28 in double overtime, in Spartan Stadium in the last matchup between the two schools on Oct. 15, 2022.

• Fifth-year graduate kicker Liam Boyd is tied for first in the Big Ten and fifth in the nation with eight field goals, just one shy of his career high he set last year at Charlotte. Boyd is 3-for-3 from 30-39 yards and 4-of-4 from 40-49 yards and also connected on a career-long 51-yarder in the season opener vs. Toledo.

• One of the winningest coaches in Big Ten history, 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.

►FITZGERALD ANNOUNCES CAM EDWARDS WILL MISS REMAINDER OF 2026 SEASON WITH AN INJURY
• MSU head coach Pat Fitzgerald announced at his weekly press conference on Monday, Sept. 28 that graduate running back Cam Edwards will miss the remainder of the 2026 season after suffering an injury in the first quarter against Nebraska in Week 4.

• At the time of his injury, Edwards led the Spartans in rushing yards (304), carries (64), rushing touchdowns (3) and all-purpose yards (339). He also ranked among active FBS leaders in career rushing yards (fourth with 2,994) and rushing touchdowns (fifth with 30).

• Edwards entered the 2026 season on the Maxwell Award Watch List and Doak Walker Award Watch List.

• A native of Norwalk, Connecticut, Edwards played his first four seasons (2022-25) at UConn and posted career highs for rushing yards (1,240), rushing touchdowns (15), carries (210), receptions (19) and receiving yards (187) for the Huskies in 2025, finishing the year ranked among the FBS Top 25 leaders in six categories (tied for ninth in TDs with 16; tied for 13th in rushing TDs; 15th in rushing yards; 17th in rushing yards per game; 22nd in all-purpose yards; 23rd in yards per carry).

• Edwards ran for 152 yards and two TDs on 21 carries in the win over Eastern Michigan in Week 2; it marked the most rushing yards by a Spartan running back since Kenneth Walker III had 197 against Michigan in 2021.

• In his Spartan debut, Edwards carried the ball a career-high 27 times for 98 yards and one TD in the win over Toledo.

►QUARTERBACK ALESSIO MILIVOJEVIC RETURNS AT QB FOR THE SPARTANS
• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic has started the last eight games for the Spartans, including the final four games of the 2025 season and the first four of this season.

• Milivojevic has completed 67 percent of his passes (65-of-97) for 748 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions in the first four games of the season.

• Overall in nine games of action as a redshirt freshman in 2025, Milivojevic connected on 64 percent of his throws (111-of-173) for 1,267 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. In his four starts, he completed 58 percent of his passes (79-of-136) for 986 yards and seven touchdowns.

►TWO-TIME CAPTAIN JORDAN HALL LEADS SPARTAN DEFENSE
• Senior linebacker Jordan Hall, who is the first Spartan linebacker to be named a captain in back-to-back years since Joe Bachie (2018-19), is back to lead the defense in 2026. After missing Week 2 with an injury, Hall returned to the starting lineup at No. 3 Notre Dame and led the Spartans with 13 tackles. He ranks second on the team with 21 tackles in just three games, including 3.0 TFLs (8 yards).

• Hall entered 2026 as a first-team All-Big Ten preseason selection by Phil Steele. He was also named to 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).

• Hall recorded a career-high 88 tackles last season, including 4.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks to go along with three forced fumbles, an interception, a fumble recovery and a pass break-up, to earn honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.

►ELI COENEN OFF TO STRONG START ON THE DEFENSIVE LINE
• Fourth-year defensive lineman Eli Coenen, a transfer from Illinois, is off to a strong start to his Spartan career. He was named the Spartan Defensive Player of the Week with three tackles, an 11-yard sack and a pass break-up vs. Toledo, and earned the honor for the second week in a row after recording four tackles with two sacks against Eastern Michigan in Week 2. Coenen currently ranks tied for first in the Big Ten with his three sacks.

►STAT 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 (65-of-97, .670, 748 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs, 187.0 ypg)
Receiving – R-Sr. Chrishon McCray (15 receptions for 131 yards, 8.7 avg., 0 TDs, 32.8 ypg)
Tackles – R-Jr. S Devin Vaught (26 tackles, 1 TFL)

Wisconsin:
Rushing – Sr. Abu Sama III (28 carries for 190 yards, 6.8 avg., 1 TD, 63.3 ypg)
Passing – Sr. Joseph Colton (72-of-123, .585, 987 yards, 7 TDs, 5 INTs, 246.8 ypg)
Receiving – 5th Tyrell Henry (24 receptions for 307 yards, 12.8 avg., 1 TDs, 76.8 ypg)
Tackles – So. LB Cooper Catalano (35 tackles, 1 PBU, 1 QBH, 1 FR)

►MSU-WISCONSIN SERIES NOTES
• Saturday's game marks the 56th meeting between Michigan State and Wisconsin. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 31-24, with the series tied at 14-14 in Madison.

• MSU defeated Wisconsin, 34-28 in overtime, in Spartan Stadium in the last matchup between the two schools on Oct. 15, 2022.

• Eighth-ranked Wisconsin beat MSU, 38-0, in the last matchup in Madison on Oct. 12, 2019.

• Michigan State's last win at Camp Randall Stadium was on Oct. 27, 2012, as Andrew Maxwell threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Bennie Fowler in overtime in MSU's 16-13 victory, which snapped Wisconsin's 21-game home winning streak.

►MSU-WISCONSIN CONNECTIONS
• Third-year tight ends coach Brian Wozniak was a four-year letterwinner as a tight end for the Badgers (2009-13). Wozniak played in three consecutive Rose Bowls (2011-13) during his time at UW and was a member of three straight Big Ten Championship teams (2010-12).

• First-year running backs coach Devon Spalding spent three years on Luke Fickell's staff at Wisconsin in the same role from 2023-25.

• First-year cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat held the same position at Wisconsin for two seasons (2021-22).

• First-year assistant defensive line coach Jake Chaney was a four-year letterwinner (2021-24) as an inside linebacker for the Badgers, playing in 45 career games, including 22 starts.

• First-year assistant running backs coach Grover Bortolotti played five seasons as a running back at Wisconsin from 2021-25, including three under Spalding.

• Third-year edge Anelu Lafaele played his freshman season (2024) at Wisconsin.

• Fourth-year Wisconsin defensive coordinator Mike Tressel coached 14 seasons (2007-20) at Michigan State, including 13 under Hall of Fame Coach Mark Dantonio. Tressel began his MSU tenure as the linebackers coach and oversaw special teams before serving as the co-defensive coordinator from 2015-17 and the sole defensive coordinator from 2018-19. He spent his final season in East Lansing as the safeties coach in 2020.

• Fifth-year Badger wide receiver Tyrell Henry played two seasons (2022-23) at Michigan State.

• First-year Wisconsin secondary coach Paul Haynes had two separate stints on the Spartan coaching staff. He was the defensive backs coach under John L. Smith in 2003-04 and the defensive backs coach under Dantonio from 2018-19.

• Wisconsin associate director of strength and conditioning Danny Folino was a three-year letterwinner (2011-13) at Michigan State.

►LAST TIME OUT VS. WISCONSIN: MSU 34, WISCONSIN 28 (2OT ON OCT. 15, 2022 IN EAST LANSING)
Payton Thorne threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Reed in the second overtime period as the Spartans beat Wisconsin, 34-28, on Oct. 15, 2022, in Spartan Stadium.

Thorne completed 21-of-28 passes for 265 yards and threw two touchdown passes, while Reed caught nine passes for 117 yards and one score while also throwing a 25-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman in overtime. Coleman had five receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns.

Jacoby Windmon led the defensive unit with 11 tackles, including two for loss, while Cal Haladay had nine tackles. Windmon caused both turnovers - he had his first career interception in the first quarter, and forced a fumble on Wisconsin's second possession of overtime.

In the second overtime, Windmon forced a fumble on Wisconsin's first play, giving MSU the ball back on the 25-yard line. After two plays and facing a third-and-12, Thorne connected with Reed on a 27-yard pass in the corner of the north end zone, giving MSU the thrilling 34-28 win.

A GLANCE AT WISCONSIN (3-1, 1-0 B1G)
• The Badgers have a 3-1 overall ledger and a 1-0 Big Ten record, coming off their biggest comeback since 2001, rallying from 17 points down to beat No. 13 Penn State, 24-20, Saturday night at PSU's Beaver Stadium, as Wisconsin has now won three of its last four games against ranked opponents, dating back to a season ago.

• Wisconsin was down 17-0 early in the second quarter, before scoring a TD with 1:18 left in the first half to get within 17-7 at halftime, then scoring early in the third quarter to close to 17-10. A PSU field goal made it 20-10 late in the third stanza, before UW quarterback Colton Joseph connected on two TD passes just over two minutes apart, hitting Eugene Hilton Jr. with an 11-yard pass at 3:31, before connecting with Jacob Harris for a 72-yard scoring pass play with 1:13 left. PSU got to the WIS 33-yard line, but no closer before time expired.

• Joseph, a senior transfer QB from Old Dominion, was 18-of-38 passing for 235 yards with the two TDs, but also threw three interceptions and was sacked once, along with rushing 13 times for 39 yards and one TD.

• Harris, a senior tight end, had five catches for 105 yards, highlighted by the game-winning 72-yard TD. Junior running back Darrion Dupree had eight carries for 52 yards and added four catches for 44 yards, while Hilton, a sophomore wide receiver, finished with two catches for 29 yards.

• Sophomore linebacker Mason Posa led the Badger defense with 12 tackles, including 1.0 TFL, while fellow sophomore linebacker Cooper Catalono added nine stops with one pass break-up.

• For the season, Wisconsin is 15th in the B1G in scoring offense (31.8 ppg), while ranking 11th in the conference in scoring defense (20.0 ppg).

• The Badger offense is 15th in the league in total offense (381.0 ypg), ranking 14th in the conference in rushing offense (134.3 ypg) and 11th in the B1G in passing offense (246.8 ypg).

• Wisconsin's defense, led by defensive coordinator Mike Tressel, a former assistant coach at Michigan State, is eighth in the B1G and 28th in the FBS in total defense (275.3 ypg), highlighted by ranking sixth in the conference and 22nd in the country in passing yards allowed (163.8 ypg), along with ranking eighth in the league and 39th in the nation in rushing defense (111.5 ypg).

• Joseph is 72-of-123 passing for 987 yards (246.8 ypg) with seven TDs and five INTs. He is eighth in the conference in passing yards/game (246.8), while ranking eighth in passing TDs (7) and 16th in passing efficiency (136.6). Joseph also tops UW with 38 rushing attempts for 121 yards (3.2 ypc/30.3 ypg) with two TDs.

• Senior running back Abu Sama III leads the Badgers with 190 yards on 28 carries, for a team-leading 6.8 ypc and 63.3 ypg, with one TD. Dupree adds 24 carries for 134 yards (5.6 ypc/33.5 ypg) with two TDs.

• Fifth-year wide receiver Tyrell Henry, who played two seasons at MSU (2022-23), tops the Badgers with 24 catches for 307 yards (12.8 ypc/76.8 ypg), with one TD. Henry is sixth in the B1G and 25th in the FBS in receptions/game (6.0), while ranking 11th in the league and 43rd in the nation in receiving yards/game (76.8). Earlier this season, Henry hauled in a school-record 14 receptions for 160 yards in the Badgers' win over Eastern Michigan.

• Harris adds 11 receptions for 203 yards, in leading the team and ranking seventh in the B1G and 48th in the FBS in yards/reception (18.45), with one TD.

• Catalano anchors the Badger defense with 35 tackles (13 solo, 22 assists), with one pass break-up, one fumble recovery and one QB hurry. Catalano ranks fourth in the B1G and 27th in the FBS in tackles/game (8.8).

• Posa is close behind with 31 tackles (16 solo, 15 assists), with 1.0 TFL and one interception. Posa is seventh in the league and 62nd in the nation in tackle/game (7.8).

• Fifth-year placekicker Gavin Lahm is 8-of-8 on field goals with a long of 51 yards, as well as 13-of-14 on PATs. Lahm leads the league and ranks sixth in the nation in field goals/game (2.0), while also part of a four-way tie for tops in the conference in field goal percentage (1.000), along with seventh in the B1G and 30th in the FBS in scoring (9.3 ppg). Lahm also handles the kickoff duties, with 25 kickoffs for a 63.2 ypk average with 13 touchbacks.

• Junior punter Sean West has 13 punts for a 46.4 ypp average with a long of 70 yards, one of five punts of 50+ yards, with six inside the 20. West would rank in sixth in the B1G in punting average (46.38), but doesn't reach the minimum requirement.

• Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickel is in his fourth season leading the Badgers, posting a 20-22 record in Madison. Fickel is in his 11th season overall as a head coach, logging an 83-47 ledger.

Chrishon McCray makes a one-handed catch against Nebraska on Sept. 26, 2026. — **Chrishon McCray made a leaping one-handed catch against Nebraska in the third quarter as part of his four receptions overall for 47 yards in the game.**

LAST TIME OUT: NEBRASKA 31, MSU 13

►GAME RECAP
Michigan State fell behind 24-10 at halftime and could not recover in a 31-13 loss to Nebraska at Spartan Stadium last Saturday.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic completed 18-of-26 passes for 208 yards, while graduate running back Jaziun Patterson had 16 carries for 54 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Graduate kicker Liam Boyd kicked field goals of 48 and 46 yards, respectively.

Graduate linebacker Caleb Wheatland led the Spartans with nine tackles, including six unassisted, while redshirt junior safety Devin Vaught had eight tackles (five solo), redshirt sophomore cornerback Andrew Brinson IV had five tackles and redshirt senior defensive lineman Ben Roberts had four tackles, including one for loss.

►SPARTAN PLAYERS OF THE GAME
• Offensive Playmaker: #13 R-Sr. WR Chrishon McCray (4 catches for 47 yards)
• Defense: #55 R-Sr. DL Ben Roberts (4 tackles, 1 TFL)

►SCORING SUMMARY
After both teams started with three-and-outs on their first series, Michigan State took an early 3-0 lead on a 48-yard field goal by Liam Boyd at the 5:10 mark in the first quarter on its second possession.

Nebraska took advantage of an MSU holding penalty on special teams, wiping out a Spartan blocked punt, and proceeded to score a touchdown three plays later as Anthony Colandrea found Kwazi Gilmer in the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown pass with 1:45 left in the first.

The Huskers went up 14-3 on Mekhi Nelson's 4-yard touchdown run at the 11:54 mark in the second quarter. Kyle Cunanan's 32-yard field goal made it 17-3 in favor of Nebraska with 10 minutes left in the first half.

Michigan State responded with a 10-play, 79-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 2-yard TD run by Jaziun Patterson, to cut the Nebraska lead to 17-10 at the 6:07 mark in the second quarter.

The Huskers went back up by 14 points, 24-10, just before halftime. With just two seconds remaining, Vincent Genatone had a 13-yard touchdown reception to finish a 14-play, 74-yard drive.

The Spartans forced a Nebraska three-and-out to start the third quarter, then took their first drive 34 yards for a 46-yard field goal by Boyd to trim the deficit to 24-13.

MSU was attempting to make it a one-score game with a 52-yard field goal by Boyd late in the third quarter, but Nebraska blocked the kick and followed by taking its possession 66 yards on 12 plays for a touchdown to go up, 31-13, with 10:05 remaining.

►OFFENSIVE NOTES
• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic was 18-of-26 passing for 208 yards . . . the 208 yards was his second 200+ outing of the season and his fourth in his last six games and fifth in his last eight games . . . Milivojevic was held without a TD pass for the second game in a row after having a streak of four-straight TD halted at Notre Dame.

• Graduate running back Jaziun Patterson had season highs with 16 carries for 54 yards and tied his season best with one TD, scoring on a 2-yard rush in the second quarter . . . Patterson topped his previous season-highs of seven carries from the season opener vs. Toledo (Sept. 4) and his top marks of the season of 23 yards, both vs. Toledo and in Eastern Michigan game (Sept. 12) . . . the 16 carries were the second-most of his collegiate career, behind his career-best of 18 rushes vs. Minnesota (9/21/24) during his time at Iowa.

• Graduate receiver Chrishon McCray had four catches for 47 yards, sharing the team lead in receptions, while topping the team with 47 yards . . . McCray's four receptions was his second game with four or more catches this season behind his season-high eight catches in the season opener vs. Toledo (Sept. 4) . . . the 47 yards was also his second-highest of the season behind 69 yards in the Toledo game.

• Redshirt junior wide receiver Fredrick Moore had career highs for both receptions and yards with four catches for 43 yards, topping his previous career-best of three receptions, done three times, twice during his career at Michigan and once at Michigan State in this year's season opener vs. Toledo.

• Graduate tight end Brennan Parachek also snared career bests for catches and yards with three receptions for 40 yards, topping his previous top receptions of two catches done four times in his career and his top receiving yardage outing of 27 yards vs. Ohio State (9/28/24).

►DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Graduate linebacker Caleb Wheatland posted a career-high nine tackles, topping his previous top mark of seven stops vs. USC (10/19/24) during his time at Maryland . . . the nine tackles also topped his season total of eight stops through the first three games.

• Redshirt junior safety Devin Vaught tied his season-high of eight tackles, matching his top mark of eight stops vs. Eastern Michigan (Sept. 12) . . . Vaught continues his pattern of 5-8-5-8 tackles through the first four games.

►SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Junior punter Rhys Dakin had two punts for a 50.5 ypp average with a game-long of 52 yards . .. it was his fourth punt of 50+ yards this season and his 30th career punt of 50 or more yards . . . Dakin was limited without a punt inside the 20 for the first time this season and in his last 14 games with a punt dating back to the season-opener last year while at Iowa.

• Graduate placekicker Liam Boyd made 2-of-3 field goals, splitting the uprights from 48 and 46 yards, while having a 52-yard attempt blocked . . . the pair of upright splits gives Boyd at least one field goal made in three of the four games this season and the second game this season with multiple field goals, joining his five field goals in the season opener vs. Toledo . . . Boyd is now 8-of-10 on field goals for the season, with both misses coming on attempts of 50+ yards that were both blocked.

Game 5: Michigan State (2-2, 0-1 B1G) at Wisconsin (3-1, 1-0 B1G)

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Players Mentioned

Liam Boyd

Andrew Brinson IV

Eli Coenen

Rhys Dakin

Cam Edwards

Jordan Hall

Anelu Lafaele

Chrishon McCray

Alessio Milivojevic

Fredrick Moore

Brennan Parachek

Jaziun Patterson

Ben Roberts

Devin Vaught

Caleb Wheatland

Michigan State University Athletics