Happy game day, Michigan State fans. OK, so they haven’t exactly been “happy” in recent weeks, but this one feels a little different. It’s homecoming, Pat Fitzgerald is fired up about the recent losing streak, and Michigan State is hosting a team that’s coming off its worst loss of the year.
This feels like as good a time as any to turn the season around by stringing together some wins. It starts with Bret Bielema and Illinois on Saturday in East Lansing.
Let’s get bold ahead of the must-win showdown in Week 6.
1. Michigan State finally has a 100-yard receiver
Five games into the season and Michigan State still hasn’t had a 1,000-yard receiver. That’s especially disappointing when you consider the Spartans brought back Chrishon McCray and Rod Bullard Jr. while supplementing the receiving corps with KK Smith and Fred Moore. One of these guys would’ve had to break out by now, right?
It just hasn’t happened because the offense has felt a little disjointed but that changes on Saturday as the Spartans finally have some explosive passing plays and one guy goes over 100.
Who will it be? I’m going with McCray. He’s the one guy who was supposed to have a huge season and he’s been far too quiet. This would be the perfect game for him to rattle off 100-plus yards.
McCray catches eight passes for 111 yards and a touchdown.
2. Alessio Milivojevic outduels Katin Houser
Ex-Spartan Katin Houser has been one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten this season even though Illinois has not gotten off to the start it was hoping for. He’s passed for 1,246 yards and 11 touchdowns completing almost a career-best 65.8% of his passes.
Alessio Milivojevic, on the other hand, has struggled lately. He hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass since Week 2 and had three touchdowns to three picks on the year. He also has just 851 yards. Like I said, it’s been a pretty rough go lately.
That changes on Saturday as MSU’s QB1 finally bounces back, finds his confidence, and outduels the former Spartan QB1 on the other side of the field. Alessio passes for a season-best 272 yards and two touchdowns while Houser has 230 yards, a touchdown and a pick.
3. A Charles Brantley pick seals an “upset” win
This feels like a failed weekly bold prediction, but I mean it this time.
Michigan State is going to finally turn things around and it’ll beat an Illinois team that’s still demoralized over a home loss to Purdue a week ago. The Spartans are going to come out firing, score on their first possession, and take control from the get-go. Illinois controlled the game in Champaign the last time these two teams met in 2024, but it’s Michigan State’s turn now.
It’ll be tight throughout, but Michigan State will finally make the plays down the stretch to put Illinois away and give Fitzgerald his first Big Ten win as the Spartans’ head coach, 27-21. A late Houser pick by Charles Brantley seals it.
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