Pat Fitzgerald spoke to the media on Monday and while he wad very critical of his team after a 28-point loss to Wisconsin, he wasn’t nearly harsh enough on his offensive coordinator.
Nick Sheridan’s offense may not have a ton of weapons and the offensive line has been underwhelming outside of Trent Fraley, but the first-year offensive coordinator is also not putting his guys in the best position to win. He’s running a predictable offense that has produced 26 points over the past three games.
Averaging under 10 points per game to start Big Ten play is inexcusable and execution has been an issue, but the offensive coordinator is ultimately responsible for calling a game that plays into his players’ strengths.
Sheridan has been falling short this season, but Fitzgerald doesn’t see it that way.
The first-year head coach rushed to the defense of his offensive coordinator during his first media session of the week and blamed the issues on the execution and not the schematics.
Pat Fitzgerald: "I don't fault Nick (Sheridan) schematically, at all. We have to execute."
— Emmett Matasovsky (@E_Matasovsky57) October 5, 2026
Not sure that’s too agreeable because while the execution has been horrible, the play-calling has left a lot to be desired. The strengths of the offense would have to be the short passing game and utilization of tight ends (Jayden Savoury). Is the offense limited due to a shaky offensive line, an injured running back, and an inconsistent receiving corps? Yes, but that’s the offensive coordinator’s job to figure out the fix.
Fitzgerald needs to be realistic about his offense and the limitations that it has while also being honest with himself about Sheridan. His coordinators (Joe Rossi included) need to be better.
Michigan State’s offense needs change
No one should have expected Fitzgerald to throw Sheridan under the bus or say anything to the extend of “he needs to be better” because that doesn’t exactly make for a healthy work environment with seven games left, but he could at least challenge him a little more like he did with Rossi earlier this year.
Michigan State does need some change offensively but that’s not going to come in the form of an offensive coordinator switch this season, and Fitzgerald’s defense of Sheridan proves that.
The change could come on the offensive line, at quarterback, or at receiver, but it should definitely be in the form of a scheme change. The Spartans need an offense that’s going to be more consistent and is almost fool-proof so a team that lacks talent like Michigan State can hang with the rest of the Big Ten opponents on the schedule.
Schematic change is needed but unfortunately it feels like Fitzgerald thinks the opposite — at least publicly.
Add us as a preferred source on Google