EAST LANSING – Free Press sports writer Chris Solari grades Michigan State football after the Spartans’ 24-21 loss to Northwestern on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Spartan Stadium.
Offense: C+
Alessio Milivojevic continued to put up efficient numbers, going 19-for-30 with 216 yards and two touchdowns, plus another TD on the ground. But the redshirt sophomore also continued to leave a number of potential big plays on the board, two of them on overthrows to Rodney Bullard Jr. and others in which he missed open receivers downfield. One of those moments came when the quarterback absorbed a strip sack and fumbled the ball to the Wildcats deep in his own territory.
Milivojevic’s 53-yard touchdown
pass to Chrishon McCray (three catches, 64 yards) provided the type of field-stretching MSU needs in its passing game, while running back Jaziun Patterson continued to produce with 72 rushing yards on 16 carries (with no lost yardage) and three catches for 18 more yards. The offensive line, outside of the sack Milivojevic fumbled, gave him time and opened holes to produce 305 yards, but MSU was only 3-for-12 on third-down conversion attempts, while failing on two of the four times coach Pat Fitzgerald went for it on fourth down.
Defense: B
Other than not forcing a turnover for the fourth time during MSU’s ongoing five-game losing streak, Joe Rossi’s group turned up the pressure on Northwestern quarterback Aidan Chiles from the start. Defensive end Anelu Lafaele and defensive tackle Ben Roberts each had two of the Spartans’ five sacks, the most they have had against a Big Ten opponent since getting seven against Nebraska on Nov. 4, 2023.
MSU’s entire group bottled up Chip Kelly’s exotic throwback offense to 360 yards, though Chiles had 60 yards on his 11 non-sack rushing attempts. And through the air, Chiles (18-for-27, 226 yards) exploited the middle of the Spartans’ significantly limited defense, and he converted on 50% of Northwestern’s 14 third-down attempts.
Special teams: B
Before Liam Boyd’s 33-yard field-goal attempt was blocked with a minute to play, the Spartans put together perhaps their most complete performance from the special teams that Fitzgerald has been harping on honing all season. McCray had an electric 41-yard punt return in the fourth quarter to set up the offense near midfield just before his touchdown catch from Milivojevic. Kick returner Kenneth Williams had a 44-yard kickoff return that set up the Spartans’ first touchdown in the first quarter.
Eli Coenen blocked Jackson Kleather’s second-quarter field-goal attempt after a defensive stand, and Trey Lisle went from delivering a key block on McCray’s punt return to sniff out Northwestern’s fake attempt, apply pressure and hurry a throw that DeJae White broke up. But ultimately, Boyd’s blocked kick – his third of the season – proved the difference between a win and a loss.
Coaching: C-
“Scared money don’t make money.” Fitzgerald has said that all season and continued to live by that ethos for three-plus quarters with Rossi sending pressure from many angles to disrupt Chiles and offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan mixing things up while remaining balanced.
But with the score tied, and with the ball at Northwestern’s 28 following the fake punt stop, the offense turtled and ran Patterson five straight times (while also taking an illegal snap penalty) before Boyd’s block. Then with Chiles getting the ball back, Rossi abandoned pressure for prevent and a four-man rush. The quarterback used the wide-open middle at the outset of the drive for a 21-yard gain to running back Caleb Komolafe then sliced apart the Spartans’ fifth-string cornerback Jeremiah Favorite on sideline completions of 12 and 17 yards to get into field goal range.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pat Fitzgerald's grade tanks late after MSU turtled on final drive
