The last time Pat Fitzgerald stood on the sidelines for a Michigan State football opener, it was Kenneth Walker III’s coming out party against Northwestern.
That was five years and seemingly a lifetime ago, for Fitzgerald and the Spartans.
Like Walker did back in 2021, it is Fitzgerald’s turn to trade in his old colors for green and white. The hope in East Lansing is that the longtime Wildcats coach and former All-American linebacker can put together a magical season like Walker did then – and push MSU back to sustained football glory.
The Spartans open the Fitzgerald era on Friday, Sept. 4 (8 p.m., FS1) against Toledo at Spartan Stadium. The narraties as the 51-year-old becomes MSU’s third coach since Mark Dantonio retired after the 2019 season
feature plenty of familiar faces in new places, along with a chance for redemption for Fitzgerald against his alma mater and former program.
And the mission will be something none of the three former MSU starting quarterbacks who the Spartans will face this season – Noah Kim (Eastern Michigan), Katin Houser (Illinois) and Aidan Chiles (Northwestern) – could do while they were at MSU: Take the Spartans back to a bowl game for the first time since Walker’s monster season in 2021.
Here’s the path to get there for Fitzgerald and MSU, with game-by-game score predictions, for the season ahead.
Sept. 4: Toledo Rockets
The buzz: This isn’t a creampuff start for Fitzgerald. The Rockets, among the favorites to win the Mid-American Conference this fall, went 8-5 last season, but only lost four of those by one possession.This will be new running back Cam Edwards’ turn to play the Walker role, and he plows his way behind the Spartans’ reconfigured offensive line to grind it out and establish the bully ball style Fitzgerald wants to see.
The pick: MSU 24, Toledo 14 (1-0).
Sept. 12: Eastern Michigan Eagles
The buzz: Kim, a sixth-year senior, returns to Spartan Stadium for the first time since going 2-3 as MSU's starter in 2023. But Joe Rossi’s defense, featuring Kim’s former teammate, Jordan Hall, makes his night miserable while current MSU QB Alessio Milivojevic enjoys a clean pocket and time to throw all afternoon.
The pick: MSU 34, EMU 10 (2-0).
Sept. 19: at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The buzz: It has been nearly a decade since these two storied Midwestern rivals last met. The prime-time atmosphere in South Bend will be electric, and the Spartans establish themselves as a physical presence to watch in the first half. But the Irish are too deep and too experienced, pulling away to a harder-than-the-score victory.
The pick: Notre Dame 35, Michigan State 17 (2-1).
Sept. 26: Nebraska Cornhuskers
The buzz: This is the first of the real coin-flip games ahead for the Spartans, particularly after their own mistakes cost them a year ago in Lincoln. Milivojevic looks effective and his line holds off the pressure, but it’s a big return from former Husker Kenneth Williams that sets up an Edwards TD in the first tenure-defining victory for Fitzgerald.
The pick: MSU 27, Nebraska 20 (3-1).
Oct. 3: at Wisconsin Badgers
The buzz: It’s hard to remember that, a little more than six years ago, Luke Fickell was on the precipice of taking the MSU job. Now, Fickell is on a hot seat in Madison – even after getting a midseason vote of confidence last year – and Fitzgerald has moved across Lake Michigan. Rossi’s defense tees off on transfer quarterback Colton Joseph early but wears down late as the Badgers escape on a last-second field goal.
The pick: Wisconsin 20, MSU 17 (3-2).
Oct. 10: Illinois Fighting Illini
The buzz: Houser and the Illini arrive for his first game at MSU since 2023 as well. Like Fickell, Bret Bielema is familiar with Fitzgerald from their Big Ten West days. But unlike those frequent rockfights, this one turns into a shootout, with both quarterbacks having big days until Milivojevic hits Charles Taplin on a deep route for the fourth-quarter win and a fourth victory.
The pick: MSU 31, Illinois 27 (4-2).
Oct. 17: Northwestern Wildcats
The buzz: Chiles ultimately lost his job last season to Milivojevic, but a new scheme and better blocking brings out the best in the dual-threat dynamo. However, Rossi has seen all the weaknesses up close, and Chiles’ close friend, Nikai Martinez, picks off a pair of passes while Milivojevic and Edwards deliver Fitzgerald a personally gratifying moment to put the Spartans a win away from a bowl berth.
The pick: MSU 28, Northwestern 17 (5-2).
Oct. 24: at UCLA Bruins
The buzz: Call it a hangover from the long trip or the big win, but this trip to the Rose Bowl isn't as enjoyable as the last one, back in 2014. Rossi makes halftime adjustments to slow Nico Iamaleava before the star quarterback hits one over the top to give new Bruins coach Bob Chesney a bowl berth in his first season after arriving from James Madison. MSU heads into the bye with a rivalry game awaiting on the other side of it.
The pick: UCLA 27, MSU 20 (5-3).
Nov. 7: at Michigan Wolverines
The buzz: Imagine telling someone in 2020, let alone a year ago, that Fitzgerald and Kyle Whittingham would coach in this rivalry. The in-game intensity builds to a crescendo after halftime, as U-M QB Bryce Underwood runs for a score and Milivojevic answers with a TD pass to Chrishon McCray. But MSU has a special teams lapse, and Andrew Marsh’s return score is enough as the Spartans’ last-gasp drive comes up just short.
The pick: U-M 21, MSU 17 (5-4).
Nov. 14: Washington Huskies
The buzz: The Huskies have a Heisman hopeful in QB Demond Williams Jr., and College Football Playoff buzz building in this one after a win over Penn State. The Spartans have a lot at stake for a bowl berth and have a perfect trap-game opportunity, with Washington heading to Indiana the following week. But the grind of the U-M game leaves them shorthanded on defense to stop Williams.
The pick: Washington 31, MSU 21 (5-5).
Nov. 21: Oregon Ducks
The buzz: Three straight grueling games, two straight CFP contenders and Heisman Trophy hopefuls. And yet another familiar face, as former Detroit King standout Dante Moore – a one-time MSU recruiting target – returns home and puts on a show. That leaves the Spartans still waiting for a bowl berth with one game to play. And a very familiar scenario.
The pick: Oregon 34, MSU 13 (5-6).
Nov. 28: at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
The buzz: Only two years ago, Jonathan Smith faced a similar predicament at the end of his first season: With a bowl game at stake, the Spartans were embarrassed on their home field to finish 5-7. Fitzgerald leans on that and lights a fire under a team that has displayed resiliency all season, with freshman Samson Gash showing the developmental arc of the new regime and sending 6-6 MSU into the postseason. The Spartans earn a Christmas trip to the desert, where they face Cincinnati in the Cactus Bowl on Dec. 26 in Tempe, Arizona.
The pick: MSU 28, Rutgers 14 (6-6).
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football game-by-game predictions: Can Pat Fitzgerald deliver bowl berth?
