I had the pleasure of being on the field yesterday to take pictures for The Only Colors. For all the previously discussed storylines, this was the game on the 2026 schedule I really wanted to be at. From a photographic standpoint, the day did not disappoint.
Even beyond the great pictures I was able to snap, I was treated to a highly competitive football game between a pair of teams who are much closer to one another than their respective records would indicate. A game that came down to the final
seconds, a game where MSU actually had more yards of offense before NW’s game-winning last-minute drive, a game where the Spartan defense held a top-25 opponent well below their season averages in points and yards, and a game where the crowd at Spartan Stadium repeatedly had reasons to stand up and cheer and a reason to stay until the very end. Even the student section, which admittedly was only three-quarters full to begin with, did not appear to dwindle in numbers after halftime.
As editor of TOC, I do my best to read as many of your comments in our articles as I can. Often, I gain new insight from what some of you have to say. Often, there are sentiments that I agree with. And sometimes, there are comments that are so off base, in my opinion, that I contemplate kicking people off this site (I haven’t done that, but the desire pops up from time to time). Before I get into sharing some of my favorite Kodak moments from the game, I will impart my still-optimistic beliefs in this team. Listen. I know we certainly are not the most talented team. I know that the odds of a bowl game are probably hovering around 1% after yesterday’s painful loss. I know that this team has been crushed by injuries, particularly on defense. But I also know that, as jlmyers42 said in the recap comments, “We are literally 2 plays away from 4-3.” Had the 2-point conversion against Illinois been successful, we’d have one more win right now. And had we been able to hit that FG with a minute remaining yesterday to take the lead, maybe our defense plays a little better knowing they are trying to preserve a win rather than avoid a loss. Maybe that would have altered the course of history and MSU would now be sitting at 4-3 with a 2-2 Big Ten record.
In that alternate reality, there would obviously be skeptics among us, people justifiably claiming that “We are literally 2 plays away from 2-5.” That sort of comment would be fair based on the product we have seen, but that would not change the fact that the team would still have what many of us were using as the measuring stick for success this year in reach as a possibility – a bowl game berth. So, while in our actual reality, that doesn’t seem to be in the cards, I still am appreciative of what this team is doing. A team that is not as talented and is more injured than most of our opponents is not allowing themselves to play with excuses. For all of you who say this is the worst MSU team of your lifetime, please simply look back at 2025. That team was getting pushed around all over and had no fight in it. Games often felt over in the first quarter. This team is so much better than that if not just for its tenacity. If you do not see that, then I have to question if you are even watching the games or if you are just looking up the final score to draw your conclusions. The losses certainly hurt, but the play has been inspired. I understand many of your skepticisms of Pat Fitzgerald – out of coaching a few years, no players and/or staff to bring with him, the poor record at the end of his NW tenure. I also see the life he breathes into his players. It is a night-and-day contrast to the team of the last two years, and I am all here for it. Let us figure out the recruiting (yes, we can blame Fitz for some of that state of affairs at this point) and figure out how to not lose all our best players to injuries, and I think we will see the results we seek come to fruition.
Now onto some photos, starting with a series of shots from before the game’s start.
Spartans assemble at the end of their warmups:
The band takes the field:
Celebrity sighting:
Sparty in his finest suit of armor:
There was a nice tribute to Jim Gibbs, former MSU track & field coach from 1977-1995, who passed away on October 10. You can read his story here.
Samson Gash (the other #5) gets to lead the team onto the field:
Now let’s get to the game. After an unsuccessful 4th down attempt ended our opening drive, our defense promptly responded by forcing a 3 & out.
Defense playing well and getting excited early on:
After an Alessio Milivojevic fumble on our 2nd drive and then allowing Northwestern to get on the board with a field goal, our offense began to wake up.
Fredrick Moore catch:
Alessio Milivojevic rumbles in to give MSU their first score of the day:
Northwestern responded to our touchdown with one of their own to go ahead 10-7. On the ensuing kickoff, we had this fun little moment.
Defensive lineman Derrick Simmons ends up returning a short kickoff:
The drive would end up with another failed fourth down attempt when a deep shot to Rodney Bullard did not connect:
MSU would keep themselves to within 3 when Eli Coenen (96) blocked a Northwestern FG attempt:
Michigan State had perhaps its best offensive possession just before halftime to regain the lead. Bryson Williams had a fantastic backwards-falling TD reception to put MSU up 14-10, and the team celebrated in response:
The Spartans head into halftime with a 14-10 lead:
NW nearly muffed the 2nd half’s opening kickoff:
Both teams punted on their first possessions after halftime. MSU nearly pinned NW at the 1 on a touchback call that had to be reviewed:
Not a home game without Zeke the Wonder Dog:
After NW climbed to within 1, Chrishon McCray put MSU up 21-13 on a 53-yard catch-and-run:
Michigan State was up 8, 21-13, in the fourth quarter. Northwestern then drove for a touchdown and converted the 2-point try to knot up the game. Neither team did anything on their next drives. Coach Fitzgerald was keeping himself hydrated on a sunny Spartan Stadium Saturday and you can see that no one has left from the student section (that’s what it looked like in the 1st quarter too):
After a defensive stop and a strange fake punt got MSU the ball back at the NW 28 with 3:29 to go, there was a lot of commotion inside the stadium. It felt like a victory was in our grasps. But then, the Wildcats special teams made a play to prevent the Spartans from regaining the lead. The sound of the kick being blocked by Northwestern’s Matthew Smith was not just the sound of leather hitting hand, it was also the sound of the life being sucked out of Spartan Stadium. In an instant, the belief of a victory, of “Win one for the Fitzer” (I was going to get that made into a t-shirt), vanished. You could hear a pin drop inside the stadium. The loss happened at that moment. The very long and very silent 58 seconds of game clock that ensued was just a formality.
Northwestern’s winning field goal:
Conner Moore congratulates his former quarterback:
Coach Fitzgerald and the Spartans leaving the field:
Yes, it’s not fun being 2-5. But this year’s 2-5 feels light years ahead of last year’s team that was 3-4 at the same point after not having to play a Notre-Dame quality team in the non-conference portion of the season. Things need to be done better, but we are getting closer. I still think MSU can grab a couple wins this year. I still think Pat Fitzgerald can build a winner here. What I saw yesterday from the sidelines gives me reason to believe.
