Michigan State football failed to capitalize on the momentum they received from defeating Michigan, instead losing another heartbreaker at the hands of Washington, 21-14.
It was a game that felt like should have been very winnable for Michigan State, even with starting quarterback Alessio Milivojevic going down with an injury. Instead, the Spartans shot themselves in the foot one too many times to overcome, and fell in heartbreaking fashion once again.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, there is still a ton to takeaway from this game, as this whole year has been a learning experience and a developmental campaign. Check out our three takeaways from the Spartans and Huskies tough battle in Spartan Stadium:
1. Alessio Milivojevic earned his starting spot in 2027, injury causes slight dilema
After having an up and down beginning of the
season, Milivojevic has proved that he is the guy to lead the Spartans into the 2027 season. His teammates love him, he is tough as nails and he knows how to run an offense. It was obvious and apparent that this offense looked very good with him, and looked very different without him. Some could argue that the Spartans win this game without his injury, and I would be one of those people.
Milivojevic is young, just a redshirt sophomore, and is showing that he is grasping the offense better and better as the weeks go by. The Spartans would be wise to allow him to continue building with Nick Sheridan, and build this team around him.
Now, the elephant in the room, waiting on injury news will be nerve racking. Obviously, if the Spartans want any shot at beating Oregon, or being in the best spot to earn a win over Rutgers, Milivojevic needs to play. Furthermore, with Milivojevic being the quarterback of the future, every developmental rep is huge for the MSU signal caller moving forward.
2. Brandon Tullis has established himself as a running back to look at moving forward
Entering the year as the fifth running back on the depth chart, and dealing with injuries of his own, Tullis was gifted an opportunity to lead the MSU backfield. He took it and established himself as a force to be reckoned with moving forward.
After going for 25 carries and 86 yards against Michigan, Tullis followed it up with a 21 carry, 82 yard performance against Washington. Now, the Spartans would be wise to add another running back into the mix this portal season, but the Spartans should not ignore the contributions Tullis can add to the backfield in 2027.
3. Close losses suck now, but can help push this program moving forward
Whether it be the loss to Illinois, the loss to Northwestern or the loss to Washington, losing games in the fashion MSU has is gross. There are no moral victories in that locker room, and there shouldn't be, but it is worth noting that this program is not far away.
Close losses show that this MSU team is right on the cusp of moving in the right direction, and moving forward can be flipped in the right direction, but until that day comes, it will continue to sting.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Three takeaways from Michigan State's tight loss to Washington
