Michigan State football led the country in one notable statistic during week one of the 2026 season.
The opening weekend of college football is nearly complete, with only one remaining game to be played on Monday night between SMU and Florida State. The Spartans opened the season with a 30-20 victory over Toledo, needing to come from behind in the fourth quarter to pick up the win.
While the initial reaction to the victory was disappointment for some, the statistics behind the win are actually quite promising for the Spartans. Especially when it came to time of possession and control of ball for nearly 75% of the game.
According to The Big Ten Huddle, Michigan State led the entire country in time of possession for week one games. The Spartans held
possession for 43:16 against the Rockets, which is a very impressive number against any type of competition.
For Michigan State to truly hit another gear, they'll now need to turn that time of possession into touchdowns and not settling for field goals. That was one of the main reasons why Toledo was able to keep the game in striking distance deep into the fourth quarter.
4 Fun Stats in the Big Ten from Week 1
— The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️ (@TheBigTenHuddle) September 7, 2026
• UCLA scored 6 rushing TDs vs Cal after having 8 all last season
• Indiana scored 52 points on 46 plays
• Northwestern had 9.0 yards per play
• Michigan State held possession for 43:16, the most in college football in week 1. pic.twitter.com/oWSGJgvt46
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: MSU football led country in notable statistic during Week 1
