EAST LANSING– Michigan State nearly had its first conference win at Iowa last week but failed to reach the finish line. This was due to a combination of the offense losing all momentum, special teams miscues, and the defense falling apart after a near-perfect performance. The Spartans have one last chance to put it all together, end the season on a high note, and snap an eight-game skid for the season at Ford Field against Maryland.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, who replaced junior Aidan Chiles against Minnesota, will round out the year under center for MSU. Milivojevic, despite constant pressure in the backfield, has settled in as the starter with some rhythm over the past few weeks. His performance against the Hawkeyes may have been his best start all around, with 255 yards on 25-42 passing, featuring two touchdowns and an interception.
While his day did show inconsistencies, the two scoring throws to junior wide receiver Chrishon McCray highlighted a lot of Milivojevic’s potential. When he got time to throw a deep shot on his first TD, he hit McCray perfectly in stride as he was streaking towards the endzone. On a critical third and goal with the Hawkeyes sending the house, Milivojevic showed poise under pressure and trusted his receiver on a lofted fade route for the score.
The underclassman will have to keep building on this progress against another pressure packed defense. The Terrapins are equipped with freshman duo Sidney Stewart and Zahir Mathis on the defensive line. The pair have combined for 13 sacks and 18 tackles for loss, good for 181 total yards lost for the season.
Not only can UMD bring the pressure up front, but they have some ball hawks on the back end. Senior defensive back Jalen Huskey is the clear leader of the secondary with a team leading four interceptions along with 63 total tackles. Redshirt junior defensive back Jamare Glasker is right behind him with three picks, five break ups, and also boasts five TFL’s. The Terrapins as a group have captured 18 interceptions for the season, the most in the Big Ten and top five nationally.
MSU’s tight end room, featuring senior Jack Velling and redshirt junior Michael Masunas, may be the key to beating both defensive units. The TE’s found success on flat routes, going underneath, and finding space in zone coverage against the Hawkeyes. Velling in particular had his best day of the campaign with 88 yards on eight catches, becoming a quick and reliable option to Milivojevic in the intermediate passing game.
If the Spartans continue to draw up this strategy, though, this may further limit the role of sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh. He has only six catches for 23 yards over the past two games. Marsh is someone who can take the MSU offensive attack up another notch with his physicality and athleticism; he has one last chance this year to show it in the green and white after recently going quiet.
The Spartan ground game also has the opportunity to break past the UMD defense with the emphasis on running backs senior Elijah Tau-Toliver and sophomore Brandon Tullis. The emergence of this pair was due to body blows and injuries to sophomore running back Makhi Frazier, but this has provided more of a spark with fresh legs.
The rushes still remain inconsistent but the explosivity rate has been vastly improved. Tau-Toliver ripped off 85-yards, setting up a Tullis score in a goal-to-go situation, and then 57-yards for a touchdown in back-to-back games.
Tullis against UI had the game’s longest rush on a 35-yard gash and averaged 7 yards per carry. The Spartan rushers don’t necessarily need to grind down the UMD front, but at least one big carry could be the difference in a potential slug fest.
Scouting Maryland
The Terrapins have a similarly tumultuous 2025 season, featuring close losses in a seven-game losing streak and heat continuing to build around head coach Mike Locksley. However, this means UMD is also looking to salvage some part of a disappointing season.
Milivojevic is mirrored by freshman quarterback Malik Washington on the other end, who has held the keys to UMD’s offense all season. Washington averages 227.64 yards per game through the air and has 14 touchdowns with eight interceptions. He will be looking for senior wide receiver Shaleak Knots, averaging 16.06 yards per catch with five touchdowns on the season.
The Spartan secondary has been playing with more effort and intensity over the past few games against rush-heavy offenses, holding the Hawkeyes to five first-half passing yards. However, a true aerial attack has not really been seen since the Indiana matchup over a month ago and we may really find out how different the group looks.
Washington has also flashed dual threat capabilities as the Terrapins’ third leading rusher for the season. He totals 285 yards for the year, but has the highest average yardage per carry with 5.8 and the most rushing touchdowns with four.
Redshirt freshman DeJuan Williams, as the lead running back, has only two total rushing touchdowns and averages 40.82 yards per game. UMD’s rush game is not all that dissimilar from MSU’s, with the Spartans ranking 14th in conference and the Terrapins sitting in dead last.
This trend has no real sign of reversal, especially against an embattled and improved MSU rushing defense. The Spartans brought the Hawkeyes down in the backfield 9.5 times with TFLs and sacks. Graduate defensive lineman Quinndarius Dunnigan and senior defensive back Malcolm Bell each contributed three of these tackles. Junior linebacker Jordan Hall is also constantly in action as MSU’s leading tackler with 82 total and has been the necessary veteran presence all season.
The Spartans have a real chance to pick up a victory in what could turn into a slow, defensive battle. The Terrapin attack can easily turn one-dimensional, while Milivojevic could get chased often once again. The question now becomes who can break through first on offense and who blinks at the very end.
The Spartans and Terrapins will wrap up their seasons in downtown Detroit on Saturday, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. Jacob Maurer and Kyle Keegan have the final broadcast over the air on 88.9 FM locally or streaming at https://impact89fm.org/.
