DETROIT, MI- Michigan State football wrapped up its season at Ford Field against Maryland and earned its first victory in two months, putting an end to its eight-game losing streak.
In dramatic fashion, MSU was finally able to get one in the win column and send the seniors off with a victory.
Here are some takeaways from the Spartans’ final effort win.
Milivojevic’s Promising Performance
Redshirt freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic earned his first victory as a starter this season, and his performance helped catapult the Spartans to avoid going winless in conference play.
Milivojevic and the Spartan offense were firing on all cylinders throughout the first half; he had three touchdown passes, which is the most from any Spartan quarterback in the first half since Payton Thorne in 2021.
“I think he’s shown progression over his starts,” head coach Jonathan Smith said. “I think he showed his toughness, and I think he earned respect in the locker room.
The Redshirt freshman finished 27-39 with 292 passing yards with four touchdowns and an interception, finding players like senior wide receiver Omari Kelly, sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh, and senior tight end Jack Velling along with some new faces such as redshirt junior tight end Kai Rios, who saw his first catch as a Spartan in the end zone with a one-yard touchdown reception.
Milivojevic saw more time in the pocket with improved protection from the offensive line, who did not allow a single sack throughout the game.
“A lot of young dudes stepped up today, protection wise, keeping me clean, and that’s what they did, Milivojevic said. “Zero sacks, that’s remarkable, they played amazing today.”
Milivojevic has shown poise over these past few games at starting quarterback with his ability to stay alive out of the pocket and convert on third and fourth downs.
The Spartans made the choice to go for it in the fourth quarter on fourth and seven from the 10, and a 10-yard pass to Kelly iced the game for The Green and White to put MSU up two scores with under two minutes left.
“I thought he (Milivojevic) was in total command tonight in regard to where the ball needed to be going,” Smith said. “You didn’t see a lot of forced throws, he did get protected a lot better tonight, and he can be dangerous.”
Navigating the Air Raid
Maryland true freshman quarterback Malik Washington finished with 61 pass attempts, which was the highest number of pass attempts thrown by a Big Ten freshman quarterback since 2001.
Washington threw for 459 yards, while the Maryland offense only gained 75 yards on the ground throughout the night.
Washington’s performance kept this game close, and the Terrapins’ air attack poked holes in the Spartan secondary.
After scoring only one touchdown in the first half, the Terrapins laid down three consecutive touchdown drives to decrease the Spartans’ lead to a field goal.
“He (Washington) turned it into a passing game,” junior linebacker Jordan Hall said. “I think they ran the ball maybe three times in the second half, and I’ll take a lot of them; there’s some drops in the middle I could have been better at.”
Hall finished with six total tackles, two solo tackles, and a crucial sack on fourth and 10 alongside freshman defensive back Aydan West, for a loss of 13 yards, which forced a turnover on the Maryland 35.
“I think ultimately we were able to respond well and when it mattered most,” Hall said. “Get off the field in those last two drives and win the game.”
The defense exhibited a bend-don’t-break mentality, and this time, it was enough to carry the Spartans through all four quarters.
Everyone Gets Involved
In a crucial effort to earn a victory in conference play, MSU utilized multiple players in its final showing at Ford Field.
Senior running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver led the team in rushing yards once again with 95 on 13 carries, but MSU’s 161 yards on the ground came from six different Spartans, including a 14-yard rush by freshman wide receiver Bryson Williams.
Milivojevic found multiple players open in the backfield with action from the tight end duo of redshirt junior Michael Masunas and Velling; Velling finished with 68 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Sixth-year wide receiver Alante Brown reignited the Spartans’ offense with a 92-yard kick return touchdown, following another Maryland scoring drive.
“The play that he (Brown) had to go along with the story of his season, some troubles in the offseason before the season even started,” Hall said. “Breaking his foot, and then to come back in this game and make a big play like that, that was so emotional.”
Sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh finished with 85 yards on seven catches on the night and earned his first touchdown since October 18th on a 15-yard reception.
The Spartan offense saw multiple contributions, which ultimately created enough opportunities for them to score and stay in the game.
Durability
In a disappointing 4-8 season, the Spartans showed in their final outing that they had enough determination to cap off the year on a high note.
After coming up short in last week’s game against Iowa, MSU finally found a way to finish and secure a hard-fought win.
When asked about his memory of this team, Jonathan Smith noted that durability and the leadership displayed when things are hard is what he will take away from this season.
“We made a good point in the locker room, this game was like the season,” Smith said. “Started off strong, getting whooped in the middle, but we found a way to rally at the end and finish strong offensively, defensively, and I’m just so glad that we could send those seniors off the right way and finish the season on the right end.”
The Terrapins were no easy opponent to beat, but after eight-straight losses, the Spartans were finally able to find the answer.
“We knew what we needed to do to win this game, and we knew it wasn’t going to be easy; we knew it was going to take four quarters,” Smith said. “That was our approach during the week; we practiced hard, we didn’t look at our record.”
Michigan State wraps up its season 4-8 overall and 1-8 in conference play. The future of MSU football is uncertain, but the Spartans will be back in action next on Sept. 5, 2026.
