Michigan State football grades for the Spartans' performance at Wisconsin

Nairavoice | Oct 3, 2026 1h ago 189 0 3 min read

Michigan State football grades for the Spartans' performance at Wisconsin

Columnist Graham Couch grades Michigan State’s football team after its 31-3 loss at Wisconsin on a scale of 1-10.

The Spartans moved the ball at times between the 30- and 40-yard lines. But that’s really it. And that that is what’s being noted as a positive speaks to just how many negatives there were. The Spartans could run the ball up the middle somewhat regularly — they totaled 127 yards on the ground — unless they really needed a yard. They were 1-for-6 on fourth downs, all on the Wisconsin side of the 50-yard line. MSU’s two QBs (mostly Alessio Milivojevic) passed for just 108 yards at a completion percentage of less than 50%, though there weren’t many battles being won by receivers, or at the line of scrimmage protecting them. These was just a bleak day offensively.

MSU’s defense is playing hard and isn’t as hopeless as the offense right now. But that’s a low bar. The Spartans allowed Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph to beat them with his legs out of the gate and until the game was put away, finishing with 145 yards rushing. That’s the talent that allows him to play this level. It’s the one thing you have to take away. MSU didn’t. The Spartans also didn’t come up with stops on key downs, letting Wisconsin convert 7 of 10 third and fourth downs in the first half. And MSU again didn’t produce a sack or a turnover. The Spartans got their hands on a couple balls. They came close. They look like they’re just not quite athletic enough to finish the job.

MSU was fine on special teams, with Liam Boyd making his only field goal attempt, from 31 yards out, and Rhys Dakin averaging 55.7 yards per punt, though he boomed one into the end zone when the Spartans could have used the Badgers to be pinned deep. Kenneth Williams had a nice kick return of 27 yards. MSU’s special teams units weren’t the issue. But on a day MSU needed a jolt from somewhere, they didn’t provide that, either.

It’s Year 1 under Pat Fitzgerald. The roster isn’t good enough. Only so much of that is on Fitzgerald and his staff. And MSU is playing without its best player on both offense and defense. Still, the Spartans are regressing. And nothing that was done in terms of in-game adjustments improved anything Saturday. Maybe there’s not much to be done. But I have to think it can look a little better than this. Either way, it wasn’t an inspiring afternoon by anyone on MSU’s sideline.

If you’re an MSU fan who put some pizza money on the Spartans to win at least 3.5 games this season — which was the Vegas number for their win total over-under — what seemed like a sure thing a couple weeks ago, looks like a season-long sweat now, at best. Washington and Rutgers in November are possible games to be competitive, if the Spartans are still standing and swinging at that point. But Illinois, Northwestern and UCLA the next three weeks look like a bridge too far for this crew, at least based on what we’ve seen the last two games.