Three takeaways from Michigan State's loss to No. 9 UCLA

Michigan State football dropped their sixth consecutive game on Saturday afternoon, falling to No. 9 UCLA, 28-10. A shorthanded Spartans team were competitive early, but ran out of steam as the game moved into the second half, and the Bruins stayed undefeated.

While there was good fight, and this was an injury filled MSU team, there are no moral victories for Pat Fitzgerald and the Spartans are going to take this loss on the chin.

With the shorthandedness, and the Spartans being forced to play a plethora of different players, and there were a ton of things to take away from the game. Check out Spartans Wire’s three takeaways from the loss to UCLA:

1. Kayd Coffman is raw, and may not be the answer to the future

At some point over the next six weeks, the uncomfortable conversation of the quarterback position will have to be addressed going into the 2027 season. Whether Alessio Milivojevic will be the QB of the future, the Spartans will head to the transfer portal, or the keys will be handed to former 4-star prospect Kayd Coffman.

Coffman got his first opportunity to show whether or not he is the answer on Saturday, and unfortunately, it went about as wrong as it possibly could have. After a 4-for-4 start, gaining 42 yards and a touchdown, Coffman finished the game 0-for-6 with an interception.

Yes, Coffman is a true freshman, and it was not supposed to look flawless, but it also should not have looked that bad. Coffman was uneasy, and unable to quickly move through his reads, making it a long day at the office for the MSU offense.

Getting benefit of the doubt as a freshman, Coffman shouldn’t be written off completely, but after that performance, there should be serious questions whether or not he should be considered the quarterback of the future.

2. Devin Vaught is a superstar

Throughout the 2026 season, Maine transfer and MSU safety Devin Vaught has been one of the steadiest performers week in and week out for the Spartans defense. On Saturday, Vaught forced two fumbles, while finishing with eight tackles and a pass defend.

Coverage has been the lone weak spot for Vaught in 2026, but week over week, he is showing improvement in that area and it was on display against UCLA.

In a transactional sport that college football has become, it is worth having the discussion that Vaught is a player that the Spartans staff needs to do whatever is possible to keep in East Lansing for the duration of his collegiate career.

3. Ben Roberts injury may be the most consequential

Michigan State has suffered injury after injury throughout the 2026 season, but there might not be a more consequential injury then Ben Roberts.

Being the heart and soul of the Spartans defense, Roberts was playing not only at an all-conference level, but also potentially an All-American level. Now, the Spartans not only will be without a valued leader on the team, but arguably the best player on their roster.

There has been no update, yet, of the severity of the injury, but if it is as bad as it looked on the field, the Spartans may have just lost the most impactful loss of the season.

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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Three takeaways from Michigan State’s loss to No. 9 UCLA