Nebraska Football Opponent Preview: Michigan State

After three consecutive home games, Nebraska football will begin conference play on the road in East Lansing against Michigan State.

The Spartans, after going a combined 9-15 under Jonathan Smith in two years at the helm, are welcoming in a new head coach. Pat Fitzgerald, a familiar name to Husker fans, led the Northwestern Wildcats for 17 years, becoming one of the winningest head coaches in Big Ten history. Now, he’ll look to revive a program that went 11-2 just five years ago.

Here’s an early look at what Michigan State is expected to bring to the table this fall, including key returners, transfer additions, and what Nebraska will need to do to start 1-0 in conference play against a new regime.

Previously Covered: Ohio, Bowling Green, North Dakota

Offensive Outlook

The Spartans’ offensive struggles in 2025 were well documented, though injuries at quarterback certainly played a role. In 12 games, Michigan State finished the regular season ranked 98th nationally in total offense, averaging 345.5 yards and 24.6 points per game.

Aiden Chiles started the first eight contests of the season and provided the Spartans with a dual-threat presence each and every play. The then-junior threw for 1,392 yards and 10 touchdowns while completing 63.1% of his passes. He also added 227 rushing yards and six scores on the ground before a season-ending injury, suffered after being sacked 21 times, forced him to prematurely end the year.

That opened the door for Alessio Milivojevic, who appeared in nine games and made the first four starts of his career as a redshirt freshman. Milivojevic threw for 1,267 yards and 10 touchdowns while completing 63.8% of his attempts. Even in his limited role, however, he was sacked 16 times behind a struggling offensive line.

Following the coaching transition, Michigan State aggressively pursued the transfer portal, bringing in 45 new scholarship players ahead of the 2026 season. With a revamped roster and an attempt at improved depth, there’s at least reason for optimism that the Spartans’ offense could take a step forward this fall.

Offensive Player to Watch: Alessio Milivojevic

It’s difficult to argue that any player on Michigan State’s offense will have a greater impact on the program’s success in year one under Fitzgerald than Milivojevic. As a redshirt freshman, the Naperville (IL) native was thrown into action against some of the toughest opponents on the Spartans’ 2025 schedule and gained valuable experience as a result.

Michigan State went 1-3 across his four starts while averaging 21.25 points per game. The 6-foot-3, 223-pound quarterback averaged 246.5 passing yards per contest during that stretch, with seven of his 10 touchdown passes coming as a starter.

Now entering his third season of college football, Milivojevic is more battle-tested than ever and will likely become the centerpiece the Spartans staff leans on throughout 2026. For Nebraska, drawing him early in his first full season as the unquestioned starter could prove beneficial, even if the Huskers already saw flashes of his potential firsthand inside Memorial Stadium last fall.

Defensive Outlook

A season ago, Michigan State fielded the 72nd-ranked defense in the FBS, allowing 378.7 yards and 29.9 points per game. Those numbers are expected to be an area of improvement as the Spartans begin a new era under Fitzgerald’s guidance.

In 2025, MSU surrendered 231.3 passing yards and 147.3 rushing yards per contest while struggling to complement an offense that averaged just 24.6 points per game. The Spartans held only two conference opponents below that scoring mark all season, highlighting the inconsistency that ultimately defined Smith’s tenure in East Lansing.

Still, there’s reason to believe the roster could look significantly different in 2026. Michigan State underwent noteworthy offseason turnover, losing 51 players to the transfer portal while returning only 36 scholarship players from last year’s team. In some ways, the reset may benefit the program. A new coaching staff, a fresh scheme, and an overhauled locker room could allow the Spartans to quickly reshape their identity entering the fall. Fitzgerald has made a career doing less with more and finally has a program with competitive resources to lead.

Defensive Player to Watch: Jordan Hall

Rising senior linebacker Jordan Hall is one of the most important returning pieces for Michigan State entering 2026. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound former IMG Academy star captained the Spartans’ defense last season and earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten recognition after leading the team with 88 tackles in 12 games. He also totaled 2.5 sacks, tied for the team lead, while adding a pass breakup, an interception, and three forced fumbles.

Hall has now appeared in 35 career games, including 19 starts, giving Michigan State a proven veteran presence in the middle of its defense. Beyond the production, his decision to remain with the program through multiple coaching changes and difficult seasons speaks volumes about his investment in the team he continually chose.

The then-junior finished 11th in the Big Ten in total tackles during the 2025 regular season and will look to build upon that production this fall. If he takes another step forward in 2026, Hall will almost certainly position himself to become an NFL draft pick, assuming he hasn’t already done so.

Biggest Question Mark Heading in 2026

Fitzgerald led Northwestern to 10 bowl appearances in 17 seasons as head coach, a noteworthy accomplishment considering the challenges tied to recruiting limitations the program has. During his tenure, the Wildcats also produced 11 All-Americans and 22 NFL Draft picks, proving Fitzgerald could develop talent at a high level despite academic restrictions that few other schools face.

Now the conversation shifts toward what he can accomplish with greater resources at Michigan State. While the Spartans have struggled in recent years, the program is not far removed from total success. Michigan State reached the four-team College Football Playoff in 2015 and won 11 games in 2021. Fitzgerald himself guided Northwestern to Big Ten Championship Game appearances in both 2018 and 2020. There’s precedent suggesting he can elevate a program within the Big Ten.

However, college football has changed dramatically since Fitzgerald last coached. The transfer portal, NIL, revenue sharing, and roster management created an entirely different landscape than he once had. Even so, Fitzgerald was selective about where he would return to coaching, and Michigan State ultimately became the program he believed in enough to take over.

The biggest question surrounding the Spartans may not be tied strictly to 2026, but rather the timeline of their rebuild overall. How quickly Fitzgerald can stabilize and reshape MSU will likely determine whether the program can once again emerge as a legitimate contender in the Big Ten.

My Outlook for the Game

Entering year four under Matt Rhule, Nebraska will need to show tangible progress as a program in 2026. The contract extension likely removes any “do-or-die” pressure surrounding the season overall, but opening conference play against a first-year head coach is still the type of game the Huskers simply cannot afford to lose.

NU will, in all likelihood, enter the matchup as the favorite despite being on the road. Now the challenge becomes proving the oddsmakers right in doing so. Staff continuity, roster depth, and overall culture should all work in the Big Red’s favor heading into the game against Michigan State. The Huskers need to capitalize on those advantages.

Starting 1-0 in conference play feels especially important, knowing the schedule only becomes more difficult to follow. This doesn’t project to be a game Nebraska will run away with, but the Huskers already found a way to beat Michigan State in 2025 despite surrendering five sacks. There’s little reason to believe they can’t do it again this fall.

Ideally, NU’s offensive line takes a step forward, and the team plays a cleaner, more disciplined brand of football overall. If that happens, the Huskers should like their chances. It may not come easy, but among Nebraska’s conference matchups in 2026, this remains one of the more favorable opportunities on the schedule. Find a way to get the job done.