Michigan State University
4-8 , 1-8
Maryland
4-8 , 1-8
Michigan State Takes Down Maryland, 38-28, at Ford Field
11/29/2025 11:07:00 PM | Football
Redshirt freshman Alessio Milivojevic completed 27-of-39 passes for 292 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. Sophomore receiver Nick Marsh hauled in a team-best seven catches for 85 yards and a touchdown, and Kelly caught five passes for 76 yards and the late touchdown. Senior tight end Jack Velling matched Kelly with five receptions, going for 68 yards and a touchdown. Redshirt senior running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver rushed for 95 yards of 13 carries, including a long of 38, to lead the Spartan backfield.
Michigan State (4-8, 1-8 Big Ten) was led in tackles by freshman cornerback Aydan West (8) and redshirt junior safety Aveon Grose ended Maryland's hopes with a fourth quarter interception with 1:36 remaining. Graduate defensive lineman Quindarius Dunnigan added a fourth quarter sack, while West and junior linebacker Jordan Hall forced a turnover on downs with their sack with 3:01 to play.
Graduate receiver Alante Brown electrified the Ford Field crowd with a 92-yard kickoff return in the third quarter marking the first Spartan kick return for a touchdown since 2014.
SCORING SUMMARY
Michigan State marched right down the field for a touchdown on its opening series, driving 70 yards on 10 plays while taking 5:09 off the clock. Redshirt junior tight end Kai Rios caught his first career pass as a Spartan on a 1-yard TD toss from Milivojevic for the score. It marked the seventh time of the season Michigan State scored a touchdown on first drive of the game.
The Spartans extended their lead to 10-0 at the 12:26 mark in the second quarter as Martin Connington made a 25-yard field goal.
Nick Marsh recorded his team-leading sixth TD catch of the season on a 15-yard reception with 8:40 left in the second quarter to put MSU on top, 17-0.
Maryland (4-8, 1-8 Big Ten) scored its first points of the game on its fourth possession, driving 75 yards on eight plays, capped by a 7-yard TD pass from Malik Washington to Jalil Farooq with 5:43 remaining in the first half.
The Spartans had a strong end to the first half, first stopping a Maryland fourth-and-2 from the 25-yard line with 59 seconds remaining, then driving 75 yards on eight plays in just 55 seconds to take a 24-7 lead at the break. Milivojevic was 7-of-7 passing for 69 yards on the drive that ended with a 9-yard strike to Jack Velling.
Maryland opened the second half with a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that cut the Spartan lead to 24-14, and an 8-play, 73-yard drive brought the Terrapins within three of MSU, 24-21, with 6:26 to play in the third quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, Brown electrified Ford Field with his 92-yard kick return for a touchdown, marking his first career kick return TD. Brown missed the previous nine games with an injury before returning to the field in his last collegiate game in which he also served as the honorary game captain.
The Terrapins responded once again, however, quickly scoring four plays later on a 24-yard Washington touchdown pass to Farooq to trim MSU's advantage to 31-28 at the 5:06 mark in the third.
Maryland had a chance to tie the game on a 27-yard field goal with 7:38 left in the game, but Sean O'Haire missed the kick wide left.
Michigan State capped the scoring with a six-play, 35-yard drive late in the fourth quarter to take a 38-28 lead. Going for it on fourth-and-7 from the Maryland 10 yard-line, Milivojevic found Kelly in the end zone uncovered for the TD.
On Maryland's last series of the game, Grose intercepted Washington's pass at the Terrapin 35-yard line to seal the victory.
Team Stats
UMD 0, MSU 7
MSU - Rios,Kai 1 yd pass from Milivojevic,Alessio (Connington,Martin kick) 10 plays, 70 yards, TOP 05:09
UMD 0, MSU 10
MSU - Connington,Martin 25 yd field goal 7 plays, 76 yards, TOP 02:57
UMD 0, MSU 17
MSU - Marsh,Nick 15 yd pass from Milivojevic,Alessio (Connington,Martin kick) 6 plays, 64 yards, TOP 02:30
UMD 7, MSU 17
UMD - Farooq,Jalil 7 yd pass from Washington,Malik (O'Haire,Sean kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:57
UMD 7, MSU 24
MSU - Velling,Jack 9 yd pass from Milivojevic,Alessio (Connington,Martin kick) 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 00:55
UMD 14, MSU 24
UMD - Williams,DeJuan 5 yd run (O'Haire,Sean kick), 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:24
UMD 21, MSU 24
UMD - Knotts,Shaleak 25 yd pass from Washington,Malik (O'Haire,Sean kick) 8 plays, 73 yards, TOP 02:15
UMD 21, MSU 31
MSU - Brown,Alante 92 yd kickoff return (Connington,Martin kick)
UMD 28, MSU 31
UMD - Farooq,Jalil 24 yd pass from Washington,Malik (O'Haire,Sean kick) 4 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:06
UMD 28, MSU 38
MSU - Kelly,Omari 10 yd pass from Milivojevic,Alessio (Connington,Martin kick) 6 plays, 35 yards, TOP 01:05
