Spartans Welcome Illinois for 110th Homecoming Game

Game 6: Michigan State (2-3, 0-2 B1G) vs. Illinois (2-3, 0-2 B1G)

Date: Saturday, Oct. 10
Kickoff: 3:35 p.m.
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Stadium: Spartan Stadium (74,866)
Surface: Natural Grass
Game Notes: MSU | Illinois
Purchase Tickets: msuspartans.com/fbtickets

►GAME DAY INFORMATION
Game Day Central (Parking/Tailgating/Timeline)

Parking: All parking lots will open at 7 a.m. | Parking Map

Game Day Updates: Fans can sign up to receive game day updates from MSU Police and Public Safety this season by texting SPARTANFB26 to 888777. Updates will include safety information, potential game delays, traffic suggestions, etc.

►BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: FS1
Streaming/Mobile: FOX One
Announcers: Jack Kizer (play-by-play), Mark Helfrich (analyst)

Radio: Spartan Media Network | Affiliate Listings
Announcers: George Blaha (play-by-play), Jehuu Caulcrick (analyst), Tre Mosley (sidelines), Dalton Shetler (broadcast host)
Website/Mobile: msuspartans .com/watch, MSU Athletics app, Tune In radio
Flagship Stations: Lansing: WMMQ (94.9 FM); Detroit: WJR (760 AM); Grand Rapids: WBFX (101.3 FM)
Affiliates: 17 affiliates listed at msuspartans.com
Satellite: SiriusXM Ch. 178/232 | SiriusXM App Ch. 956
Pregame Show: Begins at 2 p.m. ET

►SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time Series: MSU leads, 27-20-2
Series in East Lansing: MSU leads, 13-9-1
Last Meeting: Illinois 38, MSU 16 (2024 in Champaign)
Current Series Streak: 1 by Illinois

►HEAD COACHES
MSU Head Coach: Pat Fitzgerald
MSU Record: 2-3 (first year)
Overall Record: 112-104 (18th year)
Record vs. Illinois: 11-6

Illinois Head Coach: Bret Bielema
Illinois Record: 39-29 (sixth year)
Overall Record: 136-87 (18th year)
Record vs. MSU: 4-5 (1-1 at Illinois)

►SPARTANS WELCOME ILLINOIS FOR 110TH HOMECOMING GAME
• Michigan State returns to East Lansing to host Illinois on Homecoming Saturday, Oct. 10 in Spartan Stadium at 3:30 p.m. The game will be televised on FS1 and streamed on FOX One with Jack Kizer (play-by-play) and Mark Helfrich (analyst) on the call.

• The Spartans (2-3, 0-2 B1G) fell on the road at Wisconsin last Saturday, 31-3, while the Fighting Illini (2-3, 0-2 B1G) lost 24-17 to Purdue at home. Michigan State is 2-1 at Spartan Stadium this season, defeating Toledo (Sept. 4) and Eastern Michigan (Sept. 12) in the first two games of the season before falling to Nebraska in the Big Ten opener on Sept. 26, 31-13.

• Michigan State's five opponents to date have a combined 21-5 record, which ranks as the third-toughest schedule in the FBS by the NCAA and seventh-toughest by ESPN.

• Fitzgerald faced Illinois 17 times during his tenure at Northwestern, collecting an 11-6 record, including a six-game winning streak from 2015-20.

• Saturday's game marks the 50th all-time meeting between Michigan State and Illinois. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 27-20-2, including a 13-9-1 record in East Lansing. Illinois won the last meeting in Champaign in 2024, 38-16. This marks the first matchup between the two schools in Spartan Stadium since 2019. Michigan State has won 13 of the last 17 meetings in the series.

• Dating back to 1915, this year marks the 110th Homecoming game for Michigan State. The only years Homecoming games were not held since 1915 were 1943 and 2020. MSU is 71-35-3 (.665) in 109 previous Homecoming games. This year's Homecoming Parade begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9 in downtown East Lansing and the MSU campus. For more information, please visit alumni.msu.edu/connect/homecoming

• Fifth-year graduate kicker Liam Boyd is second in the Big Ten and tied for ninth in the nation with nine field goals, already tying his career high from a year ago at Charlotte. Boyd is 4-for-4 from 30-39 yards and 4-of-4 from 40-49 yards and also connected on a career-long 51-yarder in the season opener vs. Toledo.

• Third-year punter Rhys Dakin, a transfer from Iowa in his first season at MSU, leads the Big Ten and ranks third in the FBS with his 49.6-yard punting average. Dakin also ranks second in the conference with seven punts of 50-plus yards and has placed five punts inside the 20.

►ELI COENEN OFF TO STRONG START ON THE DEFENSIVE LINE
• Fourth-year defensive lineman Eli Coenen, a transfer from Illinois, is off to a strong start to his Spartan career. He currently ranks tied for third in the Big Ten with three sacks and leads the team with four tackles for loss. In his Spartan debut, Coenen was named the Spartan Defensive Player of the Week with three tackles, an 11-yard sack and a pass break-up vs. Toledo, and earned the honor for the second week in a row after recording four tackles with two sacks against Eastern Michigan in Week 2.

►FITZGERALD ANNOUNCES CAM EDWARDS WILL MISS REMAINDER OF 2026 SEASON WITH AN INJURY
• MSU head coach Pat Fitzgerald announced at his weekly press conference on Monday, Sept. 28 that graduate running back Cam Edwards will miss the remainder of the 2026 season after suffering an injury in the first quarter against Nebraska in Week 4.

• At the time of his injury, Edwards led the Spartans in rushing yards (304), carries (64), rushing touchdowns (3) and all-purpose yards (339). He also ranked among active FBS leaders in career rushing yards (fourth with 2,994) and rushing touchdowns (fifth with 30).

• Edwards entered the 2026 season on the Maxwell Award Watch List and Doak Walker Award Watch List.

• A native of Norwalk, Connecticut, Edwards played his first four seasons (2022-25) at UConn and posted career highs for rushing yards (1,240), rushing touchdowns (15), carries (210), receptions (19) and receiving yards (187) for the Huskies in 2025, finishing the year ranked among the FBS Top 25 leaders in six categories (tied for ninth in TDs with 16; tied for 13th in rushing TDs; 15th in rushing yards; 17th in rushing yards per game; 22nd in all-purpose yards; 23rd in yards per carry).

• Edwards ran for 152 yards and two TDs on 21 carries in the win over Eastern Michigan in Week 2; it marked the most rushing yards by a Spartan running back since Kenneth Walker III had 197 against Michigan in 2021. In his Spartan debut, Edwards carried the ball a career-high 27 times for 98 yards and one TD in the win over Toledo.

►STAT LEADERS
Michigan State:
Rushing – Gr. Cam Edwards (64 carries for 304 yards, 4.8 avg., 3 TDs, 76.0 ypg)
Passing – R-So. Alessio Milivojevic (80-of-129, .620, 851 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs, 170.2 ypg)
Receiving – R-Sr. Chrishon McCray (18 receptions for 150 yards, 8.3 avg., 0 TDs, 30.0 ypg)
Tackles – R-Jr. S Devin Vaught (33 tackles, 1 TFL)

Illinois:
Rushing – 5th Aidan Laughery (45 carries for 321 yards, 7.1 avg., 1 TD, 64.2 ypg)
Passing – 5th Katin Houser (102-of-155, .658, 1,246 yards, 11 TDs, 3 INTs, 249.2 ypg)
Receiving – Sr. Collin Dixon (40 receptions for 546 yards, 13.7 avg., 8 TDs, 109.2 ypg)
Tackles – 5th DB Matthew Bailey (37 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 1 QBH)

►MSU-ILLINOIS SERIES NOTES
• Saturday's game marks the 50th all-time meeting between Michigan State and Illinois. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 27-20-2, including a 13-9-1 record in East Lansing.

• Illinois won the last meeting in Champaign in 2024, 38-16.

• This marks the first matchup between the two schools in Spartan Stadium since 2019. MSU held a 28-3 lead in the second quarter in that game but Illinois rallied for a 37-34 win over the Spartans.

• Michigan State has won 13 of the last 17 meetings in the series.

• This marks the sixth time that Pat Fitzgerald and Bret Bielema will go against each other as head coaches. When Fitzgerald was at Northwestern and Bielema was at Wisconsin, the two faced off three times, with Bielema holding a slight 2-1 edge (2006 Wisconsin win; 2009 Northwestern win over No. 17 Wisconsin; 2010 Wisconsin win). Bielema was 2-0 at Illinois against Fitzgerald (wins in 2021, 2022).

►MSU-ILLINOIS CONNECTIONS
• Fourth-year defensive end Eli Coenen played one season (2025) at Illinois, appearing in all 13 games. He recorded 222 snaps on defense and recorded eight tackles, including a 6-yard sack and four tackles in the Music City Bowl win over Tennessee.

• Third-year offensive lineman Andrew Dennis spent the 2024 spring semester at Illinois before transferring to Michigan State during the summer of 2024.

• Fifth-year Illinois quarterback Katin Houser played in 12 career games for the Spartans (one in 2022, 11 in 2023). Houser started the last seven games of the season in 2023, including wins over Nebraska and Indiana. He was 112-of-191 passing (.586) for 1,130 yards, six TDs and five interceptions in his 11 games in 2023.

►SPARTANS FROM THE LAND OF LINCOLN
• Michigan State has eight players on its 2026 roster from the state of Illinois: DL Mikeshun Beeler (Chicago/Simeon HS), LS Nick Duzansky (Glen Ellyn, Ill./St. Francis HS), RB Zion Gist (Frankfort/ Lincoln-Way East HS), DL Carlos Hazelwood (Chicago/Tinley Park HS), QB Alessio Milivojevic (Naperville/St. Francis HS), TE Kai Rios (Rock Island/Rock Island HS), LS Trey Serauskis (Frankfort/Lincoln-Way East HS) and WR Zach Washington (Naperville/St. Francis HS).

►BRIEF GLANCE AT ILLINOIS (2-3, 0-2 BIG TEN)
• The Fighting Illini tote a 2-3 overall and 0-2 Big Ten ledger to East Lansing for Saturday's MSU Homecoming matchup with the Spartans. Illinois has lost its last two games after starting the season 2-1, with a 42-19 loss at No. 7 Ohio State on Sept. 26 and most recently, a 24-17 loss at home to Purdue this past Saturday.

• In Saturday's home game vs. Purdue, the Boilermakers took a 13-0 lead late in the second quarter, before Illinois got on the board with a 7-yard pass from graduate QB Katin Houser to senior wide receiver Collin Dixon just 21 seconds before halftime. The second half was back-and-forth, with the Illini closing to 24-17 with 1:26 to go on a 2-yard pass from Houser to graduate senior wide receiver Ty Robinson, but Purdue recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

• Illinois is 11th in the B1G and 68th in the FBS in scoring offense (30.6 ppg), while ranking 15th in the conference and 94th in the country in scoring defense (26.0 ppg).

• The Illini rank 10th in the league and 61st in the nation in total offense (404.8 ypg), ranking 10th in the B1G and 75th in the FBS in rushing offense (155.6 ypg).

• On defense, Illinois is 15th in the B1G and 98th in the FBS in total defense (381.8 ypg), including ranking 12th in the league and 55th in the nation in rushing defense (126.8 ypg) and 18th in the conference and 118th in the country in passing yards allowed (255.0 ypg).

• Houser, a former MSU QB from 2022-23, is 102-of-155 passing for 1,246 yards (249.2 ypg) with 11 TDs and three INTs, along with third on the team in rushing attempts and yards with 25 carries for 106 yards (4.2 ypc/21.2 ypg), with one rushing TD. He is fifth in the B1G and 21st in the FBS in passing TDs (11), while ranking sixth in the league and 33rd in the nation in passing yards/game (249.2), along with seventh in the conference and 43rd in the country in total offense/game (270.4).

• Dixon in second in the B1G and third in the FBS in receiving TDs (8), in addition to third in the conference and fourth in the country in receptions/game (8.0), along with third in the league and ninth in the nation in receiving yards/game (109.2). Dixon has 40 receptions for 546 yards, adding one rush for 15 yards.

• Fifth-year running back Aidan Laughery has 321 yards on 45 carries (7.1 ypc/64.2 ypg) with one TD, while junior running back Ca'Lil Valentine has 225 yards on 50 rushing attempts (4.5 ypc/45.0 ypg), also with one rushing score.

• Fifth-year defensive back Matthew Bailey leads the Illini defense with 37 tackles, adding 1.0 tackle for loss, along with one interception return for 88 yards in the Southern Illinois win (Sept. 19), as well as adding one pass break-up and one QB hurry on the season.

• Fifth-year linebacker Ismael Kante is second on the team with 29 tackles, as well as sharing the team lead with 2.5 tackles for loss, joined by junior defensive lineman Joe Barna.

• Bailey and Kante each have an interception return for a TD, with the only two interceptions on the season, while senior Juice Clarke has five pass break-ups, ranking sixth in the league and 19th in the nation in passes defended.

• Fifth-year senior placekicker Ethan Moczulski is sixth in the B1G in field goals/game (1.40), making 7-of-9 field goals with a long of 54 yards, as well as 18-of-18 PATs. Moczulski also handles kickoff duties, with 26 kickoffs for a 63.6 ypk avearge with 21 touchbacks.

• Junior punter Lars Rau has nine punts for a 42.1 ypp average with a long of 53-yards, his lone punt of 50+ yards, with five inside the 20.

• Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is in his sixth season leading the Illini, logging a 39-29 ledger, as well as in his 18th season as a head coach, posting a 136-87 record.

Jaziun Patterson action photo at Wisconsin 2026

Jaziun Patterson action photo at Wisconsin 2026

LAST TIME OUT: WISCONSIN 31, MSU 3

►GAME RECAP
Michigan State fell to Wisconsin, 31-3, before a crowd of 67,001 last Saturday afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium.

Graduate running back Jaziun Patterson led the Spartans on the ground for the second game in a row with 62 yards on 18 carries, while sophomore Marvis Parrish had 11 carries for 36 yards.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic was 15-of-32 passing for 103 yards. Redshirt freshman tight end Jayden Savoury (26 yards) and redshirt junior wide receiver Fredrick Moore (23) both led MSU with four receptions.

Senior linebacker Dion Crawford led the Spartan defense with eight stops.

Wisconsin outgained MSU 373-235 and limited the Spartans to 1-of-6 on fourth-down conversions. The Badgers led the Spartans 17-3 at the half and scored one touchdown each in the third and fourth quarter to make the final 31-3.

►SCORING SUMMARY
Wisconsin (4-1, 2-0 B1G) made four third-down conversions on its opening drive and marched 75 yards on 13 plays in 6:44 to take a quick 7-0 lead. On third-and-7 from the MSU 20-yard line, Badger tight end Jacob Harris caught a tipped pass in the end zone for the score.

The Spartans drove the ball to the UW 38 on their first possession, but were stopped on an incomplete pass on fourth-and-7, and the Badgers took their second series 59 yards on just five plays for a touchdown as Harris had a 15-yard TD reception for his second score of the game.

MSU drove the ball into Badger territory once again on its second possession to the UW 24-yard line, but was stopped on downs for the second straight series on a batted down pass on fourth-and-2.

The Badgers went up 17-0 on a 30-yard field goal by Gavin Lahm with 3:56 left in the half.

On its fourth and final series of the half, Michigan State got the ball with 1:03 remaining and took advantage of two Wisconsin 15-yard penalties as Liam Boyd kicked a 31-yard field goal with nine seconds left to make it 17-3 at halftime.

Wisconsin went up 24-3 early in the third quarter as Badger quarterback Colton Joseph broke loose for a 47-yard touchdown run. Joseph finished the game 9-of-20 passing for 145 yards and three TDs and ran for 141 yards on 13 carries.

The Badgers extended their lead to 31-3 on Joseph's 46-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Coleman at the 7:56 mark in the fourth quarter.

►OFFENSIVE NOTES
• Redshirt sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic completed 15-of-32 passes for 103 yards . . . the 15 completions and 103 yards were both season-lows, while the 32 attempts were his second-most this season behind the top mark of 34 attempts in the season-opener vs. Toledo (Sept. 4).

• Graduate running back Jaziun Patterson made his first start of the season and as a Spartan, while it was the third start of his collegiate career, making one start in both 2023 and 2025, while at Iowa . . . Patterson finished with 18 carries for 62 yards, both improving on his season-highs for the second-straight week after 16 carries for 54 yards last week vs. Nebraska . . . the 18 carries matches his collegiate career-high of 18 rushing attempts vs. Minnesota (9/21/24) during his time at Iowa.

• Sophomore running back Marvis Parrish also had a season-high rushing and yardage output with 11 carries for 36 yards . . . the 11 rushes were one shy of his career-high 12 carries, which he did three times last season while at Western Kentucky.

• Redshirt freshman tight end Jayden Savoury led the receiving corps with a career-high tying four catches, marking the third time in the five games this season that Savoury has snared four receptions, joining the first two games of the season vs. Toledo (Sept. 4) and Eastern Michigan (Sept. 12) . . . Savoury's four catches shared the team lead with teammate redshirt junior wide receiver Fredrick Moore, while Savoury ended with a team-high 26 yards . . . one of Savoury's four receptions went for a first down.

• Redshirt junior wide receiver Fredrick Moore tied Savoury for the team lead with four catches, finishing with 23 yards . . . Moore's four catches tied a career-high for the second time in as many games, matching four receptions from last week vs. Nebraska (Sept. 26).

►DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Senior linebacker Dion Crawford registered a team-high and season-best eight tackles, marking the third time this season in four games played with five or more stops . . . Crawford's eight tackles betters his previous top mark of the season of seven stops vs. Eastern Michigan (Sept. 12).

• Redshirt junior safety Devin Vaught logged seven tackles to rank second in tackles for the MSU defense, recording the fourth time out of the five games this season with ranking in the top two in tackles on the Spartan defense.

• Redshirt junior defensive lineman Eli Coenen registered at least 1.0 tackle for loss for the third time out of the five games this season as part of fourth out of his last six games played dating back to last season . . . Coenen now has 4.0 TFLs on the season and 11.0 TFLs for his career . . . Coenen also added one pass break-up and has two PBUs on the season, joining one from the season opener vs. Toledo (Sept. 4).

• Senior edge Kenny Soares Jr. tallied three tackles, including 1.0 tackle for loss and one pass break-up . . . Soares now has 2.5 TFLs and two PBUs this season.

►SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Junior punter Rhys Dakin had a 62-yard punt in the second quarter that was not only a new season long, but his first punt of 60+ yards this season . . . it was Dakin's second-longest punt of his career behind a 65-yarder last season during his tenure at Iowa . . . Dakin now has four career punts of 60+ yards . . . he also has seven punts of 50 or more yards this season, with at least one in four of the five games on the year, only going without a 50-yarder in the season-opener vs. Toledo, when he only had one punt for 44-yards, pinning it inside the 10 . . . Dakin now has 34 career punts of 50+ yards.

• Dakin ended with four punts for a 54.5 ypp average, with all four punts going 49+ yards, with three 50+ yarders, booming the 62-yarder in the second quarter, then a 51 and a 56-yarder in the third quarter, before his shortest punt of the day, the 49-yarder in the fourth quarter.

• Graduate placekicker Liam Boyd made his lone field goal attempt, making a 31-yarder late in the second quarter . . . Boyd now has at least one field goal made in four of the five games this season . . . Boyd is now 9-of-11 on field goals for the season, with both misses coming on attempts of 50+ yards that were both blocked.

Game 6: Michigan State (2-3, 0-2 B1G) vs. Illinois (2-3, 0-2 B1G)

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Players Mentioned

Liam Boyd

Eli Coenen

Dion Crawford

Rhys Dakin

Andrew Dennis

Nick Duzansky

Cam Edwards

Zion Gist

Carlos Hazelwood

Chrishon McCray

Alessio Milivojevic

Fredrick Moore

Marvis Parrish

Jaziun Patterson

Kai Rios

Jayden Savoury

Trey Serauskis

Kenny Soares Jr.

Devin Vaught

Zach Washington

Michigan State University Athletics