"We start [summer] camp in 110 days. We'll be back in Spartan Stadium to take on the opener in 141 days, and we go down the road to take on Michigan in 203 days," Fitzgerald said.

Defense Impressed

Everything from spring games should be taken with a grain of salt — at the end of the day, it's just another practice for the players and staff, one they happen to get to do in front of fans. But the defense stood out.

The Spartan offense scored just one touchdown the entire showcase: a 67-yard run from redshirt junior running back Kenneth Williams, a transfer from Nebraska. Outside of that, drives stalled after crossing midfield or were simply three-and-outs.

The front seven stepped up repeatedly in short-yardage situations, denying the offense on plays where just one or two yards stood between them and a first down.

The secondary left their mark as well, picking off passes on back-to-back plays. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic's deep shot down the sideline was hauled in by redshirt senior cornerback NiJhay Burt, then sixth-year quarterback Cam Fancher lofted one across the field that redshirt senior Aveon Grose snagged.

Redshirt sophomore cornerback Tyran Chappell, a transfer from Houston Christian, introduced himself to Spartan fans as well, despite not walking away with an interception. Throughout the showcase, he was constantly making plays on the ball and made receivers' jobs difficult whenever they were matched up against him.

One element of the defense that will absolutely translate to Saturdays is the energy from the coaches. From defensive coordinator Joe Rossi to co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Max Bullough and defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere III, all of them could be seen jumping around the sideline as if they wanted to strap on pads themselves.

Receiving Corps Still Finding Its Footing

With Nick Marsh transferring to Indiana and Omari Kelly graduating, it was no secret that MSU's receiving corps would take a hit — two losses that exposed a clear weakness in the Spartan offense, one on full display Saturday.

Aside from senior Chrishon McCray, most of the returning receivers are underclassmen, with transfers providing the experience around them. The group showed it can get open on short routes — slants, outs and curls — but completing passes down the field was a different story.

Receivers struggled to generate separation deep, leaving Milivojevic with tight windows and forcing highly contested throws that rarely connected.

A bright spot was redshirt freshman Bryson Williams, who generated buzz among the coaching staff all spring. This is his first season solely playing receiver after splitting time between receiver and running back a year ago.

"Bryson's a big, physical young man that's got a huge future," Fitzgerald said. "There's not very many young men that are 220 pounds that can move like he can move. And you just saw a lot of growth throughout the spring for him. And man, oh, man, are we excited about him."

"The Road Is Always Under Construction"

Coming off a 4-8 season where they won just one Big Ten game, the Spartans aren't a contender overnight — and Fitzgerald and his staff know it.

They understand that from this moment through summer camp to the opening kickoff against Toledo, improvement needs to be constant.

"The road is always under construction. I mean, all the way through, it will never stop," Fitzgerald said. "You never know when all of a sudden it clicks for a guy. And I've learned a long time ago you never give up on a guy. You never give up. You just keep coaching."

Constant development and competitive depth are Fitzgerald's pillars for getting the Spartans back to contending for championships — and that means every player has a chance to make his mark. When Fitzgerald and his staff finalize the depth chart before taking on Toledo, the best 11 players will be on the field, no exceptions.

"I don't care how old you are, where you're from, none of that matters," Fitzgerald said. "I want every guy walking out of here feeling like they can be a starter."