"I talked to them early in this process about learning the difference between reacting and responding," Fitzgerald said. "Reacting has an emotional response or emotional way about it, and a response has an action plan that allows you to have success. And I thought we responded really well."

The Spartans' ability to bounce back right after losing the lead was impressive, but if a few first-half field goals had been traded in for touchdowns, MSU's late-game heroics would have been unnecessary.

MSU had five drives in the first half, and all five ended in scores: the opening touchdown from Edwards, followed by four straight field goals from graduate kicker Liam Boyd.

The transfer from Charlotte was responsible for 15 of MSU's 30 points in a career night in which he missed only once — blocked from 54 yards — while setting a career-long field goal from 51 yards. But a career performance for a kicker is not always the best sign for an offense.

"I think it just goes back to me personally, taking what the defense gives me, keeping the ball moving, which will then extend drives into touchdowns instead of field goals," sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic said. "Overall, as an offense, we just got to finish. At the end of the day, I think continuing to practice like we have, we're going to end up finishing those drives."

Threes are nice, but sixes are better. Those four field goals represent four different opportunities the Spartans missed to punch it into the end zone while in Toledo territory, two of them in the red zone. A 19-7 lead at halftime could have been 35-0, or, in a different reality, MSU misses some of those field goals and leads just 10-7.

The argument could be made that a touchdown is not always in the cards, say, when the clock is running down before halftime. But most drives were set up for touchdowns and died from self-inflicted mistakes.

MSU’s first field goal came after an 11-play, 56-yard drive that ultimately stalled at the Rockets' 14-yard line, but was just inches away from a touchdown. Milivojevic found graduate wide receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. in the corner of the end zone with a perfect pass that sailed over two defenders, but Bullard dropped it. A missed opportunity.

Forty-four seconds later on the game clock, the Spartans had the ball back after their first interception of the year, courtesy of graduate defensive end Kenny Soares Jr. It started the MSU offense at the Toledo 40-yard line, providing great field position for a drive that lasted just five plays and covered 16 yards after a holding call on the second play created a first-and-20.

It was another self-inflicted wound that forced the offense to settle for a 42-yard field goal, tying a career-long for Boyd.

The Rockets then put their first points on the board, setting up their first kickoff of the game. The kickoff found junior running back Kenneth Williams, who returned it 47 yards to the Toledo 45-yard line for good field position in the final minutes of the second quarter.

But just like after the interception, the offense did not capitalize on the field position, managing just a seven-play, 15-yard drive that forced a 48-yard field goal, another career-long at the time for Boyd.

Then, with 2:33 left, the Spartans started their final drive of the half, a two-minute drill run to near perfection as the offense drove all the way down to the Toledo 3-yard line. But a holding call on third-and-goal moved the ball back to the 13-yard line and killed another touchdown opportunity. Boyd made his fourth field goal of the half from 35 yards.

MSU's offense clearly can move the ball. The Spartans nearly eclipsed 400 yards of total offense and had 212 in the first half alone. They also know how to control a game, holding the ball for 43:16 of the 60 minutes and picking up 26 first downs.

The biggest step forward is simply finishing off drives, especially when the defense and special teams units are starting offensive drives on the opponent's side of the field, because the difference between finishing drives with touchdowns instead of field goals is what it takes to compete and win in the Big Ten. Milivojevic recognizes that.

"I want to challenge us to finish those drives," Milivojevic said. "Finishing those drives is going to be huge for us."

MSU (1-0) will now prepare for its next matchup against Eastern Michigan University (1-1), welcoming the Eagles to Spartan Stadium on Sept. 12 at 3:30 p.m.