Michigan State offensive lineman Conner Moore (58) looks at the final of the Michigan State vs. Illinois football game at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich., on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.
Instead of Michigan State football being welcomed back for Homecoming, boos filled the Spartan Stadium stands as early as the first quarter. But over the course of 60-plus minutes, those boos turned into roaring cheers.
“The fans were unbelievable,” head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “They're the ones that talked to our guys and got them going, and I appreciate them more than they'll ever know."
The Spartans erased the 17-point deficit, tying up the game at 31 all, sending the game into overtime. Illinois prevailed 38-37 behind a first-play score and a clutch stop on MSU’s two-point conversion attempt.
A sluggish offensive start, featuring consecutive three-and-outs, set the Spartans behind early. Defensively, MSU didn’t record a first-half stop either — it was self-sabotage before the second half ensued.
Illinois built a 20-7 halftime lead, highlighted by former Spartan quarterback Katin Houser’s two-yard quarterback-keeper touchdown and a five-yard touchdown pass.
MSU’s only first-half score came miraculously as the offense snapped out of its lousy start. Sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic and graduate running back Jaziun Patterson ignited an efficient 75-yard drive. Milivojevic looked comfortable in the pocket, capping the drive off with a six-yard dump-off pass to Patterson for the score.
Milivojevic and the offense opened up the second half with the ball, picking up right where it left off. As soon as MSU found a rhythm, graduate tight end Brennan Parachek fumbled in Spartan territory.
Illinois and MSU each exchanged field goals, leaving MSU's deficit at 13.
Houser looked unstoppable; however, three plays into the next drive, he made his first mistake.
Junior safety Devin Vaught intercepted Houser’s overthrow and took the ball down the sideline. There was one man to beat, Houser, who took the contact and finished the tackle.
Although Houser prevented the pick-six, he paid for the hit, which kept him sidelined for the rest of the game. True freshman quarterback Michael Clayton II took Houser’s place.
The Spartans took just one play after the turnover to score. Patterson punched in the 11-yard touchdown, inching the Spartans closer to a 23-17 deficit.
The Illini walked down the field even with the backup quarterback at the helm, finishing the drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to receiver Collin Dixon. Aidan Laughery rushed in the two-point conversion, extending the Illini's lead to 31-17.
It was desperation mode for the Spartans, and Milivojevic looked to part. MSU moved the ball to the Illinois 42-yard line, set up with fourth-and-seven on the line. Milivojevic found junior Fredrick Moore for an 18-yard catch and then, on the next play, found Moore again for a 24-yard touchdown, sparking a Spartan Stadium eruption.
The explosion of excitement quickly returned to boo’s. The Spartans looked to complete the 17-point comeback and went for the surprise onside kick. MSU recovered, but a controversial offside call that couldn’t be reviewed left fans and coaches appalled.
“My vantage point, we were not offsides,” Fitzgerald said. “My vantage point, we recovered the ball. My vantage point is that it was one of the more confusing plays I've ever seen officiated.”
MSU had no choice but to accept the ruling, but still managed to muster a touchdown with just over a minute left to level the score 31-31. The offense turned to a staple goal-line play, a direct snap to the running back, that ended in another Patterson score, sending the game to overtime.
Yet, it took just one play to silence Spartan Stadium. Clayton II fired the ball up the seam to Clement for a 25-yard first-play score.
The Spartans had a drive to answer, which they did. Senior receiver Chrishon McCray made a pair of 10-yard receptions, one on a crucial third down, which brought MSU to the one-yard line. MSU called on Patterson, once again, who crossed the plane.
Fitzgerald’s decision to go for the two-point conversion after the play was an easy one, but the play call was blown up immediately. It was a direct snap to Patterson, who tossed it to an instantly pressured Milivojevic, who threw the ball short of the end zone. The pass was incomplete, and the Spartans fell 38-37.
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“We were just so beat up on defense to go for two at the end; that was a no-brainer, frankly,” Fitzgerald said. “We made that decision pretty quickly.”
“We ended up one play short, and you know that's my call,” Fitzgerald said. “I stood up here about six, seven weeks ago and said, ‘Scared money don't make money.’”
The Spartans continue their slump, falling to 2-4 before hosting Northwestern at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 17. The game will air on Peacock.
