EAST LANSING ~ Expectations were high for a rebuilt Spartan team and new Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald ahead of Friday’s season opener against Toledo. MSU lost momentum in the third quarter but sealed the win with a push in the fourth.
Running back Cam Edwards put the first points on the board with a 2-yard rushing touchdown, and quarterback Alessio Milivojevic closed the first quarter with a perfect 5-for-5 passing line. The momentum carried the Spartans through another quarter, though the scoring strategy shifted to field goals. Toledo landed a touchdown, but three field goals by kicker Liam Boyd, including a 48-yard kick, kept MSU in the lead by 9 points at the half.
The Spartan score stalled in the third quarter when Boyd’s 54-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Toledo. Rockets quarterback John Alan Richter ran the ball and secured the touchdown with a 6-yard pass to wide receiver Adjatay Dabbs.
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(CONTINUED) Fitzgerald faced his first major decision as MSU head coach when the third quarter ended with a 4th-and-1 at the Toledo 31. Fitzgerald’s options were to attempt another long field goal, punt it to pin Toledo deep, or go for it. Fitzgerald decided to go for it and kept the offensive line on the field, but the drive failed and set up a Rockets possession that resulted in a 71-yard touchdown. MSU answered with 10 minutes left in the game Milivojevic connected with wide receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. for the go-ahead score, securing the Spartans’ 30–20 win.
Experienced Spartans like Milivojevic and Bullard delivered as veterans, and newcomers like Edwards and Boyd proved their value in the roster’s reconstruction. Fitzgerald had been uncertain ahead of the first game, and he told reporters on Tuesday “We’re going to face it with the trials and tribulations of the game, and we’ll see how we handle it.” Hear more about the coach’s debut game on The Pat Fitzgerald Show this Wednesday at 7:00pm on 760 WJR.
