EAST LANSING ~ After a 28-10 loss to UCLA Saturday, Michigan State football heads into its first bye week of the season before the rivalry game in Ann Arbor. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald said the week off is about restoring an injured roster and recruiting for next year.
“I’ve never seen so many injuries,” Fitzgerald said after the road loss. Thirteen players were ruled out in the pregame availability report, including captains Alessio Milivojevic and Jordan Hall. Another four joined them on the sideline after suffering in-game injuries. Fitzgerald said rehabilitation is in full swing for the injured Spartans, and that the players are motivated to get healthy. The injuries have pushed starter responsibilities on third- and fourth-string players, like freshman Kayd Coffman who started at quarterback Saturday. He shared reps with freshman Leo Hanna, and Fitzgerald said, “we may need both those guys to go win the rivalry game.”
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(CONTINUED) Underclassmen development has been one benefit of the injuries as the Spartans look to build next season’s roster. With four games left in the regular season and slim bowl eligibility hopes, Fitzgerald has begun dedicating time to recruitment. He said “we’ll be out recruiting the whole week” around the state and potentially across the country. Assistants, he said, will be running practice while coordinators and coaches visit prospects.
“We need the bye week,” Fitzgerald admitted after the sixth consecutive Spartan loss. MSU could still finish the regular season at .500 with wins in its final four games, but players and coaches will need to build momentum during the week off to start a positive streak.
