2 wins in, Michigan State football knows challenge from Notre Dame coming

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EAST LANSING – Two games, two wins.

Plenty of concern. Especially because Pat Fitzgerald knows the road ahead for Michigan State football won’t get any easier.

The Spartans’ 35-7 victory over Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 12, took more recalibration than anticipated to get rolling. Next up is their first road test – and their last nonconference game – at No. 4 Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, on Sept. 19 (7:30 p.m. NBC).

And Fitzgerald understands that any lapses against the Irish (2-0) could be far more disastrous than those shown against Mid-American Conference foes EMU and Toledo.

“You come off a tough win, you come back and play another (MAC) team – with a game on the horizon, an opportunity like we have – this is easily a letdown game for a team with a lack of maturity or a lack of focus and discipline,” Fitzgerald said Saturday. “I thought the way we started the week ended up being the way we finished the week, and I’m proud of the guys for that.

“And I’m in no way, shape or form satisfied with where we’re at. We got a ton of work to do. We can’t allow a lull to happen, we cannot be outphysicaled. And we gotta get a lot better.”

The “lull” Fitzgerald referred to came in the second quarter against EMU, and it included two things MSU tried to fix coming out of its season-opening win over Toledo on Sept. 4.

On offense, it meant drives that sputtered and left points on the field. That started to happen again Saturday as the Spartans crossed midfield and found themselves facing fourth-and-11 at EMU’s 35. Instead of settling for a long field goal attempt, Fitzgerald went for it, even though quarterback Alessio Milivojevic had just thrown two passes – nearly got picked off – followed by a screen to running back Marvis Parrish blown apart for a 1-yard loss by the Eagles (1-2).

On fourth down, Milivojevic stepped up in the pocket and rolled to his right. The sophomore delivered a dart on the run to receiver Charles Taplin for 19 yards – a first down the Spartans promptly followed with a false start penalty. Five plays later, though, Cam Edwards powered in on a direct snap for a 1-yard touchdown run, his first of two in the game.

EMU countered with a drive almost as long as MSU’s, parting the Spartans’ front seven for big holes in the run game. Former MSU quarterback Noah Kim capped it with a 4-yard scoring run on an RPO keeper that Fitzgerald said his defense had been focused on stopping during the week.

“In the second quarter, we weren't doing a great job with block destruction, we weren't fitting gaps right, we didn't tackle well, we went under blocks,” said Fitzgerald, a former All-American linebacker. “And then, the play they scored on, we practiced it. There was a lot of not very happy people on our defensive headphones and defensive staff when we went in at halftime. It should have never happened.”

MSU played without starting linebacker Jordan Hall, who sat with a right arm injury while wearing a brace on his elbow. Fitzgerald said Hall “was really close to playing”; he believes the captain will be ready to start practicing Sunday.

Without Hall – and his knowledge of coordinator Joe Rossi’s scheme and communication ability to get the defense properly aligned – MSU was outgained, 162-143, in the first half. The Spartans also gave up six plays of 10-plus yards and four third-down conversions on seven attempts.

“Our physicality wasn't where it needed to be on that (touchdown) drive,” said sophomore linebacker Brady Pretzlaff, after making his second collegiate start while wearing the green-dot radio helmet normally worn by Hall. “And we corrected it and moved on and responded.”

Leading 14-7 with 1:50 left in the first half, MSU’s offense again stalled. After converting three times on third down, Milivojevic was sacked, with right tackle Robert Wright Jr. beat off the edge with 26 seconds left. That pushed the Spartans out of field goal range, followed by redshirt freshman Bryson Williams dropping Milivojevic’s third-down pass that also was short. They had to punt.

“The second quarter was fully on me,” said Milivojevic, who finished 12-for-20 for 170 yards and two TDs. “I need to play better in general. My eyes have gotta be better. I have to make the right reads.”

After some terse talk in the locker room at halftime, MSU appeared to hit another wall. Edwards got stuffed for no gain on third-and-short at his own 34, and Fitzgerald again gambled by going for it. Milivojevic barely got to the 35 on the ensuing sneak, though, for a first down. And then Edwards – who finished with 152 yards on 21 carries – ripped off a 33-yard run.

Backup QB Cam Fancher came in for the next seven plays, officially, and mixed his running prowess with short passes. Fancher's eighth play brought a third-down pass interference penalty in the end zone. Milivojevic returned at QB, and Edwards plowed in for his second touchdown of the day.

The rout was on, as the Spartans dominated on the line of scrimmage – 198 of their 258 rushing yards came in the second half. Their defense smothered the Eagles, holding them to just 57 total yards – and minus-6 rushing yards – on their 21 second-half plays.

“I think the physicality piece is the brand of ball that MSU is known for,” said Pretzlaff, who had a career-best eight tackles. “I grew up watching it. That's what we're really trying to get back to playing.”

It will be needed on both sides of the ball against Notre Dame, which opened the season by dominating Wisconsin in the second half at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, then blew out Rice on Saturday, 52-0.

“When you start picking up a few wins in a row, your confidence for sure builds,” Milivojevic said. “I think the one thing is you can't get complacent. You have to continue to work … because we have a really good team ahead of us.”

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

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