If you're looking for the score of the Michigan State football game, you might be a little confused by what you’re seeing on your screen right now. It is currently mid-January 2026. If you check the headlines today, you’ll see "Michigan State 4, Wisconsin 1" or maybe "Michigan State 73, Nebraska 71."
But wait. Those aren't football scores.
The hockey team is absolutely tearing it up right now, and the women's basketball team just pulled off a thriller at the Breslin Center. But the football team? They’ve been home for a while.
Honestly, the 2025 season didn't end with a celebratory trophy lift or a confetti shower. It ended at Ford Field in Detroit back on November 29, 2025. In that final matchup, the Michigan State score was a 38-28 victory over Maryland.
It was a bittersweet way to end the year. The Spartans finished with a 4-8 record. Because they didn't hit that magic six-win mark, they weren't bowl-eligible. While other Big Ten teams were heading to the Citrus Bowl or the Rose Bowl in late December and early January, the Spartans were busy cleaning out lockers and, eventually, looking for a new leader.
The Final Score That Closed the Book
That Maryland game was actually a pretty fun watch, which makes the rest of the season even more frustrating for fans. It was played at Ford Field, and Alessio Milivojevic really stepped up, throwing for 292 yards. Nick Marsh, who has been a bright spot all year, hauled in 85 yards of that.
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The Spartans looked like the team everyone hoped they would be in August. They were aggressive. They moved the ball. They actually finished drives.
But a 38-28 win doesn't erase a seven-game losing streak.
Before that win in Detroit, the Spartans had a rough go of it. They lost a nail-biter to Iowa (20-17) and got handled by Penn State (28-10). The most heartbreaking one for many was probably the overtime loss to Minnesota (23-20). If one or two of those bounces go the other way, maybe Michigan State is playing in a bowl game right now instead of watching from the couch.
The 2025 Season at a Glance
To understand the score of the Michigan State football game trends, you have to look at how the momentum just... evaporated.
- The High Note: They started 3-0. The double-overtime 42-40 win against Boston College on September 6 was legendary. Spartan Stadium was shaking.
- The Slide: Then came the West Coast trip to USC. They lost 45-31. That started a tailspin that lasted two full months.
- The Rivalry: The October 25 game against Michigan ended 31-20 in favor of the Wolverines. Even though the Spartans covered the spread (they were 13.5-point underdogs), a loss to the rivals always stings twice as hard.
Why the Scoreboard Led to a Total Reset
Success in East Lansing is measured by more than just winning the final game against Maryland. The 4-8 finish was enough for the university to pull the plug on the Jonathan Smith era after just two seasons. It was a move that caught some people off guard because of the $30 million buyout, but the leadership felt a change was mandatory.
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On December 1, 2025, the school made a massive splash.
Pat Fitzgerald is the new head coach at Michigan State.
If you’ve followed Big Ten football for a minute, you know the name. He’s the winningest coach in Northwestern history. He brings a "toughness and grit" philosophy that Spartan fans have been desperate for since the Mark Dantonio days.
Since taking the job, Fitzgerald hasn't been sitting around. He’s been assembling a "who's who" of coaching talent. He kept Joe Rossi as the defensive coordinator—Rossi’s defense was actually one of the few bright spots last year, keeping games against Iowa and Minnesota close when the offense was struggling.
He also poached Nick Sheridan to run the offense and brought in LeVar Woods from Iowa to handle special teams. If you know anything about Iowa, you know their special teams are usually world-class. That’s a huge "get" for MSU.
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What’s Happening Right Now?
While there is no score of the Michigan State football game to report this week, the "score" in the transfer portal is what people are tracking. It's a bit of a mixed bag.
Nick Marsh, the star receiver, entered the portal. That’s a gut punch. So did running back Makhi Frazier and linebacker Darius Snow. Fitzgerald is basically re-tooling the entire engine while the car is moving.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Scores
There's a misconception that the 2025 Spartans were "blown out" every week. That’s actually not true.
If you look at the betting data, Michigan State was actually 7-5 against the spread. This means they were more competitive than the "experts" thought they would be. They lost to Iowa by three. They lost to Minnesota by three in OT. They lost to Nebraska by 11 but were in it until the fourth quarter.
They weren't a terrible team; they were a team that didn't know how to win close games. That is exactly what Pat Fitzgerald is being paid to fix.
Actionable Steps for Spartan Fans
If you're looking for ways to stay connected now that the football scoreboard is dark until late August 2026, here is what you should be doing:
- Watch the Hockey Team: Seriously. They are currently ranked in the Top 5 and just swept Wisconsin. If you need a "Green and White" winning fix, the Munn Ice Arena is the place to be.
- Monitor the Feb 2026 Signing Day: With the new coaching staff in place, the late signing period will be a massive indicator of how well Fitzgerald can "sell" the new vision to recruits who might have been wavering.
- Check the Spring Game Date: Usually held in April, the Spring Game will be your first chance to see Nick Sheridan's new offensive scheme and see who is taking snaps at quarterback.
- Follow the Portal Closely: The "score" that matters most this winter is the net gain/loss of talent. If Fitzgerald can land a veteran QB and a couple of offensive linemen, the 2026 outlook changes instantly.
The 2025 season is in the rearview mirror. The 38-28 win over Maryland was a nice parting gift, but the real game is happening behind the scenes in the coaching offices right now.