MSU’s Spartan Gateway District: What to know
The Spartan Gateway District was set to feature a 6,000-seat sports arena, restaurants, parking and more, but MSU officials are scaling back plans.
Will this be the last time Jonathan Smith coaches a Michigan State football game this season?
The Spartans (3-5, 0-5 Big Ten) will take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-3, 3-2) on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The game is set to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and will air on the Big Ten Network — with Smith’s job potentially on the line.
After starting the season 3-0, the Spartans have lost five games in a row, including losses to UCLA and Michigan that have put Smith firmly on the hot seat. Many college football experts believe Smith to be one of the next coaches to be fired, though Spartans athletic director J Batt hasn’t said much about the subject.
Watch Michigan State vs Minnesota on Fubo
Smith’s best shot at staying employed in East Lansing may come by making the Spartans bowl-eligible in 2025, something they haven’t been since 2021. To do that, the Spartans will have to win at least three of their last four regular-season games, a potentially daunting task with the team still winless in conference play.
The Spartans are listed as slight underdogs against Minnesota, who just came off a 41-3 road loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes. They’ll also be without starting running back Makhi Frazier, one week after Frazier set a career high with 109 rushing yards against Michigan.
And in somewhat of a surprise move, Smith announced before the game that redshirt freshman Alessio Milivojevic would get the start at quarterback over junior Aidan Chiles.
We’ll have live updates for Michigan State’s Week 10 matchup right here.
Michigan State live updates vs Minnesota
This section will be updated after kickoff.
With Michigan State starting running back Makhi Frazier out, sophomore running back Brandon Tullis will get the start in his place. Tullis has 142 yards on 37 rushes so far through eight games this season, adding three touchdowns on the ground.
Well this is somewhat of a surprise.
Without much hint all week that junior quarterback Aidan Chiles would be benched, Smith announced on a pregame radio show that redshirt freshman Alessio Milivojevic will start today’s game against Minnesota over Chiles.
Milivojevic has appeared in five games this season, mostly in garbage time, going 22-for-37 on pass attempts for 281 yards and three touchdowns. This will be his first-career start.
Michigan State defensive coordinator Joe Rossi moved from his usual spot in the coaches room upstairs to the sidelines during the Spartans’ loss to Michigan last Saturday, aiming to give his team a jolt of energy. And while the Spartans didn’t win, the experiment was deemed successful enough for Rossi to be on the sidelines again for Michigan State’s game against Minnesota.
Redshirt senior defensive lineman Grady Kelly has been named the Spartans’ honorary captain for today’s game against Minnesota. Kelly started his college career at Colorado State from 2021-23 before transferring to Florida State in 2024 and then Michigan State in 2025. He has played in seven games and has made three starts for the Spartans this season.
It’ll be a chilly afternoon in Minneapolis, with the weather forecast showing 44℉ around kickoff and a 37% chance of rain per AccuWeather.
The Spartans have a lengthy availability report ahead of the Minnesota game. Starting running back Makhi Frazier and transfer wide receiver Chrishon McCray are out, while offensive lineman Stanton Ramil and defensive lineman Ben Roberts are also listed as out.
Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles had a rough game against Michigan, going 14-of-28 on pass attempts for 130 yards and zero passing touchdowns. And with a number of other unimpressive performances from Chiles this season, that has some Spartans fans wondering whether backup quarterback Alessio Milivojevic will see some significant playing time against Minnesota.
Chiles will likely get the start against the Golden Gophers, but with the Spartans needing to win at least three of their last four games to become bowl-eligible, the hook on Chiles might be quick if Smith thinks Milivojevic will give them a better chance of winning.
What channel is Michigan State vs. Minnesota today?
The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
- Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET.
- Channel: Big Ten Network.
- Streaming: Fubo.
- Radio: WJR-AM (760).
You can stream Michigan State’s game against Minnesota on Fubo, which carries the Big Ten Network.
Watch the Big Ten Network on Fubo
Michigan State odds, spread vs Minnesota
Michigan State is an underdog heading into their road matchup against the Golden Gophers.
- Spread: Golden Gophers by 3½ points.
- Over/under: 44½ points.
- Moneyline: Michigan State (+145), Minnesota (-175).
Odds are courtesy of BetMGM as of Saturday morning.
Michigan State prediction vs Minnesota
Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press: Coming off a rivalry loss and mired in a monthlong misery, it is hard to pick the Spartans in what essentially is a toss-up game. Expect Chiles to start and give the Golden Gophers fits until MSU’s offensive line begins to wear down in the second half, and the secondary withers late against Drake Lindsey to get Minnesota bowl-eligible and further increase heat on Jonathan Smith and his staff. The pick: Minnesota 24, MSU 21.
Michigan State football 2025 schedule
Week 1: W, 23-6 vs Western Michigan.
Week 2: W, 42-40 vs Boston College.
Week 3: W, 41-24 vs Youngstown State.
Week 4: L, 45-31 at USC.
Week 5: Bye week.
Week 6: L, 38-27 at Nebraska.
Week 7: L, 38-13 vs UCLA.
Week 8: L, 38-13 at Indiana.
Week 9: L, 31-20 vs Michigan.
Week 10: at Minnesota, Nov. 1, 3:30 p.m. ET (Big Ten Network).
Week 11: Bye week.
Week 12: vs Penn State, Nov. 15, TBA.
Week 13: at Iowa, Nov. 22, TBA.
Week 14 vs Maryland, Nov. 29, TBA (game at Ford Field).
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
