Put up-Sport Notes: Minnesota – Michigan State College Athletics

GAME NOTES
• Graduate defensive lineman Grady Kelly was Saturday’s recreation captain . . . he joined three of MSU’s season captains for the coin toss in junior linebacker Jordan Hall, senior offensive lineman Matt Gulbin and graduate defensive lineman Quindarius Dunnigan.

SERIES NOTES

• Saturday’s recreation marked the fiftieth assembly between Michigan State and Minnesota . . . regardless of the loss, the Spartans nonetheless lead the all-time collection, 30-20, whereas the collection is now tied at 13-13 in video games performed in Minneapolis.

• MSU is now 2-3 in video games at Huntington Bank Stadium, which opened in 2009 . . . Overall, Michigan State has received 24 of the final 33 conferences, courting again to 1977, together with 5 out of the final eight.

OFFENSE

• MSU began its sixth completely different quintet of offensive linemen out of the 9 video games this season . . . redshirt freshman Rakeem Johnson began at proper guard to register his first beginning task of the season and second of his profession.

• The Spartan offense’ 88-yard scoring drive within the fourth quarter was MSU’s longest scoring drive of the season, topping two scoring drives of 87 yards, first carried out vs. Youngstown State (9/6/25) and at USC (9/20/25), and did so needing almost 1 / 4 much less of the performs, needing simply three performs on Saturday, boosted by Elijah Tau-Tolliver’s 85-yard scamper, because the YSU drive was 12 performs and USC recreation was 11 performs.

• Redshirt freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic additionally made the primary begin of his school profession by opening Saturday’s recreation at signal-caller . . . Milivojevic was enjoying in his seventh profession recreation . . . with beginning Milivojevic beneath heart, it stopped junior quarterback Aidan Chiles’ consecutive video games began streak at 20 in a row, as Chiles had began all 20 earlier video games of his Spartan profession since transferring to MSU previous to the 2024 season.

• Milivojevic was 20-of-28 passing for 311 yards, all career-highs, whereas tying his career-best with one TD.

• With a completion to Omari Kelly within the second quarter, Milivojevic accomplished his ninth go of the sport to prime his earlier career-high of eight completions vs. UCLA (10/11/25) . . .  his 28 passing makes an attempt and the 311 yards topped his earlier highs of 18 makes an attempt and 100 yards, additionally within the UCLA recreation.

 

• Milivojevic’s 311 yards had been the fifth-best passing outing by a Spartan QB vs. Minnesota, and probably the most since Brian Hoyer’s 330 passing yards towards the Gophers in 2006, which is the highest single-game efficiency vs. Minnesota . . . Milivojevic is the eighth MSU QB with 300+ yards vs. Minnesota. 

• Milivojevic related with graduate vast receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. for a 71-yard TD go, catch and run on MSU’s opening possession of the second half . . . Bullard caught it on the MSU 45 and out-ran the Minnesota protection to the top zone for the TD in addition to for Milivojevic’s longest go of his Spartan profession.

• Senior operating again Elijah Tau-Tolliver registered a season-high 127 yards dashing, highlighted by an 85-yard scamper within the fourth quarter . . . he additionally had a season-high 11 carries, bettering his earlier season-highs of eight carries within the season-opener vs. Western Michigan (8/29/25) and his prime yardage output of the season of 37 yards vs. Youngstown State (9/13/25).

• Tau-Tolliver’s 85-yard run tied the ninth-longest dashing play on MSU’s single-game longest performs checklist, tying Sherman Lewis’ 85-yard scamper vs. Notre Dame in 1963 . . . the 85-yard run by Tau-Tolliver is the longest non-TD play at school historical past, as the opposite 9 longest performs went for scores.

• Along with tying the ninth-longest dashing play in MSU historical past, Tau-Tolliver’s 85-yard run was the longest by a Spartan since Kenneth Walker III’s school-record 94-yard rush for a TD vs. Rutgers in 2021.

• The 85-yard run was his career-long rush, bettering his collegiate profession longest rush of 70 yards vs. Weber State (10/19/24) and general, it was Tau-Tolliver’s eighth profession 100-yard outing of his collegiate profession, as he had seven throughout his time at Sacramento State (2021-24) . . . the 11 carries was Tau-Tolliver’s twelfth profession outing double-digit dashing makes an attempt, as he had one amongst 11 video games performed final 12 months at Sac State. 

• Tau-Tolliver’s 127 yards was his third-longest dashing complete of his profession, behind 141 yards vs. Weber State (10/19/24) and 127 vs. Texas A&M-Commerce (9/21/24).

• Tau-Tolliver’s 127-yard outing marked back-to-back 100-yard dashing outings by a Spartan operating again as sophomore Makhi Frazier rushed for a career-high 109 yards final week vs. Michigan (10/25/25).

• While the 127 yards dashing by Tau-Tolliver shouldn’t be among the many prime eight single-game dashing outings vs. Minnesota, it’s the most by a Spartan operating again vs. Minnesota since LJ Scott had 194 within the 2017 assembly.

 

• Sophomore operating again Brandon Tullis scored a dashing TD for the second straight recreation with a 1-yard scoring plunge within the fourth quarter . . . it was Tullis’ fourth dashing TD of the season and his profession.

• Graduate vast receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. caught his first TD go as a Spartan in scoring his second complete TD this season, including a TD run within the Youngstown State recreation (9/13/25) . . . it was additionally Bullard’s second catch of the season, including to a 17-yard catch in the identical aforementioned YSU recreation . . . general, it was Bullard’s twentieth profession receiving TD, as he had 19 throughout his profession at Valdosta State (2022-24) and his twenty second all-purpose TD, with 20 receiving, one dashing and one kick return rating.

• Bullard completed with a season-high 102 yards receiving on 4 catches after coming into the sport with simply the one catch for 17 yards this season.

• Saturday’s 102-yard outing was Bullard’s first 100-yard recreation since a career-high 158 yards vs. Virginia Union (12/7/24) throughout his time at Valdosta State (2022-24) . . . it was Bullard’s sixth profession 100-yard outing, after 5 at VSU with one in 2023 and 4 in 2024.

• The 71-yard go play was Bullard’s third-longest reception of his collegiate profession behind two 75+ yard catches whereas at Valdosta State, an 84-yard catch vs. Delta State (11/9/24) and a 75-yard catch vs. Erskine (9/21/24).

• Bullard’s 71-yard catch was each MSU’s second-longest passing and complete offensive play on the time, behind a 75-yard TD go play from Chiles to O.Kelly within the recreation at USC (9/20/25), earlier than getting topped by Tau-Tolliver’s 85-yard run within the fourth quarter, which is now the longest offensive play, bumping the Milivojevic-to-Bullard go play to No. 3. 

• The 103-yard outing by Bullard is MSU’s second 100-yard receiving recreation by a Spartan this season, becoming a member of Omari Kelly’s 133 yards at USC (9/20/25).

• Sophomore vast receiver Nick Marsh had 4 catches on Saturday for 75 yards . . . Marsh prolonged his streak of at the least one reception in 20 straight video games, with one in each recreation that he is appeared within the Green & White, together with a number of receptions within the final 19 video games performed after one catch in his Spartan debut.

• With the 75 yards receiving, Marsh notched 75 yards in back-to-back video games after posting 75 yards vs. Michigan final week . . . it was his fourth straight recreation with 60+ yards, as a part of posting 50+ yards in a recreation a complete of six occasions this season and for the eleventh time in his profession.

 

• Marsh has snared 4 or extra catches in every of the final 5 video games and in a complete eight of the 9 video games this season and a complete of 14 occasions in his two-year Spartan profession.

• Senior vast receiver Omari Kelly snared a season-high eight receptions, topping his earlier prime mark of the season with seven catches in Spartan debut vs. Western Michigan (8/29/25) . . . the eight catches tied his second-best profession outing, behind his career-best of 9 catches throughout his time at Middle Tennessee State in a recreation vs. Western Kentucky (9/14/24), and matching eight catches two occasions in 2024 whereas at MTSU.

• Kelly’s 94 yards receiving marks his second-best outing of the season, behind his Spartan excessive 133 yards vs. USC (9/20/25).

• Freshman vast receiver Charles Taplin made his Spartan debut within the third quarter and caught an 8-yard go on his first snap. 

DEFENSE

• The Spartan protection held the opposition to three-and-out on the opening drive for the third time this season, additionally doing so within the UCLA (10/11/25) and Boston College (9/6/25) contests.

• Graduate edge Isaac Smith registered his first sack as a Spartan, downing the Gopher QB within the fourth quarter . . . Smith now has 4.5 sacks in his collegiate profession, together with 3.5 throughout his time at Texas Tech (2022-24). 

• Junior linebacker Jordan Hall logged a career-high two pressured fumbles and now has three this season.

• Hall additionally logged a team-high tying 10 tackles, marking his second double-digit sort out outing of the season behind his career-high 15 stops vs. Boston College (9/6/25) and his third profession recreation with 10+ tackles, together with 12 vs. Penn State within the 2023 season finale.

• Hall now has posted three or extra tackles in all 9 video games, together with six or extra stops within the final 5 video games as a part of seven complete occasions.

• Senior defensive again Nikai Martinez recorded a career-high 10 tackles for his first profession outing in double-digits, and all three prime outings have come on the highway.

• Saturday’s 10 tackles by Martinez topped his earlier profession excessive of seven stops, carried out twice earlier than, first at Oregon (10/4/24) and once more this season at USC (9/20/25).

 

• Graduated defensive again Malcolm Bell tallied a season-high two go break-ups; he now has a team-leading 5 on the season. 

 

• Bell added seven tackles to tie a season-high, additionally with seven on the highway in recreation at Indiana (10/18/25).

• Bell additionally tied his career-high with 1.0 sort out for loss, which can also be a season-high after two video games with 0.5 TFL every . . . it ties Bell’s career-best 1.0 TFL reached twice throughout his time at UConn, first vs. Army in 202 and once more vs. Temple (10/5/24).

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Ray Guy Award Watch List member junior punter Ryan Eckley had 5 punts for a 46.2 ypp common and a protracted of 49 yards, marking simply the third outing of the 9 video games this season that he didn’t have at the least one punt of fifty+ yards. 

• Eckley had one contained in the 20, giving him 12 contained in the 20 this season. 

• Redshirt freshman placekicker Martin Connington’s 46-yard missed subject purpose on MSU’s first possession was Connington’s first miss inside 50-yards of the season, lacking from 56-yards out as time expired within the first half within the recreation at USC (9/20/25) and a 50-yarder in chilly, windy situations at Indiana (10/18/25).

• Connington had a career-high 4 subject purpose makes an attempt, as he cut up the uprights from 34-yards out on MSU’s third play of the fourth quarter, earlier than lacking from 23-yards out later within the fourth body, after which connecting from 36-yards out in OT, to complete 2-for-4 on the day and is now 9-of-13 subject objectives on the season . . . he added a pair of PATs to maneuver to 19-of-20 on the season.