Michigan State’s QB Choice: The Unexpected Challenge That Could Make or Break the Season

You know, watching a young quarterback get rattled almost to the point of breaking — well, it’s heart-wrenching and awe-inspiring all at once. Alessio Milivojevic’s first starting gig for Michigan State at Minnesota was nothing short of a battlefield baptism. Six sacks before halftime? That’s brutal, no sugarcoating it. Yet somehow, behind a line that was more band-aid than fortress, this redshirt freshman managed to pull strings for a near-comeback that kept fans hanging on ’til the last whistle in a 23-20 overtime heartbreak. Brian Lindgren, the Spartans’ offensive mastermind, saw it all — the hits, the mistakes, the halftime regrouping — and he’s painfully aware that protection and blocking are still the thorn in their side as MSU wrestles through a tough Big Ten skid. With just three games left to clinch a bowl berth, every play counts, especially when Penn State is coming to town armed with a defense hungry to prove something. The twist? This battle isn’t just about strategy; it’s about grit, adjustments, and whether the Spartans can find that elusive spark to turn things around. LEARN MORE

EAST LANSING – Brian Lindgren understood the punishment quarterback Alessio Milivojevic took in his first start for Michigan State football at Minnesota.

“Man, he took some shots in that first half and got beat up,” the Spartans’ offensive coordinator said Tuesday, Nov. 11.

That’s an understatement.

The redshirt freshman absorbed six sacks before halftime, behind a reconfigured offensive line with new faces in and veterans ailing. They gave up just one the rest of the game and allowed Milivojevic to orchestrate a comeback that fell just short in MSU’s 23-20 overtime loss Nov. 1 to the Gophers.

“The message at halftime was, man, we’re just not executing our responsibilities. And too many guys were making mistakes,” Lindgren said. “I don’t know if it was nerves or whatnot. But we went in, kind of took a deep breath, regrouped and then came out and really stuck with the gameplan. We just did a better job of executing it in the second half. … As the game went on, we moved the ball better because of it.”

Protection and blocking remain the most pressing concerns for Lindgren and the Spartans (3-6, 0-6 Big Ten) as they sit mired in a six-game losing streak. They must win their final three to improbably salvage a bowl berth.

Nov 1, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive lineman Anthony Smith (0) tackles Michigan State Spartans quarterback Alessio Milivojevic (11) during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

It’s also the same situation facing Penn State (3-6, 0-6) as the two prepare for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday, Nov. 15 (CBS).

The Nittany Lions, coming off a near miss 27-24 home defeat against No. 2 Indiana following a 38-14 road loss to No. 1 Ohio State, will arrive at Spartan Stadium with an underperforming pass rush that found its ferocity in dropping Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza for three sacks after going two straight games without one.

“The key to our defense is pressure,” interim PSU coach Terry Smith told reporters Monday, “and we’re going to bring the pressure this week.”

At Minnesota, MSU again was missing left tackle Stanton Ramil and guard Kristian Phillips. And with season-ending injures to tackle Ashton Lepo and guard Luka Vincic, that pressed redshirt freshmen Rustin Young and Rakeem Johnson joining Milivojevic in playing the most snaps of their nascent careers.

Young, who made his first start and got 39 plays against Indiana, took all 70 snaps against the Gophers at left tackle, after Ramil reinjured himself and left the loss to Michigan on Oct. 25.

Johnson, who has repped on multiple special teams units, got his first career start and took 33 snaps at right guard.

Caleb Carter, who started at left guard, rotated with Johnson at right guard, and Gavin Broscious rotated in at left guard. Center Matt Gulbin and Carter played all 70 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus College.

While the results were mixed early, the line settled in after halftime and helped MSU generate 337 of their season-high 467 yards of total offense. The Spartans went from averaging 0.9 yards on 18 first-half carries to 6.1 yards on 23 rushes in the final two quarters and overtime.

Michigan State Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Saturday, Nov. 1.

“The adjustments and just clear communication … the schematics and type of scheme we choose in the second half versus the first half and the protection calls we were making, there were some better choices there,” coach Jonathan Smith said Monday. “So all of that, I think built into a better second half.”

Milivojevic benefitted from better blocking as well, completing 10 of 15 passes and a 71-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Bullard Jr. while maintaining the pocket presence to keep his eyes downfield.

“It just shows who we are as a team,” running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver, who had an 85-yard burst to set up a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and finished with 127 rushing yards on 11 carries, said. “We’ve gone through a lot. And still every game, you see there’s some fight in us.”

That doesn’t mean it’s Milivojevic’s job to lose after replacing Aidan Chiles, who started the first 20 games of Smith’s MSU tenure before getting benched. Chiles, a junior, has been sacked 21 times for 197 yards this season, while Milivojevic has been sacked nine times and lost 55 yards. But Chiles’ dynamic running ability also has helped the Spartans avoid sacks, and his elusiveness has allowed him to run for 424 yards and six TDs on his other 60 non-sack rushing attempts.

Indiana Hoosiers defensive lineman Stephen Daley (8) sacks Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles during the first half at Memorial Stadium, Oct. 18, 2025 in Bloomington, Indiana.

Lindgren said he could rotate both Milivojevic and Chiles in different packages against Penn State’s aggressive defensive line, led by end Dani Dennis-Sutton and tackle Zane Durant.

“Their edge guys are elite and long, athletic, they get off the ball. And they get after the QB,” Lindgren said. “Those are guys we gotta be aware of, and it’ll be a challenge for our guys up front. And it’ll factor in a little bit for the QB decision.”

Contact Chris Solari:[email protected]. Follow him @chrissolari.

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