Michigan State falls to Minnesota in overtime, 23-20

The Michigan State Spartans showed some fight on the road against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, but a combinations of poor first half pass protection, missed opportunities, and a series of controversial calls in overtime were enough to prevent the Spartans from earning their first win in Big Ten play in 2025. Michigan State falls to 3-6 overall and 0-6 in Big Ten play. The Spartans will need to win each of the next three games in order to qualify for a bowl game.

The Spartans appeared poised to win their first Big Ten game of season after scoring a go-ahead touchdown with 1:52 to play. But Minnesota was able to tie the game thanks to a nine-play, 65-yard drive to force overtime. In the overtime period, Michigan State failed to pick up a first down and had to settle for a field goal. On the Golden Gophers' only possession in overtime, freshman quartback Drake Lindsey was able to find the front corner of the end zone, barely, on a third-down scramble from the three-yard line for a walk-off touchdown.

After difficult first half where the Gopher defense posted six sacks and two additional tackles for loss, the Michigan State offense responded in the second half with 17 unanswered points.

For the game, the Spartans outgained Minnesota 467 yards to 301 yards, including a 311-to-197 advantage through the air and a 156-to-104 advantage on the ground. But the Spartans also missed two makeable field goals in regulation and committed 10 total penalties for 96 total yards.

The big question coming into Saturday's game was which quarterback would get the start for the Green and White. After rumors that both junior Aidan Chiles and redshirt freshman Alessio Milivojevic spit reps during the week, it was Milivojevic who got his first career start. The redshirt freshman from Naperville, Ill. completed 20 of his 28 passes (71%) and took all but one snap from center.

The game got off to a solid start for the Spartans, as the defense forced a three-and-out on defense. Milivojevic proceeded to drive the ball to the Minnesota 23-yard line before a sack, a holding penalty, and an endzone drop from Marsh forced a 46-yard field attempt Martin Connington, which he missed.

After trading punts, Minnesota was able to reel off a 49-yard run by freshman back Fameon Ijeboi on the first play of the drive to advance into the Spartan red zone. Four plays later, Ijeboi strolled into the end zone to give the Gophers an early 7-0 lead.

It looked as if the Spartans might be able to respond, as Milivojevic was once again able to drive the Spartans deep into Golden Gopher territory. But the drive stalled on the Minnesota 37-yard line after the Spartans failed to convert on third-and-one run play and then on fourth-and-two due to a battled-down pass.

The Golden Gophers added a field goal on the next possession to extend the lead to 10-0 with just over nine minutes remaining in the first half.

Minnesota was on the verge of extending the lead further at the end of the half, but the Spartans were able to stop the Gophers on the Spartan 16-yard line. Minnesota kicker Brady Denaburg was unable to connect on the 33-yard attempt and the score remained 10-0 at the half.

The second half almost started in disaster, as Elijah Tau-Tolliver muffed the kick-off and appeared to advance the ball just outside of the Spartan end zone. But the officials gave the ball the Michigan State on the 25-yard line as Tau-Tolliver signaled for a fair-catch and possessed the ball in the end zone.

Four plays later, Milivojevic found Rodney Bullard Jr. along the sidelines on a critical third-down play. Two Gopher defenders whiffed on the tackle, allowing Bullard to scamper into the endzone for a 71-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 10-7.

The teams proceeded to trade punts and field position until late into the third quarter. Milivojevic once again led a march down the field with the Spartans moving inside the Minnesota 10-yard line. But a broken play on first goal resulted in a near-fumble and a 12-yard sack.

Connington was able to make up for his first quarter miss by tying the game at 10-10 with.

After another stop from the Michigan State defense, the offensive was on the move once more. Milivojevic picked up one first down with his feet and then another with his arm on a throw to tight end Jack Velling to advance the ball to near mid-field.

Nick Marsh then snuck behind the defense for a 48-yard pass that almost resulted in a touchdown. But the Gopher defense brough Marsh down on the four-yard line.

It looked that the Spartans were on the verge of taking the lead, but the Gopher defense held strong and forced another field attempt. But Connington pushed the potential 23-yard go-ahead field goal just a few inches to the right, leaving the score deadlocked at 10-apiece.

The Michigan State defense would once again get the stop, giving the Spartan offense one more try to get the go-ahead score. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Tau Tolliver broke through the defensive line and ran for 85 yards before running out of steam and getting tackled on the three-yard line by Minnesota player.

This time, the Spartans would not be denied. On second and goal, Brandon Tullis punched through the Minnesota line for the score, giving the Spartans their first lead of the game, and their first lead in the fourth quarter in Big Ten play.

However, the Gophers would not go down without a fight. Minnesota drew a facemask penalty from Spartan linebacker Jordan Hall and then a deep down the middle advanced the ball to the edge of the Spartan redzone.

Malik Spenser then was flagged for pass interference call in the endzone to give Minnesota the ball on the two-yard line.

Lindsey scored on the next play on a quarterback seak to tie the score at 17-all with 29 seconds on the clock. The Spartans were unable to pick up a first down in the ensuing possession, forcing overtime in Minneapolis.

In the first overtime period, the Spartans appeared to get bailed out on a pass interference call on third-and-three. But after a long conference of the officials, the flag was picked up and Michigan State would have to settle for a 36-yard field goal from Connington to take a brief 20-17 lead.

On Minnesota's turn on offense, Spartan defender Malcolm Bell was flagged for pass interference on Gopher receiver Lemeke Brockington on a critical third-and-four play from the 19-yard line. This time there would be no conference of the officials, and the play would stand. The Spartan defense stopped the Minnesota offense on the next two plays, but the scramble from Lindsey on third down proved to be the game winner.

The officials did stop to review the final play as Minnesota players celebrated. Replay showed that Lindsey possibly stepped out of bounds with the ball still inches from the plane of the end zone. But after a short review, the call was upheld and the Gophers were declared the winners.

Michigan State will now move to a bye week and attempt to circle the wagons for the final three games of the season. The Spartans will host Penn State, also winless in Big Ten play, on Nov. 15. Kickoff time and network is yet to be annouced.