GAME NOTES
• Junior defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren was the game captain . . . he joined three of MSU’s season captains for the coin toss in senior linebackers Sam Edwards and Jordan Hall, along with senior offensive center Matt Gulbin.
• Saturday’s match-up vs. No. 25/24 Michigan was MSU’s second-straight game and third of the season against an AP Top 25 opponent, but first at home at Spartan Stadium . . . the previous match-ups against No. 3/3 Indiana last week and No. 25/RV USC on Sept. 20, were on the road.
SERIES NOTES
• Saturday’s game marked the 118th meeting between Michigan State and Michigan . . . the Wolverines now lead the all-time series, 75-38-5 . . . Since 1950, Michigan owns a 42-32-2 advantage in the series, and since 1999, UM now holds a three-game edge, 15-12 . . . the Spartans are 10-8 in the last 18 meetings with the Wolverines
• Since 1953, the winner of the Michigan State-Michigan game has been presented the Paul Bunyan Trophy . . . The four-foot wooden statue was donated by then-Governor G. Mennen Williams to mark Michigan State’s acceptance into the Big Ten . . . Since 1953, Michigan leads the series 42-29-2 . . . The trophy depicts the legendary giant lumberjack astride an axe with feet planted on a map of the state with flags representing the schools.
OFFENSE
• Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles was 14-of-28 passing for 130 yards . . . Chiles posted his third-straight game and sixth game of the season without an interception.
• Chiles also scored a rushing TD for his sixth rushing TD of the season . . . it was the fourth game in the last five contests that Chiles has scored a rushing TD, and he has five rushing TDs in that four-game span highlighted by two TDs at Nebraska (10/4/25) . . . Chiles now has nine rushing TDs for his two-year MSU career and 12 total rushing TDs in his collegiate career.
• Sophomore running back Makhi Frazier rushed for a career-high 109 yards on 14 carries, including a career-long 49-yard scamper in the second quarter.
• Frazier posted his second 100-yard rushing outing after his previous career-best of 103 yards vs. Western Michigan in the season-opener (8/29/25) . . . the 49-yard run also topped his previous longest rush of 28 yards from the same game vs. WMU.
• The 14 carries was Frazier’s seventh game this season with double-digit rushing attempts, as the only time in the eight game this season that he was held to single-digits was last week vs. Indiana with seven.
• Sophomore running back Brandon Tullis scored his third rushing TD of the season but first Big Ten touchdown, with his 1-yard TD early in the fourth quarter . . . Tullis’ previous TDs came in the season-opener vs. Western Michigan (9/29/25) and vs. Youngstown State (9/13/25).
• Sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh had game highs of six catches for 75 yards . . . Marsh now has 20 receptions for 216 yards in the last three games after seven catches in both the games vs. UCLA and Indiana and six Saturday vs. Michigan . . . Marsh has five or more catches in six of the eight games this season.
• Marsh has at least one catch in all 19 games he’s played in as a Spartan, including multiple catches in the last 18 in a row, after one catch in his Spartan debut vs. Florida Atlantic, and then multiple catches in the last 18-straight.
• Redshirt-freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic was 5-of-6 passing for 60 yards with one TD . . . Milivojevic tossed his third TD of the season, all coming in the last four games, with one each at Nebraska (10/4/25) and vs. UCLA (10/11/25).
• Redshirt-junior tight end Michael Masunas caught his third TD catch of the season, but also his first in a Big Ten game . . . his previous TDs came in back-to-back games vs. Boston College (9/6/25) and Youngstown State (9/13/25).
• Masunas now has at least one catch in seven of the eight games, with the Nebraska game the only contest without a catch.
• Senior wide receiver Omari Kelly had three catches for 29 yards, as he has at least one catch in all eight games played as a Spartan this season, as part of multiple receptions in seven of the eight contests . . . O.Kelly added one punt return for 12 yards.
• Senior tight end Jack Velling snared three receptions for 26 yards, as he’s had multiple catches in each of the last four games and five of the last six, part of at least one catch in the last six games and in seven of the eight games this season.
• Redshirt-junior wide receiver Chrishon McCray tied a season-high with three receptions . . . McCray has at least one catch in all eight games this season and in his last 15-straight collegiate contests played.
DEFENSE
• Junior linebacker Jordan Hall led MSU with nine tackles, marking this second-highest tackle total of the season behind his career-high 15 tackles vs. Boston College (9/6/25) . . . Hall has registered six or more tackles in each of the last four games as part of six of the eight games this season.
• Junior defensive lineman Jalen Thompson logged a career-high six tackles, for his third career game with five or more tackles, but first time not against Nebraska, as his previous career-best of five tackles came twice vs. Nebraska, once earlier this season and once in 2023.
• Graduate linebacker Darius Snow logged six stops, his second-highest of the season, behind his season-best seven stops came vs. Boston College (9/6/25).
• Redshirt-junior defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren posted five tackles, marking his fifth-straight game with four or more stops and sixth time in eight games.
• Van Sumeren also posted the first pass break-up of his career.
• Senior defensive back Nikai Martinez logged five tackles, for his second game with five or more stops.
• Redshirt-senior linebacker Wayne Matthews III tallied five stops, marking the fourth-consecutive game with five tackles as part of five or more tackles in seven of the eight games.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Ray Guy Award Watch List member junior punter Ryan Eckley had seven punts of a 47.4 ypp average, with a long of 55-yards, one of three punts of 50+ yards . . . Eckley had 51 and 55-yarders in the first quarter, adding another 51-yarder in the second quarter . . .
• Eckley now has 16 punts of 50+ yards this season and 60 for his career.
• Junior defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren was the game captain . . . he joined three of MSU’s season captains for the coin toss in senior linebackers Sam Edwards and Jordan Hall, along with senior offensive center Matt Gulbin.
• Saturday’s match-up vs. No. 25/24 Michigan was MSU’s second-straight game and third of the season against an AP Top 25 opponent, but first at home at Spartan Stadium . . . the previous match-ups against No. 3/3 Indiana last week and No. 25/RV USC on Sept. 20, were on the road.
SERIES NOTES
• Saturday’s game marked the 118th meeting between Michigan State and Michigan . . . the Wolverines now lead the all-time series, 75-38-5 . . . Since 1950, Michigan owns a 42-32-2 advantage in the series, and since 1999, UM now holds a three-game edge, 15-12 . . . the Spartans are 10-8 in the last 18 meetings with the Wolverines
• Since 1953, the winner of the Michigan State-Michigan game has been presented the Paul Bunyan Trophy . . . The four-foot wooden statue was donated by then-Governor G. Mennen Williams to mark Michigan State’s acceptance into the Big Ten . . . Since 1953, Michigan leads the series 42-29-2 . . . The trophy depicts the legendary giant lumberjack astride an axe with feet planted on a map of the state with flags representing the schools.
OFFENSE
• Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles was 14-of-28 passing for 130 yards . . . Chiles posted his third-straight game and sixth game of the season without an interception.
• Chiles also scored a rushing TD for his sixth rushing TD of the season . . . it was the fourth game in the last five contests that Chiles has scored a rushing TD, and he has five rushing TDs in that four-game span highlighted by two TDs at Nebraska (10/4/25) . . . Chiles now has nine rushing TDs for his two-year MSU career and 12 total rushing TDs in his collegiate career.
• Sophomore running back Makhi Frazier rushed for a career-high 109 yards on 14 carries, including a career-long 49-yard scamper in the second quarter.
• Frazier posted his second 100-yard rushing outing after his previous career-best of 103 yards vs. Western Michigan in the season-opener (8/29/25) . . . the 49-yard run also topped his previous longest rush of 28 yards from the same game vs. WMU.
• The 14 carries was Frazier’s seventh game this season with double-digit rushing attempts, as the only time in the eight game this season that he was held to single-digits was last week vs. Indiana with seven.
• Sophomore running back Brandon Tullis scored his third rushing TD of the season but first Big Ten touchdown, with his 1-yard TD early in the fourth quarter . . . Tullis’ previous TDs came in the season-opener vs. Western Michigan (9/29/25) and vs. Youngstown State (9/13/25).
• Sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh had game highs of six catches for 75 yards . . . Marsh now has 20 receptions for 216 yards in the last three games after seven catches in both the games vs. UCLA and Indiana and six Saturday vs. Michigan . . . Marsh has five or more catches in six of the eight games this season.
• Marsh has at least one catch in all 19 games he’s played in as a Spartan, including multiple catches in the last 18 in a row, after one catch in his Spartan debut vs. Florida Atlantic, and then multiple catches in the last 18-straight.
• Redshirt-freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic was 5-of-6 passing for 60 yards with one TD . . . Milivojevic tossed his third TD of the season, all coming in the last four games, with one each at Nebraska (10/4/25) and vs. UCLA (10/11/25).
• Redshirt-junior tight end Michael Masunas caught his third TD catch of the season, but also his first in a Big Ten game . . . his previous TDs came in back-to-back games vs. Boston College (9/6/25) and Youngstown State (9/13/25).
• Masunas now has at least one catch in seven of the eight games, with the Nebraska game the only contest without a catch.
• Senior wide receiver Omari Kelly had three catches for 29 yards, as he has at least one catch in all eight games played as a Spartan this season, as part of multiple receptions in seven of the eight contests . . . O.Kelly added one punt return for 12 yards.
• Senior tight end Jack Velling snared three receptions for 26 yards, as he’s had multiple catches in each of the last four games and five of the last six, part of at least one catch in the last six games and in seven of the eight games this season.
• Redshirt-junior wide receiver Chrishon McCray tied a season-high with three receptions . . . McCray has at least one catch in all eight games this season and in his last 15-straight collegiate contests played.
DEFENSE
• Junior linebacker Jordan Hall led MSU with nine tackles, marking this second-highest tackle total of the season behind his career-high 15 tackles vs. Boston College (9/6/25) . . . Hall has registered six or more tackles in each of the last four games as part of six of the eight games this season.
• Junior defensive lineman Jalen Thompson logged a career-high six tackles, for his third career game with five or more tackles, but first time not against Nebraska, as his previous career-best of five tackles came twice vs. Nebraska, once earlier this season and once in 2023.
• Graduate linebacker Darius Snow logged six stops, his second-highest of the season, behind his season-best seven stops came vs. Boston College (9/6/25).
• Redshirt-junior defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren posted five tackles, marking his fifth-straight game with four or more stops and sixth time in eight games.
• Van Sumeren also posted the first pass break-up of his career.
• Senior defensive back Nikai Martinez logged five tackles, for his second game with five or more stops.
• Redshirt-senior linebacker Wayne Matthews III tallied five stops, marking the fourth-consecutive game with five tackles as part of five or more tackles in seven of the eight games.
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Ray Guy Award Watch List member junior punter Ryan Eckley had seven punts of a 47.4 ypp average, with a long of 55-yards, one of three punts of 50+ yards . . . Eckley had 51 and 55-yarders in the first quarter, adding another 51-yarder in the second quarter . . .
• Eckley now has 16 punts of 50+ yards this season and 60 for his career.
