Pat Fitzgerald Keeps Michigan State’s Bowl Hopes Alive
· Yahoo Sports
Michigan State’s path to bowl eligibility now comes down to three games. The Spartans sit at 3-6 and have to win all three to get to the six wins a bowl requires, starting Saturday at home against Washington, with No. 23 Oregon and Rutgers after that.
That math only exists because of Saturday night in Ann Arbor. After Michigan State beat Michigan 15-6, bringing Paul Bunyan back to East Lansing for the first time since 2021, the Spartans snapped a six-game losing streak and gave themselves something to play for in November. Pat Fitzgerald spoke to the media Monday in a video posted by Spartan Mag about where that bowl goal sits.
Visit grenadier.co.za for more information.
Michigan State Bowl Eligibility Starts With Washington
Fitzgerald did not spend long on the big picture, and he did not pretend it was not there either.
“Talked about the macro for about eight seconds this morning in a team meeting, and close that drawer up pretty quickly, but I like having motivation in November,” Fitzgerald said.
He was more direct about what the three games could buy his roster. “There’s no doubt there’s an opportunity if we do what we’re capable of to create an extra month with our seniors,” Fitzgerald said, per the Detroit News. Bowl eligibility would be Michigan State’s first since 2021.
For now, his message to the team stops at Washington.
“We all know that, that win you know gave us an opportunity, and the right to have this be a big game this weekend,” Fitzgerald said. “That’s the way I’ve approached it with the guys, this is a critical game for this team. You know I said, listen, then that creates next week and the week after; we’ll worry about them down the road.”
The Players Proved They Could Execute The Game Plan
Pat Fitzgerald said his players came to him to point out their mistakes after the 28-10 loss to UCLA, and they used the bye week to lock back in. He talked about the disappointing second half, which saw UCLA score touchdowns on their first two drives, while the Spartans offense went three-and-out twice. Fitzgerald gave credit to his players for locking back in, but he’ll now hold them to a higher standard after they showed they could win.
“The guys were the ones to make the plays happen, and they played their tails off. The good news is they did; the better news for me as the head coach, well, now you’ve put it on tape,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve been trying to set the standard; you’ve now put the standard on tape, so now you know we are going to hold you to that in everything you do.”
Fitzgerald Gives Props To Huskies Comeback Attempt
The Washington Huskies will look to bounce back after a failed comeback attempt, losing 28-25 to Penn State. Jedd Fisch is looking to lock up bowl eligibility with a win against the Spartans before his 5-4 team finishes the season with two ranked opponents, No. 4 Indiana and No. 23 Oregon.
“The way they came back on Saturday was really impressive. I mean, they’re down 28-6 and come storming back and score 19 straight points, and really just ran out of time. I think if there were two more minutes in that game, they probably win it,” Fitzgerald said.
Nick Sheridan Plans For Victory Not Stats
While the Spartans offense didn’t score any touchdowns, they still put together quality drives that led to points. Michigan State had four drives of 40+ yards, all ending in made field goals. Fitzgerald gave props to Michigan State offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan for managing the game.
“The credit really goes 100% to him, (Sheridan) to check ego at the door and manage the game to win the game,” Fitzgerald said. “When a lot of these ‘guru’ offensive coordinators are putting up all these yards, they are also all getting fired when it doesn’t all of a sudden go the right way, because you don’t have a road map of humility; you have a road map of ego.”
Michigan State coach Pat Fitzgerald gets excited with his players after Michigan missed a field goal in the first quarter at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)Michigan State (55) Ben Roberts shows off the Paul Bunyan trophy with his teammates to fans after their 15-6 win over Michigan at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)Michigan State’s offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan calls out to players during football practice on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, in East Lansing. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)