# Michigan State defeats Toledo 30-20 in season opener

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/michigan-state-football-2026-season-opener
> Updated: 2026-09-03T17:35:34.000Z. Sources: 10. Developments: 2.

Michigan State football secured a 30-20 victory over the Toledo Rockets in its 2026 season opener at Spartan Stadium. The game marked the coaching debuts of Pat Fitzgerald for the Spartans and Mike Jacobs for the Rockets.

Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic led the Michigan State offense, completing 26 of 34 passes for 247 yards. A critical moment in the fourth quarter saw Milivojevic convert a fourth down with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Bullard Jr. The Spartans later secured the win with a 51-yard field goal from Liam Boyd.

Toledo remained competitive, briefly taking a 20-19 lead in the fourth quarter following a 71-yard run by Connor Walendzak. The Rockets' offense was supported by two touchdown passes from John Alan Richter. Despite the win, Michigan State’s offensive performance drew criticism for settling for multiple field goals during the first half instead of converting drives into touchdowns.

## Claims

- Alessio Milivojevic threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Bullard in the fourth quarter to take the lead. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Michigan State defeated Toledo 30-20 in Pat Fitzgerald's coaching debut. (single source)
- Liam Boyd secured the win with a 51-yard field goal late in the game. (single source)
- Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic completed 26 of 34 passes for 247 yards and one touchdown. (single source)
- Toledo's John Alan Richter threw two touchdown passes, one to Adjatay Dabbs. (single source)
- Kicker Liam Boyd made five field goals during the game. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-03: Michigan State defeats Toledo 30-20 in season opener

Michigan State defeated Toledo 30-20 in their season opener, marking the coaching debut of Pat Fitzgerald and a successful first start for quarterback Alessio Milivojevic.

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/michigan-state-football-prepares-for-season-opener-against-toledo

### 2026-08-27: Michigan State Spartans to face Toledo Rockets in season opener

The Michigan State Spartans prepare to host the Toledo Rockets in their season opener on September 4, 2026, with high performance expectations for key players like quarterback Alessio Milivojevic.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/michigan-state-spartans-to-face-toledo-rockets-in-season-opener

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Cite as: Michigan State defeats Toledo 30-20 in season opener. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/michigan-state-football-2026-season-opener