Michigan State Dominates Western Michigan in Season Opener
Michigan State overwhelmed Western Michigan 23-6 in Week 1 of the 2025 season, with the Spartans controlling most of the game before a quiet fourth quarter. Michigan State jumped out to an early lead, scoring 7 points in the first quarter and extending that to 14 by halftime. The defense added a safety in the third quarter to push the lead to 23-0.
Western Michigan's offense struggled for most of the contest, with Brady Jones completing 97 passing yards and Baylin Brooks leading receivers with 85 yards. The Broncos managed only 6 points, scoring their lone touchdown in the fourth quarter. A critical fourth-quarter play saw Michigan State's Tate Hallock return an interception 32 yards, though the subsequent two-point conversion attempt failed.
Despite the dominant scoreline, the game came in well under the 50-point over-under line. Western Michigan's defense generated some resistance in the third quarter, forcing Michigan State into difficult situations, but the Spartans' early offensive success proved decisive in securing the convincing home victory.
AI-generated recap · Aug 25, 2026
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Western Michigan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
 Michigan State | 7 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 23 |
Scoring Timeline
Drive Chart
Box Score
| Statistic | Western Michigan | Michigan State |
|---|---|---|
| Passing | 16-33 | 17-24 |
| Pass Yards | 188 | 155 |
| Rush Yards | 29 | 181 |
| Total Yards | 217 | 336 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| 3rd Down | 4-14 | 4-13 |
| Penalties | 5-21 | 5-35 |
| Possession | 23:13 | 36:47 |
Player Leaders
Player Leaders
Play-by-Play
Brady Jones pass complete to Talique Williams for 35 yds to the MSU 48 for a 1ST down
Brady Jones run for 4 yds to the MSU 44
Brady Jones pass complete to Talique Williams for 12 yds to the MSU 32 for a 1ST down
Brady Jones run for 6 yds to the MSU 26
Jalen Buckley run for a loss of 1 yard to the MSU 27
Brady Jones run for 1 yd to the MSU 26
Ryan Eckley kickoff for 65 yds , Devin Miles return for 17 yds to the WMU 17
Brady Jones pass incomplete to Talique Williams, broken up by Ade Willie
Aidan Chiles pass incomplete to Omari Kelly for a 1ST down Western Michigan Penalty, off-side (Nadame Tucker) to the WMU 48 for a 1ST down
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Omari Kelly for 14 yds to the MSU 39 for a 1ST down
Makhi Frazier run for 7 yds to the MSU 46
Makhi Frazier run for 1 yd to the MSU 47
Elijah Tau-Tolliver run for a loss of 5 yards to the MSU 47
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Omari Kelly for 10 yds to the WMU 43
Aidan Chiles run for 1 yd to the WMU 42
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Omari Kelly for 10 yds to the WMU 32 for a 1ST down
Aidan Chiles pass incomplete to Nick Marsh for a 1ST down Western Michigan Penalty, Defensive pass interference (Aaron Wofford) to the WMU 21 for a 1ST down
Makhi Frazier run for 6 yds to the WMU 15
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Michael Masunas for 8 yds to the WMU 7 for a 1ST down
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Nick Marsh for 7 yds for a TD (Blake Sislo KICK)
Makhi Frazier run for 6 yds to the MSU 32
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Omari Kelly for 6 yds to the MSU 38 for a 1ST down
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Nick Marsh for 8 yds to the MSU 46
Makhi Frazier run for no gain to the MSU 46
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Jack Velling for 3 yds to the MSU 49 for a 1ST down
Aidan Chiles pass incomplete to Brandon Tullis
Makhi Frazier run for 8 yds to the WMU 43
Makhi Frazier run for 28 yds to the WMU 15 for a 1ST down
Makhi Frazier run for 3 yds to the WMU 12
Brandon Tullis run for 12 yds for a TD (Blake Sislo KICK)
Ryan Eckley kickoff for 63 yds , Devin Miles return for 20 yds to the WMU 22
Jalen Buckley run for 1 yd to the WMU 23
Jalen Buckley run for 7 yds to the WMU 30
Brady Jones pass complete to Talique Williams for 5 yds to the WMU 35 for a 1ST down
Devin Miles run for a loss of 4 yards to the WMU 31
Brady Jones pass complete to Talique Williams for 5 yds to the WMU 36
Brady Jones sacked by Anelu Lafaele for a loss of 4 yards to the WMU 32 Brady Jones fumbled, recovered by WMU Brady Jones , return for 0 yards
Ryan Millmore punt for 43 yds
Brady Jones pass incomplete to Blake Bosma, broken up by Brady Pretzlaff
Jalen Buckley run for no gain to the WMU 25
Brady Jones pass incomplete to Blake Bosma
Western Michigan Penalty, delay of game (Talique Williams) to the WMU 20
Ryan Millmore punt for 51 yds Michigan State Penalty, Offensive holding (Anthony Pinnace III) to the MSU 19
Brandon Tullis run for 8 yds to the MSU 27
Brandon Tullis run for 7 yds to the MSU 34 for a 1ST down
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Omari Kelly for 14 yds to the MSU 48 for a 1ST down
Aidan Chiles run for a loss of 5 yards to the MSU 43
Aidan Chiles sacked by Nadame Tucker for a loss of 7 yards to the MSU 36
Brandon Tullis run for 11 yds to the MSU 47
Ryan Eckley punt for 51 yds
Jalen Buckley run for 1 yd to the WMU 3
Brady Jones pass incomplete to Jalen Buckley
Brady Jones pass complete to Aveion Chenault for 8 yds to the WMU 11
Ryan Millmore punt for 43 yds
Aidan Chiles run for 3 yds to the MSU 49
Omari Kelly run for 8 yds to the WMU 43 for a 1ST down
Aidan Chiles pass incomplete to Omari Kelly
Makhi Frazier run for 8 yds to the WMU 35
Aidan Chiles run for 26 yds to the WMU 9 for a 1ST down
Makhi Frazier run for 9 yds for a TD (Blake Sislo KICK)
Brady Jones pass incomplete to Devin Miles
Brady Jones pass complete to Talique Williams for 6 yds to the WMU 31
Brady Jones pass incomplete to Devin Miles, broken up by Grady Kelly
Ryan Millmore punt for 47 yds , Omari Kelly returns for 20 yds to the MSU 42
Aidan Chiles sacked by Nadame Tucker for a loss of 17 yards to the MSU 25 Aidan Chiles fumbled, recovered by MSU Conner Moore , return for 0 yards
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Makhi Frazier for a loss of 5 yards to the MSU 20
Brandon Tullis run for 12 yds to the MSU 32
Ryan Eckley punt for 54 yds , Talique Williams returns for no gain to the WMU 12
Brady Jones pass complete to Jalen Buckley for 7 yds to the WMU 19
Brady Jones pass intercepted
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Omari Kelly for no gain to the WMU 28
Ryan Eckley 46 Yard Field Goal Missed
Brandon Tullis run for a loss of 1 yard to the MSU 24
Aidan Chiles pass incomplete to Omari Kelly
Aidan Chiles pass incomplete to Chrishon McCray
Ryan Eckley punt for 47 yds
Elijah Tau-Tolliver run for a loss of 2 yards to the MSU 43
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Nick Marsh for 6 yds to the MSU 34
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Nick Marsh for 6 yds to the MSU 40 for a 1ST down
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Nick Marsh for 5 yds to the MSU 45
Aidan Chiles sacked by Sefa Saipaia Jr. for a loss of 2 yards to the MSU 41
Ryan Eckley punt for 59 yds
Broc Lowry pass incomplete to Aveion Chenault
Broc Lowry pass complete to Baylin Brooks for 42 yds to the MSU 29 for a 1ST down
Broc Lowry pass incomplete to Jalen Buckley
Jalen Buckley run for a loss of 2 yards to the MSU 31
Broc Lowry run for no gain to the MSU 31
Broc Lowry pass complete to Talique Williams for 11 yds to the MSU 20
Makhi Frazier run for 16 yds to the MSU 36 for a 1ST down
Aidan Chiles run for 18 yds to the WMU 46 for a 1ST down
Brandon Tullis run for 3 yds to the WMU 43
Makhi Frazier run for 5 yds to the WMU 38
Michigan State Penalty, false start (Jack Velling) to the WMU 43
Aidan Chiles run for 1 yd to the WMU 42
Ryan Eckley punt for 41 yds
Team Safety
Hunter Smith kickoff for 60 yds , Alante Brown return for 22 yds to the MSU 42
Makhi Frazier run for 4 yds to the MSU 46
Rodney Bullard Jr. run for a loss of 2 yards to the MSU 44
Aidan Chiles pass incomplete to Evan Boyd
Ryan Eckley punt for 56 yds, punt out-of-bounds at the WMU 12 , Keivin Boone-Nelson II returns for no gain to the WMU 12 , Keivin Boone-Nelson II returns for 12 yds to the WMU 12
Jalen Buckley run for 12 yds to the WMU 24 for a 1ST down
Broc Lowry run for 3 yds to the WMU 27
Christian Leary run for a loss of 1 yard to the WMU 26
Broc Lowry run for 23 yds to the WMU 49 for a 1ST down
Broc Lowry pass complete to Baylin Brooks for 30 yds to the MSU 21 for a 1ST down
Broc Lowry pass incomplete to Baylin Brooks
Broc Lowry sacked by Jordan Hall for a loss of 7 yards to the MSU 28
Broc Lowry pass incomplete to Devin Miles
Hunter Smith 46 yd FG MISSED
Brady Jones pass incomplete to Malique Dieudonne
Brady Jones run for 3 yds to the WMU 23
Brady Jones pass complete to Baylin Brooks for 13 yds to the WMU 36 for a 1ST down
Brady Jones pass incomplete to Aveion Chenault
Devin Miles run for 6 yds to the WMU 42
Brady Jones pass complete to Cade Conley for 5 yds to the WMU 47 for a 1ST down
Brady Jones pass incomplete to Talique Williams
Brady Jones pass incomplete to Terence Marshall
Ryan Millmore punt for 47 yds Michigan State Penalty, Offensive holding (Aveon Grose) to the MSU 10
Brady Jones sacked by Malik Spencer for a loss of 14 yards to the WMU 33 Western Michigan Penalty, intentional grounding (Brady Jones) to the WMU 33
Michigan State Penalty, false start (-5 Yards) to the MSU 5
Elijah Tau-Tolliver run for 3 yds to the MSU 8
Aidan Chiles pass incomplete to Omari Kelly
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Omari Kelly for 21 yds to the MSU 29 for a 1ST down
Elijah Tau-Tolliver run for 6 yds to the MSU 35
Elijah Tau-Tolliver run for 4 yds to the MSU 39 for a 1ST down
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Chrishon McCray for 28 yds to the WMU 33 for a 1ST down Western Michigan Penalty, Defensive holding (Jarvarius Sims) to the WMU 33 for a 1ST down
Elijah Tau-Tolliver run for 5 yds to the WMU 28
Aidan Chiles pass complete to Michael Masunas for 14 yds to the WMU 14 for a 1ST down
Makhi Frazier run for 2 yds to the WMU 12
Michigan State Penalty, false start (-5 Yards) to the WMU 17
Aidan Chiles sacked by James Camden for a loss of 10 yards to the WMU 27 Aidan Chiles fumbled, recovered by WMU Rodney McGraw , return for 0 yards
Jalen Buckley run for 4 yds to the WMU 31
Broc Lowry pass complete to Aveion Chenault for 9 yds to the WMU 40 for a 1ST down
Broc Lowry pass complete to Jalen Buckley for a loss of 1 yard to the WMU 39
Broc Lowry pass incomplete to Jalen Buckley
Brady Jones run for a loss of 1 yard to the WMU 38
Ryan Millmore punt for 39 yds
Elijah Tau-Tolliver run for 4 yds to the MSU 27
Elijah Tau-Tolliver run for 2 yds to the MSU 29
Tate Hallock 32 Yd Interception Return (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)
Brady Jones pass incomplete to Blake Bosma
Brady Jones pass complete to Jalen Buckley for 3 yds to the WMU 44
Brady Jones pass complete to Jalen Buckley for a loss of 2 yards to the WMU 42
Brady Jones sacked by Jalen Thompson for a loss of 7 yards to the WMU 41 Western Michigan Penalty, intentional grounding (Brady Jones) to the WMU 41
Brady Jones pass incomplete to Aveion Chenault, broken up by Chance Rucker
run for a loss of 1 yard to the WMU 43
run for a loss of 2 yards to the WMU 45
run for a loss of 2 yards to the WMU 45