Noah Kim Leads Former Spartans Back to Spartan Stadium

Michigan State vs Eastern Michigan is the Spartans ' second MAC opponent in a row, but this one brings some familiar faces back to East Lansing. The Eagles carry four former Spartans, according to The Detroit News , including three projected starters: quarterback Noah Kim , guard Cole Dellinger and cornerback Caleb Coley.

Michigan State vs Eastern Michigan Game Info

Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 12, 3:30 p.m. ET

Expectations: A high-scoring game with MSU potentially going for longer plays, after lacking them last week

What To Expect: Different Defense, Different Opportunities

MSU quarterback Alessio Milivojevic mentioned that one reason the Spartans lacked deep passing plays against Toledo was that the Rockets kept their safeties high. Eastern Michigan will give Milivojevic different looks, potentially opening up the option to go deep.

If longer plays become an option, it could help the Spartans turn field goals into touchdowns. In last week's game, MSU struggled once past midfield, settling for six field-goal attempts and just two touchdowns.

MSU head coach Pat Fitzgerald challenged his players who didn't get playing time last week to earn it in practice. Players can't take practice easy; they need to try like it's game time. If someone is making mistakes during practice, why wouldn't they in a real game?

A group likely to see change is the special teams unit. He called them out for not being physical enough and failing to execute the details in snaps. This likely came after the unit allowed Liam Boyd's 54-yard attempt to be blocked, which ended as his only miss of the game.

Eastern Michigan quarterback Noah Kim returns to Spartan Stadium for the first time since Sept. 23, 2023, when he started against Maryland. Kim left MSU after being benched partway through 2023, after throwing one touchdown and six interceptions in his final three starts. His season also coincided with the turmoil of the Mel Tucker scandal.

This game should be an "easy" win for MSU. Eastern Michigan is the lowest-rated opponent the Spartans will face all season according to CBS Sports' 136-team rankings updated Sept. 9 , which slot the Eagles 124th and the Spartans 70th. Eastern Michigan has also struggled the past few years, failing to get a winning record in MAC play in the past three seasons.

While Fitzgerald is still likely to make sure no mistakes happen due to play calling, expect more risks to be taken compared to last week. This team has an extra week under its belt, and Eastern Michigan is considered worse than Toledo. Expect to see some longer throws and fewer stalled drives for the Spartans.

Our Pick: Spartans 34 – Eastern Michigan 13