Michigan State-UCLA scouting report, prediction: Return to Rose Bowl
Free Press sports writer Chris Solari ahead to the road trip to the Rose Bowl for Michigan State football to face Big Ten-leading No. 10 UCLA on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Fast facts
Matchup:Michigan State (2-5, 0-4 Big Ten) vs. No. 10 UCLA (6-0, 4-0).
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 24; Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California.
TV/radio: CBS, WJR-AM (760).
Line:Bruins by 15.
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Michigan State football vs UCLA availability report
(As of Thursday, per BigTen.org)
MSU
Out: LB Jordan Hall, CB Tyran Chappell, CB Charles Brantley, CB Tre Bell, CB Keshawn Williams, QB Cam Fancher, WR Charles Taplin, RB Cam Edwards, FB Jay Coyne, OL Tristan Comer, TE Joe Caudill. Questionable: QB Alessio Milivojevic, RB Jaziun Patterson, LB Brady Pretzlaff, Caleb Wheatland, LT Ben Murawski, RB Darrin Jones Jr.
UCLA
Out: QB Nico Iamaleava, WR Mikey Matthews, WR Jonah Smith, OL Sam Yoon, OL Jordan Davis, DB Rodrick Pleasant, DB Tao Johnson. Questionable: OL Eugene Brooks.
Scouting report
When MSU has the ball: The big question will be who is available for the Spartans, especially at quarterback. Alessio Milivojevic is questionable after coming off going 19-for-30 for 216 yards with two touchdown passes and another rushing score in last week’s 24-21 loss to Northwestern. (The third-year sophomore also lost a strip-sack fumble and struggled with both overthrowing open receivers and missing them in his read progression.) With Cam Fancher out, Milivojevic’s backup, freshman Kayd Coffman, is only other active QB to have played in a college game after taking 11 snaps at the end of a blowout loss at Wisconsin. Jaziun Patterson continued to run hard through contact with a 4.8-yard-per-carry average for 72 yards against the Wildcats, but he also is questionable.
So is left tackle Ben Murawski, though the Spartans allowed just one sack without him against the Wildcats. MSU has scored 58 points over its past two games after scoring just 26 in three previous losses combined. The Spartans also are seeing young stars emerging, though, in the passing game with tight end Jayden Savoury and receivers Fredrick Moore and Bryson Williams.
Bruins linebackers Jalen Woods and Sammy Omosigho are tied for fifth in the Big Ten with 50 tackles apiece (8.3 per game). Omosigho’s 7.5 tackles for a loss rank fifth, and he and edge rusher Taylor Scott each have three of UCLA’s 13 sacks.
When UCLA has the ball: The Spartans will again be without three starters – linebacker Jordan Hall and cornerbacks Tre Bell and Tyran Chappell – as well as backup CB Charles Brantley. If Brady Pretzlaff and Caleb Wheatland return, that will help shore up the middle of a group that missed some critical assignments – including coverage on a checkdown on the first play of Northwestern’s eventual game-winning field goal drive – despite getting 33 combined tackles and three pass breakups from Dion Crawford and Cam Stodghill. It helped that MSU’s defensive line, led by edge rusher Anelu Lafaele and tackle Ben Roberts, generated five sacks that were the most against a Big Ten opponent since getting seven against Nebraska on Nov. 4, 2023.
Roberts continues to play at an All-Big Ten level as both a run stopper and backfield disruptor. Freshman Jeremiah Favorite started at cornerback and played all 71 snaps as the Spartans held the Wildcats under both their scoring and yardage averages but failed to finish the task in the final quarter.
UCLA will provide an interesting test, particularly in its second game without starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against Oregon. The Bruins enter Saturday averaging 35.5 points and 445.8 yards per game, both of which rank 33rd (out of 138 FBS-level teams). Their 231 rushing yards per game lead the Big Ten and are 12th nationally, with the tandem of Wayne Knight (571 yards, 11 TDs) and Anthony Woods (347 yards, five TDs) leading the way. Former Michigan receiver Semaj Morgan is the Bruins’ leading pass catcher, with 313 yards on 24 catches with two scores and is a dangerous punt returner (9.5 yards per return).
Know the foe
Chesney chasing: UCLA appears to be following the Indiana route, to great success, with the hiring of coach Bob Chesney away from James Madison. The 49-year-old Pennsylvania native took over the Dukes for two seasons after Curt Cignetti left for the Hoosiers and built on the success in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Chesney, who arrived from Holy Cross, went 21-6 with JMU, including 12-2 last season with a College Football Playoff appearance. The Bruins have the longest active win streak in Big Ten play, at six, and are the only league team still unbeaten this year.
Stingy defense: Defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler, who followed Chesney from JMU, has UCLA playing at a high level at its season midpoint. The Bruins rank 21st nationally at 16.2 points allowed, after giving up just 25 total over their past three wins. UCLA allows just 292.3 total yards and 97.7 rushing yards per game, both of which are 20th nationally. Its 26.6% third-down defense is fifth-best, and UCLA leads the Big Ten with nine forced fumbles and 10 interceptions.
Different Dieffenbach: With Iamaleava getting knocked out against Oregon, the Bruins turned to Cal Poly Ty Dieffenbach to take over the offense. The 6-foot-6, 227-pound native of nearby Calabasas, California, went 3-for-6 with the winning TD pass to Knight in a 17-15 win at Oregon, then was 22-for-33 for 264 yards with an interception (an end-of-half Hail Mary) and no touchdowns in last week’s 17-7 home win over Wisconsin. In his one season at Cal Poly, Dieffenbach (who started his college career at Pitt) completed 56.8% of his passes for 1,305 yards, nine touchdowns and nine interceptions, while adding 321 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Chris Solari’s two cents
LA postcards: This is MSU’s first game at the Rose Bowl since beating Stanford there on Jan. 1, 2014. The Spartans are 4-1 all-time in the Pasadena stadi
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