EAST LANSING, Mich. (Interstat) — Michigan State scored in every quarter and defeated Eastern Michigan 35-7 on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision game at Spartan Stadium. The Spartans improved to 2-0 with the home victory, while the visiting Eagles fell to 1-2. Michigan State scored seven points in the first quarter, 14 in the second, seven in the third and seven in the fourth. Eastern Michigan scored seven points, all on a Noah Kim touchdown run. The Spartans’ defense limited the Eagles after that score and controlled the game over the final three quarters. The nonconference matchup drew a crowd to Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan, and gave Michigan State its second straight win to open the season.

Michigan State’s ground game produced several key scores. Cam Edwards scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter and added a 2-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Jaziun Patterson broke through for a 7-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Liam Boyd made the extra-point attempts after those Michigan State touchdowns. Eastern Michigan’s lone touchdown came on a 4-yard run by Noah Kim, and Rudy Kessinger made the extra point. The Eagles’ scoring play kept them within striking distance early, but Michigan State’s defense prevented Eastern Michigan from reaching the end zone again. The Spartans controlled the line of scrimmage, limited big plays and forced the Eagles to punt on several second-half possessions. Michigan State’s special teams also contributed clean extra-point work, while Eastern Michigan’s kicking game converted its only scoring opportunity.

The Spartans used multiple quarterbacks and skill-position players throughout the game. Alessio Milivojevic, a 6-foot-2, 216-pound quarterback from Naperville, Illinois, was listed among Michigan State’s key performers. Cam Fancher, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound quarterback from Huber Heights, Ohio, was also among the Spartans’ key contributors. Charles Taplin, a 6-foot, 178-pound receiver from Red Oak, Texas, was another key performer for Michigan State. The Spartans also leaned on tight ends Kai Rios, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound player from Rock Island, Illinois, and Jayden Savoury, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound player from Canton, Michigan. Receivers Chrishon McCray, Fredrick Moore, Braylon Collier and Rodney Bullard Jr. were listed among the team’s key performers. McCray is a 5-foot-10, 163-pound receiver from Avon, Indiana. Moore is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound receiver from St. Louis. Collier is a 6-foot, 187-pound receiver from Sandusky, Ohio. Bullard is a 6-foot, 186-pound receiver from Albany, Georgia.

Michigan State’s backfield also featured several key contributors. Kenneth Williams, a 5-foot-9, 180-pound running back from Detroit, was among the Spartans’ key performers. Marvis Parrish, a 5-foot-11, 196-pound running back from Valdosta, Georgia, and Jaziun Patterson, a 5-foot-10, 188-pound running back from Pompano Beach, Florida, were also listed. Brandon Tullis, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound running back from Dallas, rounded out the group of key offensive performers in the backfield. Cam Edwards was listed among the key performers and scored two rushing touchdowns. Liam Boyd, a 6-foot, 200-pound kicker from Asheville, North Carolina, handled extra points, while Rhys Dakin, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound punter from Melbourne, Victoria, was among the specialists.

Michigan State’s defense was represented by a long list of key performers. Brady Pretzlaff, a 6-foot-3, 228-pound linebacker from Gaylord, Michigan, was among them. Devin Vaught, a 6-foot, 205-pound defensive back from Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charles Brantley, a 6-foot, 165-pound cornerback from Sarasota, Florida, were also listed. Dion Crawford, a 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker from Lawrenceville, Georgia, and Isaac Smith, a 6-foot-6, 245-pound linebacker from Wagoner, Oklahoma, were key defensive contributors. Mikeshun Beeler, a 6-foot-2, 283-pound defensive lineman from Chicago, and Derrick Simmons, a 6-foot-3, 297-pound defensive lineman from Frankenmuth, Michigan, were among the front-seven performers. Keahnist Thompson, a 6-foot-3, 255-pound defensive end from Lakeland, Florida, and Ben Roberts, a 6-foot-2, 311-pound defensive lineman from Lakewood, Washington, also were listed. Caleb Wheatland, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker from Centreville, Virginia, and Kenny Soares Jr., a 6-foot-2, 230-pound linebacker from Trumbull, Connecticut, were key performers. The secondary also included Deuce Edwards, Caleb Gash, Michael Richard, Cam Stodghill, Tyran Chappell, Tre Bell, NiJhay Burt, Nikai Martinez and Anelu Lafaele. Zion Gist and DiMari Malone were also listed among Michigan State’s key performers. Eli Coenen, a 6-foot-7, 275-pound defensive lineman from Baldwin, Wisconsin, rounded out the defensive group.

Eastern Michigan’s key performers were led by quarterback Noah Kim, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound player from Centreville, Virginia. The Eagles’ defense was represented by defensive back Juan Salas, a 5-foot-8, 178-pound player from Eastvale, California, and safety Bryce Llewellyn, a 6-foot, 206-pound player from McCordsville, Indiana. Caleb Dobbs, a 6-foot, 163-pound defensive back from Cocoa, Florida, and Quincy Byas, a 6-foot-1, 232-pound defensive lineman from St. Louis, were also listed. Zach Mowchan, a 6-foot-2, 223-pound linebacker from Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, and Ronn Hardin, a 6-foot-3, 209-pound defensive lineman from Cleveland, were key performers. Elgin McDuffey, a 6-foot, 232-pound linebacker from Jackson, Mississippi, and Bryce Eliuk, a 6-foot, 221-pound linebacker from Linden, Michigan, were also among Eastern Michigan’s key contributors. Davion Williams, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound safety from Frostproof, Florida, and Rayquan Adkins, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound cornerback from Miami, rounded out the list of key performers for the Eagles.

The win gave Michigan State a 2-0 record this season. The Spartans opened the year with a 30-20 victory over Toledo on Sept. 4. Eastern Michigan moved to 1-2. The Eagles opened with a 28-17 win over Sacramento State on Aug. 29 before falling to San Jose State 27-21 on Sept. 4. Michigan State will next travel to Notre Dame on Sept. 19. Eastern Michigan will visit Wisconsin on Sept. 19. Michigan State then hosts Nebraska on Sept. 26, while Eastern Michigan hosts Lindenwood on Sept. 26. Michigan State will visit Wisconsin on Oct. 3, and Eastern Michigan will visit Massachusetts on Oct. 3. The Spartans host Illinois on Oct. 10, and the Eagles visit Akron on Oct. 10. Michigan State hosts Northwestern on Oct. 17, while Eastern Michigan hosts Toledo on Oct. 17. Michigan State visits UCLA on Oct. 24, and Eastern Michigan visits Ohio on Oct. 24. The Spartans visit Michigan on Nov. 7, while Eastern Michigan hosts Central Michigan on Nov. 4. Michigan State hosts Washington on Nov. 14, and Eastern Michigan visits Western Michigan on Nov. 17. Michigan State hosts Oregon on Nov. 20, and Eastern Michigan hosts Kent State on Nov. 24. Michigan State visits Rutgers on Nov. 28.

The game at Spartan Stadium was played in East Lansing, Michigan. It was a nonconference meeting between the Spartans and Eagles. Michigan State’s offense found success on the ground, while Eastern Michigan’s defense had to contend with a deep group of Spartans playmakers. The Eagles’ lone touchdown kept the game close early, but Michigan State’s second-quarter surge and third-quarter score put the game out of reach. The Spartans added another touchdown in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring. Eastern Michigan was unable to answer in the final period. The victory continued Michigan State’s strong start to the 2026 season. Eastern Michigan’s loss dropped the Eagles below .500. Both teams will return to nonconference play next weekend before moving deeper into their schedules. The Spartans’ upcoming trip to Notre Dame will be their first road game of the season. The Eagles’ trip to Wisconsin will also be their first road game of the season.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Michigan State 39, Eastern Michigan 32. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Michigan State with a 90.2 percent probability to win. The actual result saw Michigan State win by a wider margin than the projection. Eastern Michigan’s scoring output fell short of the simulated total, while Michigan State’s defense exceeded the projected performance. The Spartans’ 35 points were four fewer than the projected total, but their defensive effort limited the Eagles to seven points.