Homecoming Game Preview: UCLA vs. Michigan State

The Michigan State Spartans, coming off a tough road loss to Nebraska and two-straight losses overall, set their sights on a 1-4 UCLA team coming off a win at home versus then-No. 7 Penn State. This will be the Spartans' homecoming game, the 109th in program history, and it is a must-win for MSU on its path to a bowl bid. 

The game is scheduled to kick off on Saturday at noon Eastern Time and will broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

Despite the Bruins coming off an impressive victory, they still only have one victory and have many holes that the Spartans can exploit. This game will go a long way in showing how this team under head coach Jonathan Smith responds when their backs are against the wall and the pressure is on. 

Game Info

Time: Saturday, Sep. 20, noon ET

TV Channel: BTN

Radio: Spartan Media Network

Location: Spartan Stadium (East Lansing, MI)

Weather: Temperatures look to be near 60 degrees around kickoff with mostly cloudy conditions. No rain is on the forecast and wind is expected to be minimal.

UCLA Notables

The Bruins are off to a 1-4 start with their lone victory coming last week in the upset victory over Penn State. Their success on offense starts and ends with sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava. So far this year, he has 954 passing yards and 332 rushing yards, and he has accounted for 10 total touchdowns.

In UCLA's victory over Penn State, Iamaleava had 294 total yards and five total touchdowns, making plays with both his arm and his legs. His ability to evade pressure and get out into space is something the Spartans' defense will have to work to limit. 

As far as playmakers go, the Bruins have a running back duo of Anthony Wood and Jaivian Thomas, who have been fairly pedestrian so far this year. The duo is averaging a combined 4.6 yards per carry. They don’t account for many explosive plays, but possess the ability to break some tackles and keep the offense ahead of the sticks. 

At receiver, UCLA is led by one-time Michigan State recruiting target Kwazi Gilmer (304 yards and two touchdowns). Much like the running backs, the receivers of UCLA are not overly explosive and have yet to find their stride much in this 2025 season.  

While their offense was very effective versus Penn State, the Bruins are still only averaging just north of 20 points per game. They struggled to score versus teams such as New Mexico, Northwestern and Utah. 

Defensively, the Bruins have struggled in just about every game but Northwestern, having allowed at least 30 points in each of their other four contests. UCLA also has one of the worst rushing defenses in the country, allowing 217.6 rushing yards per game. This is a game where Michigan State can put up some points and keep pressure on Iamaleava and the UCLA offense in front of a Michigan State homecoming crowd. 

Overview

Michigan State at times looked completely unprepared last week against Nebraska, while at others, dominated the Huskers. The Spartan defense looked much improved for a good portion of the game and kept Michigan State in it against Nebraska, despite the sloppy performance from the offense. The defense did suffer some breakdowns late, but it was an encouraging performance overall on that side of the ball.

Most notably, Michigan State was able to get home for sacks five times, forcing the Huskers into many third-and-long situations. If that pressure can continue on Saturday, it will go a long way in helping the Spartans pull off an important victory. 

While the defense looked improved versus the Cornhuskers the MSU offense sputtered often. The offensive line play must improve. The continued struggles to open run lanes and get the running backs going, and the consistent pressure on quarterback Aidan Chiles in the passing game, has made it very difficult for offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren to get the Spartans in a groove. Chiles was able to make plays with his feet against Nebraska, but some of his issues from the 2024 season showed up again and the passing game struggled.

Lindgren will need to do a better job at getting the ball to his playmakers — such as wide receivers Nick Marsh and Omari Kelly, and tight end Jack Velling — than he did this past Saturday. Opening up the intermediate passing game will be a key versus the Bruins.

The other keys to this one for Michigan State will be to provide time for Chiles and limit the errors that were persistent last week. The special teams will need to be much sharper — after it was a disaster against the Cornhuskers — helping Michigan State win the field position battle and not putting the offense and defense in unideal situations.

Defensively, Michigan State will look to build off of its performance versus the Huskers, continue to get pressure on the quarterback and limit the explosive plays.

Vegas favors Michigan State by 8.5 points, and while this is by no means a guaranteed victory, it is a must win for the Spartans.