Western Michigan sustains century-long skid, falls 23-6 at Michigan State

If you are reading this, the concept of probability suggests you have never seen Western Michigan defeat Michigan State in your lifetime.

The last time it transpired was 1919 — sandwiched between World War I and the Great Depression. The Western State Normal Hilltoppers defeated Michigan Agricultural, 21-18, at College Field in East Lansing, MI. Fast-forward 106 yards, and Western Michigan remains in search of that elusive win over its frequent in-state opponent. Michigan State claimed its 14th consecutive win in the series Friday night in East Lansing, handling Western Michigan in 23-6 fashion.

Western Michigan head coach Lance Taylor confirmed he would play two quarterbacks in the 2025 opener, shuffling between JUCO standout Brady Jones and incumbent backup Broc Lowry. Jones earned the starting nod and immediately guided Western Michigan to the Spartan 26-yard line. However, an incompletion on 4th and short handed the ball to Michigan State, and the home team immediately capitalized on the miscue.

That 57-yard drive to start the contest was an exception rather than the common result for Western Michigan. The Broncos never crossed their own 40-yard line again until the third quarter, burdened by three-and-outs, four fumbles (albeit zero lost), and four sacks and 11 tackles for loss allowed. Jones played the entirety of the first half and the fourth quarter, finishing 11-of-23 for 97 yards and an interception, while Lowry saw reps for the majority of the second half with a 5-of-10 showing for 91 yards.

Western Michigan’s offense never registered a single point. The Broncos invaded enemy territory three times, turning it over on downs twice and missing a 46-yard field goal. The saving grace from a shutout occurred with 2:51 remaining as All-MAC strong safety Tate Hallock secured his seventh career interception and second pick-six, racing it back for a 32-yard touchdown against his former college.

Hallock shined with a team-high nine tackles as Western Michigan’s defense pitched a second half shutout against Michigan State. The Spartans entered halftime with a 21-0 advantage, but their only points in the aftermath came through a safety, as Jalen Thompson and Alex VanSumeren teamed up to stifle former MAC Freshman of the Year Jalen Buckley on a shotgun run from the end zone.

Michigan State’s final six drives, excluding victory formation, featured four punts and two turnovers. But the Spartan offense looked as explosive as it’s been in four years during the initial 30 minutes of action. Running back Makhi Frazier accrued 76 of his 103 rushing yards by halftime, hitting a breakaway 28-yard run right out of the gate. Quarterback Aidan Chiles got off to a 9-of-10 start, firing for 80 yards and a touchdown as the Spartans only needed four possessions to claim a 21-0 advantage.

Western Michigan’s typically stellar ground game could not match Michigan State’s, as the Spartans out-gained Buckley and the Broncos 181-29 on the ground. The one bright spot of Western Michigan’s offense was Georgia State transfer wide receiver Talique Williams, who hauled in six receptions for 74 yards to show his capability of being the team’s new No. 1 target.

Michigan State continues its century-plus dominance of Western Michigan and also its dominance of Friday night season openers. The Spartans are 13-0 in 13 Friday night openers since 2011, and their wire-to-wire victory makes them 1-0 to start year two of the Jonathan Smith era.

Meanwhile, Western Michigan has now dropped 10 consecutive matchups to Big Ten competition, starting with the 2016 Cotton Bowl defeat to Wisconsin. Speaking of 2016, that remains the last time the Broncos defeated their first FBS non-conference opponent of the year. Lance Taylor and the Broncos look to regroup in Kalamazoo next Saturday as North Texas pays a visit.