news

Michigan State football vs. Florida Atlantic: match updates, live score

Vaseline August 30, 2024

Michigan State’s American football season is back.

The Spartans are entering a new era under first-year head coach Jonathan Smith, looking to turn the program around with a brand new roster after two straight disappointing seasons that ended with no bowl appearances under fired coach Mel Tucker.

The match was slightly delayed until 7:10 pm due to a severe thunderstorm warning in the region, but the weather is clear enough for the start.

MSU has a new roster headlined by transfer sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles, who replaced Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren from Oregon State. MSU has 61 players who were not on last year’s season-opener roster, including 24 transfers.

The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network and can be streamed on Fubo (free trial). Michigan State is a 13½-point favorite, according to BetMGM.

Watch Michigan State vs. Florida Atlantic on Fubo (Free Trial)

Watch live updates from MSU vs. FAU in the season opener below.

Michigan State vs. Florida Atlantic live updates, highlights

It’s now two turnovers in three possessions for Michigan State’s offense. The Spartans reached the red zone for the first time thanks to good field position on the safety punt return and picked up a pair of first downs on completions to wide receiver Nick Marsh and tight end Michael Masunas to reach the 16-yard line.

Facing a third-and-7 from the FAU 13, MSU ran a wide receiver screen to Foster, who tried to get out of the first tackle and lost the ball. FAU immediately had a pile of bodies on the ball to take over at its own 11.

Michigan State’s first points of the season came on a sack by transfer defensive tackle D’Quan Douse, who blew past the left guard and sacked FAU quarterback Cam Fancher in the back of the South end zone. FAU was forced back to its own goal line after a perfect punt by Ryan Eckley was brought down at the 1-yard line. Michigan State’s offense was much better on the second drive, moving inside the FAU 40-yard line, but was forced to punt on a third-down sack taken by Chiles.

Alante Brown brought the post-safety punt back past midfield, giving the Spartan offense great field position.

Well… that’s one way to kick off the new era of MSU football.

MSU received the ball first and threw it on the first play. Chiles rolled to his left and threw a deep pass to Montorie Foster Jr. on the right sideline, but he dropped the ball and FAU cornerback Kahzir Brown hauled it in while dragging his left leg before going out. It was originally ruled an incomplete, but officials reversed the call after review, giving FAU the ball at its own 46.

The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for three counties in the Lansing area, including Ingham County. The watch is in effect until 9 p.m. The National Weather Service said isolated hail the size of a ping-pong ball and wind gusts up to 70 mph are possible, with the possibility of a tornado.

The sky above Spartan Stadium is gray with occasional lightning strikes near the stadium. According to the Lansing State Journal, officials have delayed the opening of gates until 6:30 a.m. and MSU police have asked fans in the area to shelter in their cars or in Wells Hall, Old Horticulture, Natural Science, Bessey Hall, the Engineering Building and the Auditorium.

Michigan State vs. FAU time today

Date: Friday, August 30th.
Where: Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
Time: 7:00 PM ET. (delayed due to weather).

What channel is the Michigan State vs. FAU game on today?

TV channel: Big Ten Network.
Live streaming: Fubo (free trial)
Radio: WJR-AM (760) in Detroit.

MSU vs. FAU will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. Jason Ross Jr. (play-by-play) and Brock Vereen (analyst) will cover the game from the booth in East Lansing, with Dannie Rogers reporting from the sidelines of Spartan Stadium. Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Michigan State vs. Florida Atlantic pregame: What you need to know

Given the changes in the coaching staff and roster, there is a lot of intrigue about what Michigan State will look like. Smith orchestrated a turnaround at Oregon State, albeit a few years in the making, and turned the Beavers into a top team in the old Pac-12 with a balanced offensive attack and solid defense.

He will look to follow the same plan in East Lansing to find success in the expanded Big Ten.

On offense, the Spartans could have as many as eight new starters, led by Chiles under center. The faces on the line of scrimmage will be almost entirely new, with four new starters on the O-line and a new tight end in Jack Velling, who also transferred from the Beavers. Leading rusher Nate Carter returns to the backfield, while Montorie Foster Jr., Jaron Glover and Alante Brown return at receiver, with four-star freshman Nick Marsh (River Rouge).

Maverick Hansen and Khris Bogle are the two returning starters on the defensive line and will be joined by new starters, whether it’s defensive end Jalen Thompson or a transfer like Quindarius Dunnigan. The back seven is primarily made up of returning players like Cal Haladay and Dillon Tatum to give new defensive coordinator Joe Rossi experience to work with.

Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press, covering the city’s professional teams, the state’s top two universities and more. Follow Jared at X @jared_ramsey22 and email him at [email protected].

We occasionally recommend products and services of interest. If you make a purchase by clicking on one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently and this does not influence our reporting.