Freshman promise has vanished behind a crumbling offensive line as Milivojevic’s turnover-prone struggles force Michigan State to decide if their struggling starter can still salvage the season.
Four games into the season, however, that optimism is beginning to fade.
Milivojevic remains Michigan State's starting quarterback, but after consecutive disappointing performances against Notre Dame and Nebraska, questions are starting to mount about whether he can lead this team to the success it desperately needs.
A Promising Finish to 2025 Created High Expectations
Last season, Milivojevic capped off the Spartans' campaign by starting the final four games and looking pretty darn good in the process.
Michigan State managed just one victory in those four starts, but that win was also the team's only conference victory of the season. The Spartans took another opponent to overtime before falling short and held a fourth-quarter lead against a ranked Iowa team before ultimately surrendering it.
Despite the lack of wins, there was enough encouraging film for both coaches and fans to believe they had a quarterback capable of leading the program back to success.
When the 2026 season kicked off, Milivojevic didn't necessarily look spectacular, but he appeared to be a precise game manager who could protect the football, keep drives moving and put his team in positions to win.
Through the first two games, Michigan State was 2-0, and Milivojevic was doing exactly what was asked of him. His throws occasionally seemed a little late or lacked the necessary zip, but when the team was winning and the quarterback wasn't giving the ball away, there wasn't much reason to complain.
Then came the Fighting Irish and Cornhuskers.
Offensive Line Woes Have Exposed Milivojevic's Struggles
Over the past two games, Milivojevic has gone from looking like a capable game manager to a quarterback who appears increasingly uncomfortable in the pocket.
To be fair, there are legitimate reasons for his struggles.
Michigan State's offensive line has looked abysmal in recent weeks, and the early injury to Connor Moore certainly hasn't helped matters. Constant pressure from opposing defenders has made it difficult for Milivojevic to establish any rhythm or operate comfortably within the offense.
Still, the offensive line's struggles cannot account for everything that has gone wrong.
With defenders consistently barreling down on him and the Spartans trailing by multiple possessions for significant stretches of both games, Milivojevic has increasingly forced throws into tighter windows than he attempted earlier in the season.
He no longer resembles the young quarterback who could go out with little to lose and let it fly. Instead, he looks like a quarterback trying to do too much, forcing the issue in an effort to manufacture success for an offense that desperately needs a spark.
At times, it has felt like gunslinging with a blindfold on.
The results have been difficult to ignore. Milivojevic has been sacked 10 times over the past two games, thrown three interceptions and failed to record a touchdown. He's also averaging just 165.5 passing yards per game during that stretch.
Those numbers paint a troubling picture for a quarterback who entered the season with legitimate expectations of becoming a reliable leader for the Spartans.
Cam Fancher's Increased Role Raises Questions
Offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan has also begun incorporating backup quarterback Cam Fancher more frequently than he did during the first two games of the season.
That increased involvement could simply be part of the offensive game plan, but it could also be an attempt to inject some life into a struggling offense.
Regardless of the reasoning, the change adds another layer to the conversation surrounding Milivojevic's recent performances.
The young quarterback is no longer playing with the freedom of a player who has nothing to lose. He's trying to lead a program that hasn't reached a bowl game since 2021, and the pressure to deliver results is beginning to show.
Michigan State still needs Milivojevic to be the quarterback it believed it had after his impressive finish to 2025. But with each passing week, the margin for error is shrinking, and the questions surrounding his ability to lead this team are growing louder.
Wisconsin Presents Another Opportunity for a Reset
The Spartans' next opportunity comes against Wisconsin, a team entering Saturday's matchup fresh off a stunning 17-point comeback victory over a ranked Penn State squad.
Michigan State could still be battling significant injuries, and the offensive line will need to find a way to give its quarterback more time to operate.
Ultimately, though, much of the responsibility will fall on Milivojevic's shoulders.
The Spartans need their starting quarterback to settle down, trust his reads and stop trying to make every play happen at once. He doesn't need to be spectacular. He needs to be the composed, efficient quarterback that gave Michigan State hope through the first two weeks of the season.
Milivojevic remains the Spartans' quarterback, but the patience that came with his promising start is beginning to wear thin.
Saturday in Madison could go a long way toward determining whether he can turn things around before the questions become even harder to ignore.
