A relentless Fighting Irish defense shattered the Spartan quarterback’s composure, turning a promising start into a turnover-laden struggle that reveals the steep learning curve for the young starter.
It’s hard to fault a quarterback who struggles against one of the top defenses in the nation.
But those are exactly the games that are supposed to test a quarterback, force him through adversity and challenge him to stay true to who he is.
That will echo loudly through Michigan State’s halls this week as the Spartans reflect on their Saturday performance against No. 3 Notre Dame before turning their attention to their first Big Ten matchup of the season against Wisconsin.
Before moving forward, though, it’s worth taking a closer look at quarterback Alessio Milivojevic’s performance against the Fighting Irish.
It wasn’t great.
But through the darkest moments, the brightest light can often shine through on the other side.
Milivojevic found himself in a very dark place against Notre Dame, particularly as the second half wore on and the relentless pressure from the Fighting Irish defense continued to mount.
Coming into the game, Milivojevic was averaging more than 200 passing yards per game with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. He had also earned plenty of praise for his poise and ability to manage games.
He needed that calmness against Notre Dame.
Unfortunately, there simply wasn’t much Milivojevic could do once things began to unravel around him.
The Good
Milivojevic did everything he could early on to keep Michigan State within striking distance.
Before he started forcing throws with the game slipping away, he was moving the football effectively. It was difficult for the Spartans to consistently find their rhythm through the air early, but by the late first quarter and into the second, Milivojevic began finding his receivers and moving the ball down the field.
He made some impressive plays with his legs, too, showing the ability to escape pressure, move around in the pocket and deliver throws on the run.
The 53-yard completion to Rodney Bullard was one of the biggest offensive plays of the afternoon and showed the kind of arm talent Milivojevic possesses.
For stretches, he looked like the same composed quarterback Michigan State had seen through its first two games.
Then everything around him started to fall apart.
The Bad
Milivojevic finished the game with just nine completions, and while several of those throws were impressive, he ultimately tried to do too much as Michigan State fell further behind.
The two interceptions marked the first multi-interception game of his collegiate career.
That needs to be acknowledged, but so does the bigger picture: Milivojevic has now made just seven career starts.
The first interception came after Milivojevic narrowly overthrew his intended receiver. It was a small miss, but against a defense like Notre Dame’s, small mistakes can quickly become major problems.
The second interception was even more difficult.
Milivojevic faced pressure directly in his face and took contact as he released the football, preventing him from fully following through. He also failed to see the linebacker cutting across the field, allowing the defender to step directly into the passing lane.
It was a bad play.
But it was also a play that illustrated just how much pressure Milivojevic was facing.
Michigan State couldn’t establish a consistent running game, which eliminated much of the play-action element of its offense and placed an enormous burden on the young quarterback.
Once the Spartans fell behind, that burden only became heavier.
The Ugly
The ugliest part of Milivojevic’s performance wasn’t necessarily something he did himself.
Offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan was throwing everything he could at the Fighting Irish defense, and for a while, it appeared to work.
Then Kenneth Williams dropped what could have been one of the biggest touchdown opportunities of the game.
From there, things began to snowball.
Milivojevic was forced into increasingly difficult throws as Michigan State fell further behind, while the lack of a running game allowed Notre Dame to unleash its pass rush.
And that brings us to the biggest problem Michigan State must address coming out of this game: the offensive line.
The Spartans were putrid up front in the second half.
For a team that wants its identity to be built around mauling opponents in the trenches, Michigan State looked more like teddy bears trying to stop raging animals.
That has to change.
Milivojevic needs time to operate the offense. He needs a running game that defenses have to respect. And he needs the opportunity to play the game with the same calmness and confidence he showed through the first two weeks.
Notre Dame exposed what happens when Michigan State cannot provide those things.
Milivojevic certainly has plenty to clean up after Saturday, but this game shouldn’t define him.
The Spartans need to get the offensive line right, get the running game back on track and put Milivojevic in position to be the quarterback Michigan State has seen through the first two games.
The good is still there.
The bad and ugly just need to stay in South Bend.
