Big Ten play has not been kind to Michigan State football in coach Jonathan Smith’s second season at the helm; the Spartans lost their first two games in conference play — to USC and Nebraska — to sully Smith’s second straight 3-0 start.
But now, for homecoming, the Spartans have woeful UCLA arriving in East Lansing, a matchup that certainly looked more appealing before last week’s stunning upset of top-10 Penn State. Still, the Bruins are on their second coach (and second offensive and defensive coordinators) and feature an experienced QB in Nico Iamaleava, a familiar foe to MSU QB Aidan Chiles from their high school days.
Michigan State is still looking for its first Big Ten win of 2025. Four Free Press sports writers ponder whether the Spartans will get it vs. Bruins.
Carlos Monarrez
This might be the Spartans’ last best chance to win a game for the rest of the season. Yes, the Bruins just upset Penn State, but if you know anything about the Bruins it’s that they love to play well when no one expects them to. Let’s chalk up that win to a little extra juice and trickery from interim coach Tim Skipper.
The Spartans will get a bump from their return home in nearly a month while playing in a packed house on homecoming weekend. This will disorient UCLA, which normally plays in front of a quarter-filled Rose Bowl. The pick: Michigan State 25, UCLA 22.
Jeff Seidel
This is the game for the Spartans. They gotta win this one. And they certainly can win this one. But if they don’t? Oh man, where will they find another win? I’m not sure they will. The pick: MSU 28, UCLA 21.
Chris Solari
Chiles gets the best of his high school rival Nico Iamaleava, taking advantage of the Bruins’ defensive issues to post another big game. And the Spartans’ defense continues its swarming effect, not allowing the elusive UCLA quarterback to have the success he did against Penn State. The pick: MSU 34, UCLA 21.
Shawn Windsor
The Spartans showed some defensive teeth against Nebraska until turnovers and penalties ruined everything.
MSU doesn’t look like a well-coached team at the moment, nor one that can consistently block for its quarterback. Aidan Chiles has his moments, but they are moments, not games, and it’s hard to blame the second-year starter when he’s running for his life. The pick: UCLA 27, MSU 23.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football predictions vs UCLA in Game 6: Homecoming woes a-Bruin?
Reporting by Carlos Monarrez, Jeff Seidel, Chris Solari and Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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