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Michigan State football hardest hits have come on injury report
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- Michigan State football hardest hits have come on injury report
EAST LANSING – The moment Ben Roberts collapsed to the turf at the Rose Bowl, on Michigan State football's first defensive snap on Oct. 24, Joe Rossi took a deep breath.
"The first thing was, 'Well, here we go again,'" Rossi remembered Wednesday, Nov. 4.
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Another significant injury in a season filled with them. To a key starter. On an already thin depth chart that has more and more younger players being thrust into duty unexpectedly.
If the Spartans (2-6, 0-5 Big Ten) can end their six-game losing streak at Michigan (5-3, 2-3) on Saturday (7:30 p.m., Peacock), it would be, in many ways, the most impressive moment of Pat Fitzgerald's debut season. And not because of the intensity of the rivalry or it because it would come on the road at Michigan Stadium for the first time since 2020.
But simply because of the amount of attrition his first year has brought.
Michigan State’s head coach Pat Fitzgerald, center, is flanked by Nick Sharpe, left, and Ben Roberts as the team walks the end zone before the football game against Northwestern on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
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During Fitzgerald's radio show Wednesday night, shortly before the first availability report of the week was released, former MSU running back Jehuu Caulcrick started to ask Fitzgerald about his defense and mentioned, "Obviously you have some injuries there."
"Really?" Fitzgerald quipped quickly.
"Just a couple," Caulcrick replied with a chuckle.
About 10 minutes later, the Big Ten's website updated. And the breadth of the body count was revealed.
Star linebacker Jordan Hall will miss his fifth game this season, and his third straight. Charles Brantley, who sealed the Spartans ' last win over U-M (at Spartan Stadium in 2021) with an interception, will miss his third game in a row. Fellow cornerback Tre Bell also is out for a third straight.
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Safety Devin Vaught, like Roberts, was also hurt in MSU's 28-10 loss at UCLA and is questionable despite having a bye week to heal. Cornerback Tyran Chappell, who started MSU's first three games, has been upgraded to questionable after missing the past five losses.
"Obviously, we've had a lot of injuries this year, so we've had a lot of guys step up," defensive end Kenny Soares Jr. said Wednesday. "It's something that's continued to be echoed. You just gotta keep going at the end of the day, because there's still a game going on. You still have four more games throughout the rest of the season – somebody's gotta step up."
And then there is Roberts, who has been the heart and soul of MSU's valiant and constantly shifting defense this season. The senior defensive tackle had been playing at an elite level, potentially becoming an All-Big Ten candidate and 2027 NFL Draft pick, from the intel Fitzgerald said he had been getting from scouts.
Sep 26, 2026; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans defensive lineman Ben Roberts (55) celebrates a sack against Nebraska with teammate Kenny Soares Jr. (1)at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images
"He's a tremendous player on our team, one of the guys that is pretty much one of our sparks. In any given moment, you know that he's gonna be around the ball, you know that he's gonna be there to make the play," Soares said. "And when he went down, I do remember everybody took a second and was just like, 'Dang, that one hurt for sure.' … Seeing him on the ground and knowing as much as he'd given to this program, it hurt."'
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While neither Fitzgerald nor Rossi has given an update as to the specifics of the injury or timeline for Roberts' recovery, it did not look good after it happened. Roberts returned to MSU's sideline on crutches during the second half of the UCLA loss. When the game ended, he handed a member of the team's staff his crutches and boarded a wheelchair to be taken to the locker room rather than navigate the crowded tunnel.
"I feel terrible for him," Rossi said of Roberts, who has 26 tackles and two sacks among his five stops for a loss. "I think he was having a really great season. He's been not only a very good player for us, but a very good leader for us."
On offense, MSU will be without its top three running backs – Marvis Parrish got hurt on the third play at UCLA, Jaziun Patterson was ruled out for that game and this one, and initial starter Cam Edwards has been done for the season for weeks. The Spartans turned to Nebraska transfer and primary kick returner Kenneth Williams against the Bruins after Parrish left the game following his second carry.
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Tight end Jayden Savoury, who has been MSU's most reliable offensive weapon, also is listed as out. Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, who had an 11-start streak snapped at UCLA, and wide receiver Charles Taplin are both questionable.
How all of those affect what the Spartans can do against U-M's third-ranked defense remains to be seen. However, Fitzgerald joked – or perhaps hinted – that he could alter what MSU's offense might try to throw off the Wolverines .
"We may or may not be running the Air Raid [offense]. Or we may or may not be right triple option on Saturday," Fitzgerald said on his radio show. "Tune in and see."
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com . Follow him @chrissolari .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football hardest hits have come on injury report
