Yes! No. Maybe? Week 6 highlighted by Rudy Kessinger, EMU road win; MSU comeback falls short

Week 6 delivered a pair of losses and a pair of wins in the Mitten while Michigan got a Saturday off. 

Michigan State pulled out a marvelous comeback but fell a play short of a stirring win, and Central Michigan went to Ohio and got jumped in a lopsided loss. Meanwhile, Western Michigan romped to a win over Kent State that was never in much doubt while Eastern Michigan gutted out a two-point win on the road against a feisty Akron team to move to 3-0 in conference play. 

Mitten Football sifted through Saturday and took a gander at what went right, what didn’t, and plenty of grey in between. 

Let’s dig in. 

Yes!

WMU QB Broc Lowry: He had probably his best quarterbacking performance of his college career on Saturday. Before even getting to the throws and catches, Lowry operated with almost flawless precision, trusted his pass pro, knew where to go when it did break down, and had an evident feel and rhythm for the game. He was seeing The Matrix (a reference the quarterback himself didn’t get, though he knew Keanu Reeves starred in the films), or in more cliche terms, it’s evident the game has slowed down. And to pair with his top notch play in the pocket and on dropbacks, Lowry ripped seven throws of 15 or more yards on Saturday, most of them with plenty of air yards, including two middle-of-the-field throws on in-breaking routes that Lowry threw with anticipation, confidence and conviction. All told: 18-of-26 for a career-high 257 yards and three passing touchdowns. He added 52 rushing yards and a rushing score. Just about exactly how one would draw it up for Lowry to thrive and WMU to dominate. 

Broc Lowry’s career passing day powers Western Michigan to 38-7 win vs. Kent State

Lowry put up a career high in passing yards and also tallied four total touchdowns as the Broncos romped to a win and a 2-0 conference record.

Mitten FootballAndrew Graham

EMU K Rudy Kessinger, special teams: In his second year as EMU’s kicker, Kessinger might’ve had his biggest day yet, knocking through four field goals on four attempts and a 48-yard game winner with 1:50 to play. Quite simply: Eastern Michigan doesn’t pull out its 25-23 win at Akron without Kessinger, who has already hit from 51 this year. And EMU getting a big day out of Kessinger and the special teams more generally is a good omen after that group struggled with a lot of protection issues early, giving up blocked punts, PATs and field goals already. None of that occurred Saturday, and in fact EMU blocked a punt to set up a key field goal in the second half. The punt unit protected Daniel Hull to average 50 yards a punt, both were inside the Akron 20. 

EMU TE Josh Long: Led the Eagles with nine catches on 10 targets for 114 yards, all of which led the team on Saturday. And while he hasn’t found the end zone but once this year, Long has been highly productive and a favored, consistent target for quarterback Noah Kim. Already, Long has 31 catches for 282 yards, as Saturday was easily his most productive outing. And he’s well on his way to outdoing his production from 2025 (37 catches, 357 yards, three touchdowns) while serving as a key cog in this EMU passing offense. In general, Long looks the part — he’s 6-foot-5, around 250 pounds, and the junior moves well for his size, albeit maybe lacks the high-end agility that’d make him borderline unguardable. Either way, he’s been an endlessly reliable target for Kim and showed up in a big way on Saturday in a win over Akron. 

Western Michigan’s pass rush, defensive front: Before getting to the pass rush with 10 sacks in its last two games, it’s important to start with the run defense, which helps key the former in. By defending the run so well vs. Kent State — 33 carries for 75 yards — the Broncos kept the Golden Flashes in longer downs and distances where passing started to be necessitated. That set the table for a tweaked pass rush unit to eat for the Broncos, and eat it did: Fix sacks, six tackles for loss, including a sack fumble that Kent State QB Dru DeShields recovered late. Six Bronco rushers combined for the five sacks, and this group has now totaled 10 sacks in two MAC games after just three sacks in the first four games. 

MSU QB Alessio Milivojevic: He didn’t have much of a shot to make a two-point play convert for a comeback win, but that will not be held against the quarterback here, as he was largely nails and key to deliver MSU to a near-comeback win. He finished 22-of-26 for 196 yards and two touchdowns, rarely jeopardizing the ball and ripping a few big throws in key spots, including a late touchdown to Fred Moore. MSU’s mode of offense isn’t ever going to be rooted in Milivojevic’s right arm, at least this season, but Cam Edwards going down and the quarterback’s recent struggles really hemmed in the offense. On Saturday, he found his good form again, as MSU’s offense figured some things out in the run game, at least against Illinois’ defense, and the whole picture looked much better for the Spartans. Milivojevic will need to play similarly as well — the advanced stats loved his day — to keep giving MSU chances throughout all the injuries and attrition. 

No.

Michigan State’s pass rush: After piling up six sacks in the first two games, both against MAC foes (and a banged-up Eastern Michigan offensive line), Michigan State got one sack against Notre Dame and has recorded zero in three Big Ten games. That’s one sack in four weeks, and just seven in six games, heavily frontloaded. Now, MSU has played three programs that in general prize and have good offensive lines in Nebraska, Wisconsin and Illinois. But at a certain point the opponent stops mattering and the fact that MSU simply cannot disrupt opposing quarterbacks with any consistency comes into focus. And really, right now, it’s a talent deficiency. MSU just doesn’t have the horses to affect opposing offenses with the pass rush right now. Eli Coenen and Ben Roberts have been good in the middle but can’t play every snap and Kenny Soares has some juice, as does Anelu Lafaele. Some players have flashed, but a bit of sizzle and a smattering of pressures is a long way from the down-to-down disruption this group seeks. 

Central Michigan’s first half on defense: While there is plenty of consternation about the offense, Central Michigan’s defense was as much the culprit in the first half, doing nothing to stop Ohio from marching down the field and shredding the Chippewas en route to 31 points by the half. Ohio got starting QB Nic Poulos back from a concussion and it showed, as he dominated and completed a long passing TD just before half as an insult to injury. And after Ohio marauded down the field with ease to take a 7-0 lead on the opening possession, CMU’s offense got stuffed on a 4th and 1 then Ohio marched right down for another score. And down 14-0 rapidly, with the CMU offense floundering as Ohio’s defense attacked it with hammers, the Chippewas kept getting gashed defensively and only stopped the Bobcats once in the first half, via a fumble recovery on a handoff. 

Central Michigan’s first half on offense: For anyone clamoring about the offensive scheme being the problem, there’s not an offense in the world that functions when it’s losing constantly at the point of attack like Central Michigan did in the first half. The problem wasn’t play calls or specific designs being exposed, it was Ohio defenders shooting into the backfield a second after the snap because they’d defeated a block or, at times, went unblocked as the Bobcats seemed to have some success attacking CMU’s offensive line rules. And that happened on myriad looks. What became very evident quickly is that for as good as Central Michigan has been on the offensive line lately, Ohio stormed it with a well-executed plan. Its defensive line knocked back the CMU blockers, clogged run lanes and got quick pressure on Flores when CMU did try to throw, though the senior managed well in that regard, as did Jadyn Glasser in the second half (which CMU won, 14-0). This team had a terrible, no good, very bad day and the result is an incredibly bitter road loss. But a crisis it is not, at least not after one afternoon. 

The Philly special as a two-point play: Credit to them for playing to win, but of only Pat Fitzgerald and Co. had a chance to see UMass biff it on a Philly Philly — the famous fake reverse pass to a quarterback the Philadelphia Eagles used to score just before halftime in a Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots in 2018 — as the Minutemen went for a last-second win but fell, 20-19, to Miami (OH) as the Amherst version got blown up in the backfield. MSU had its simplified version of the play blown up with an incomplete pass to Jayden Savoury, who wasn’t even in the end zone on the target. (Whether or not the defender’s beat-early arrival is pass interference is immaterial to this author given the receiver was on the three yard line; the play was not going to score.) Illinois defended the pass options well and Milivojevic was not going to make it on a scramble. This is all to say: The Philly special is coming up on a decade of age and its obvious defenses are looking for that sort of trickery on two-point plays. So humbly this publication submits: Throw the Philly special in the trash. There are better two-point plays — rub routes, anyone?

Offside on kickoffs being non-reviewable: Let us go back to Sept. 28, 2024 at Michigan Stadium. Minnesota attempts an onside, recovers it, and looks like it has a chance to go for a last second win, or force overtime with a field goal, with 1:37 left in a game vs. Michigan and trailing by three. Instead: Offside on the kickoff, the play is wiped, and Minnesota doesn’t recover the re-kick. Review showed it was the wrong call then, and nothing could be done because the Big Ten deems it a “judgement call” on whether a player has crossed a clear physical threshold at the moment the ball is kicked. Minnesota got screwed by the rule and lack of review then and Michigan State now has been on the wrong of the same rule two years later vs. Illinois, as a Samson Gash onside recovery was called back for offsides that looked to be rather phantom. The Big Ten had even changed the officiating mechanics for the play after the Michigan-Minnesota debacle, with refs watching down the line, but that’s evidently not enough. This type of call should be reviewable, and it’s getting increasingly unjustifiable that it’s not.

Maybe?

Eastern Michigan gets healthy: It’s just a revolving door of injuries for EMU this year. S Jason Marshall got back in the lineup vs. Akron as OT Elijha Payne was once more out. Cole Dellinger remains dinged up after starting the year at right guard. Braydon Bennett, who has been a solid option at tailback, got dinged up vs. Akron. DB Caleb Coley didn’t play. WR Nick Devereaux has been out for a spell, and LB Barry Manning is out for the season. Which makes it all the more impressive that EMU has managed to piece this all together with such a rotating cast of characters. To really compete in the stretch run, though, EMU will probably want to have a healthier lineup. 

EMU RB Joey Mattord’s emergence: The Eastern Michigan running back has stacked back-to-back-to-back productive weeks, rushing for 48 vs. Lindenwood, 54 and a touchdown vs. UMass and a team-high 74 vs. Akron. The senior who began his career as a walk-on has gotten some more carries of late and continues to be a primary choice for EMU in the receiving game out of the backfield. He’s currently fourth among the Eagles with 15 catches for 79 yards this year. He’s emerged to be the third appendage of the three-man weave that EMU deploys at tailback with Mattord, Braydon Bennett and Amareon Blue. Him being on his current level, or better, makes EMU’s offense more dangerous and complete. 

Eastern Michigan’s defense being dominant: This group clearly has the goods to be good, and has largely been that for EMU so far this year. But there’s a bit of a penchant for giving up big chunks at times, especially through the air. They can sack the quarterback, create turnovers (though they didn’t vs. Akron) and have generally been sound and flow to make tackles as a group. But the big plays have killed the Eagles this year. EMU ranks No. 135 nationally in long scrimmage plays allowed (plays of 10-plus yards) with 92 given up, albeit with an additional game via Week 0. EMU fares slightly better as the distances get longer, but in general the margin between this defense being quite good and great-to-elite is ironing out the chunks that are being allowed at times. 

MSU TE Jayden Savoury: With Cam Edwards out, Savoury has made a real case that he’s MSU’s best offensive option with his play. The second-year tight end has steadily improved throughout the year and coaches have been highly complimentary of him and speak of a high ceiling. He’s a good mover in a big body and has the sort of soft hands you like to see from a tight end. And the production has started to follow. He first flashed with four catches for 63 yards against Eastern Michigan, and has had 10 catches for 75 across his last two games. He has yet to catch a touchdown for MSU, but Savoury already has 23 catches for 228 yards after just one as a true freshman. By season’s end, he could be a playmaking threat at tight end that MSU hasn’t had for a little while. 

Oct. 17 is still a big day of Michigan MAC play: The obvious is Western Michigan traveling to Mt. Pleasant on Saturday to battle for the Victory Cannon, the first Saturday installment of the rivalry at CMU in nearly a decade. EMU, also, hosts Toledo in Ypsilanti on Saturday. But with Central Michigan getting pantsed at Ohio and Toledo falling to Buffalo, some of the juice for that Saturday might’ve worn off. EMU will still be playing to stay atop the MAC standings and put down a marker against what’s still likely a solid Toledo team. And WMU and CMU are as bitter as rivals get. That game will have plenty of juice and emotion behind it, but instead of a pair of 2-0 MAC teams, CMU now enters with a need to get right and show its big loss at Ohio was more of an aberration. Plus, one MAC loss is probably not enough to keep CMU out of MAC contention, and a win over WMU would signal the Chippewas do still have some juice to compete for a league title. But Saturday’s results weren’t exactly optimized to build the anticipation for this weekend — which will still be good — in Michigan MAC play.