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Kleather Kick With 2 Seconds Left Gives No. 25 Northwestern 24-21 Win at Michigan State

Michigan State had a 33 yard kick blocked with about a minute left, and former Spartan Aidan Chiles drove Northwestern back down the field for the winner at Spartan Stadium.

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Kleather Kick With 2 Seconds Left Gives No. 25 Northwestern 24-21 Win at Michigan State

Key points

  • No. 25 Northwestern beat Michigan State 24-21 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
  • Michigan State looked ready to close the game out.
  • The Spartans then ran the ball three times and sent Boyd out for the lead.

No. 25 Northwestern beat Michigan State 24-21 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Jackson Kleather kicked a 34 yard field goal with 2 seconds left to win it. The kick came about a minute after Michigan State kicker Liam Boyd had a 33 yard attempt blocked, a swing that turned a likely home win into the Spartans fifth straight loss.

A blocked kick flips the finish

Michigan State looked ready to close the game out. With less than four minutes left and the score tied at 21-21, Northwestern tried a fake punt from its own 28 yard line. Tight end Alex Honig threw the pass, Michigan State stopped it, and the Spartans took over deep in Northwestern territory. They moved to the 15 yard line and forced Northwestern coach David Braun to use all of his timeouts.

The Spartans then ran the ball three times and sent Boyd out for the lead. His kick was blocked. Northwestern got the ball back with about a minute to play, and Chiles went to work. He hit passes of 21, 12 and 17 yards to move into Michigan State territory. Running back Caleb Komolafe ran 14 yards to the Spartans 16 yard line, Chiles spiked the ball to stop the clock, and Kleather, who had a kick blocked earlier in the game, made the winner.

Chiles beats his old school

Chiles played two seasons at Michigan State before he transferred to Northwestern. He was sacked five times on Saturday by a short handed Michigan State defense, but he finished 18 of 27 passing for 226 yards. His 1 yard touchdown run and his 2 point conversion pass to Honig with 4:18 left tied the game at 21-21 and set up the wild finish.

The pressure was a change for Chiles. He had been sacked only nine times in five games this season for Northwestern, after he was sacked 51 times across 20 starts for Michigan State in 2024 and 2025.

Michigan State had control, then lost it

Michigan State led 14-10 at halftime and 21-13 in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, who took the starting job after Chiles left, threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third. He finished 19 of 30 for 216 yards. Running back Jaziun Patterson carried 15 times for 72 yards.

The play that put Michigan State in front came with 11:48 left. Chrishon McCray returned a punt 41 yards, and Milivojevic then found McCray on a deep pass for a 53 yard touchdown and a 21-13 lead.

Michigan State played without starting linebackers Jordan Hall and Brady Pretzlaff, starting cornerbacks Tre Bell and Tyran Chappell, and backups Charles Brantley and Caleb Wheatland. The defense still sacked Chiles five times. Defensive tackle Ben Roberts had eight tackles and two sacks, and defensive end Anelu Lafaele added two sacks.

The loss drops Michigan State to 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the Big Ten. It was also a hard one for head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who coached Northwestern for years and played there. His team now needs to win four of its last five games to reach a bowl. Michigan State plays next at UCLA in Pasadena.

Sources