A 71-yard run gave Toledo the lead with 12 minutes to play. It did not hold. Watch Toledo vs Michigan State highlights on FOX Sports or stream on FOX One. The Friday night season opener for both programs in Week 1 of the 2026 college football season came from Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, MI on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT.

Michigan State won 30-20 in the first meeting between the schools since 1925, moving the all-time series to 2-0.

Toledo vs Michigan State Highlights

Pat Fitzgerald and Mike Jacobs each coached their first game in charge of these programs, and Fitzgerald got the win. Kicker Liam Boyd carried Michigan State early, going 5-for-6 with a career-best 51-yarder, the most field goals by a Spartan kicker in his debut. Alessio Milivojevic threw for 247 yards on 26-of-34 passing and Cam Edwards ground out 98 yards on 27 carries. Toledo stayed dangerous on far less work: Connor Walendzak’s career-long 71-yard touchdown run put the Rockets up 20-19 early in the fourth, and John Alan Richter found Adjatay Dabbs twice for scores. Michigan State answered on 4th-and-1 with a 5-yard touchdown to Rodney Bullard Jr., who also caught the two-point conversion, then closed on an 11-0 run. The possession gap tells the story: the Spartans held the ball 43:16 to 16:44 and ran 83 plays to Toledo’s 41. You can stream Toledo vs Michigan State recaps on FOX One. FOX One brings together live FOX College Football games, highlights, expert coverage, and live and on-demand FOX programming, all in one place. Start your 3-day free trial and stream on supported devices.

Where to Watch Toledo Rockets vs Michigan State Spartans Football

FOX + ESPN College Football Schedule 2026 — Week 2

Friday, Sept. 11, 2026
Week 2 — Watch Missouri vs Kansas — 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT

Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026
Week 2 — Watch Oklahoma vs Michigan — 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT
Week 2 — Watch Wake Forest vs Purdue — 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT
Week 2 — Watch Howard vs Indiana — 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT
Week 2 — Watch Arizona vs BYU — 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT
Week 2 — Watch Duke vs Illinois — 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT
Week 2 — Watch Eastern Michigan vs Michigan State — 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT
Week 2 — Watch Utah State vs Washington — 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT
Week 2 — Watch Bowling Green vs Nebraska — 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT
Week 2 — Watch San Diego State vs UCLA — 7:15 p.m. ET / 4:15 p.m. PT
Week 2 — Watch Western Illinois vs Wisconsin — 7:15 p.m. ET / 4:15 p.m. PT
Week 2 — Watch Ohio State vs Texas — 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Week 2 — Watch North Dakota State vs Air Force — 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT
Week 2 — Watch Louisiana vs USC — 11:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. PT

FOX + ESPN College Football Schedule 2026 — Week 1

Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026
Week 1 — Watch UMass vs Rutgers — 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT
Week 1 — Watch UAB vs Illinois — 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT

Friday, Sept. 4, 2026
Week 1 — Watch Indiana State vs Purdue — 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT
Week 1 — Watch Toledo vs Michigan State — 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT
Week 1 — Watch Fresno State vs USC — 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT

Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026
Week 1 — Watch North Texas vs Indiana — 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT
Week 1 — Watch Ohio vs Nebraska — 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT
Week 1 — Watch Ball State vs Ohio State — 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT
Week 1 — Watch Boston College vs Cincinnati — 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT
Week 1 — Watch Marshall vs Penn State — 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT
Week 1 — Watch Northern Illinois vs Iowa — 4:15 p.m. ET / 1:15 p.m. PT
Week 1 — Watch Abilene Christian vs Texas Tech — 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT
Week 1 — Watch Clemson vs LSU — 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Week 1 — Watch Hampton vs Maryland — 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT
Week 1 — Watch South Dakota State vs Northwestern — 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT
Week 1 — Watch Central Michigan vs New Mexico — 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT

Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026
Week 1 — Watch Louisville vs Ole Miss — 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT

Michigan State is 2-0 against Toledo, though the programs have played only twice in 101 years. The Spartans took the first 58-0 on Nov. 8, 1925, in East Lansing, and finally scheduled the rematch for 2026, winning 30-20 at Spartan Stadium. Toledo came closer than the series record suggests, leading 20-19 in the fourth quarter before Michigan State scored the game’s final 11 points.