Northwestern Edges Michigan State 24-21 In East Lansing
The Northwestern Wildcats football team narrowly defeated the Michigan State Spartans, coached by former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, with a final score of 24-21. The decisive victory in East Lansing was secured by Northwestern in the closing seconds of the…
Chicago, IL, October 17, 2026 —
Northwestern defeated Michigan State 24-21 in East Lansing, with the Wildcats securing the narrow victory in the closing seconds of the game. The final margin was three points.
Michigan State was coached by Pat Fitzgerald, a former Northwestern coach, according to the available account. The result put the Wildcats ahead at the end of a game described as close, but further details about how the lead changed during play were not provided.
The account does not identify the date or season of the game, the players involved in the decisive moments, or the specific play that settled the result. It also provides no player statistics or additional scoring details. The description establishes that Northwestern’s victory was secured late, but does not specify whether that outcome came from a particular score, defensive stop or other sequence.
With those details unavailable, the reported result is limited to the final score, the location, the timing of the decisive outcome and Fitzgerald’s connection to the two programs. Northwestern finished with 24 points to Michigan State’s 21, ending the contest with a three-point advantage. No further information about what followed the game was included.
Story summarized from the original created by Steve Greenberg on chicago.suntimes.com, see more information here.
