Michigan State hosts Eastern Michigan at Spartan Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 12, and head coach Pat Fitzgerald wants his Spartans sharper than they were in the season opener.

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.

Fitzgerald told reporters at his Monday, Sept. 7 press conference that the 30-20 win over Toledo was good but incomplete, according to WLNS. He pointed to fixable mistakes that cost the Spartans points.

"Outside of a couple of mistakes I thought it was a really good performance," Fitzgerald said. "But that's not the way the game or life works, so we've got to get those things cleaned up, get them fixed."

MSU settled for four field goals instead of touchdowns before graduate wide receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. caught a 5-yard touchdown pass with 10:37 left in the fourth quarter to reclaim the lead, according to The State News. Bullard also hauled in the two-point conversion. Graduate kicker Liam Boyd connected on five field goals, including a career-best 51-yarder with 1:55 remaining, and accounted for half of MSU's 30 points.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic completed 26 of 34 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown against Toledo. He was sacked three times. After the Sept. 4 win, Milivojevic told The State News, "I want to challenge us to finish those drives … Finishing those drives is going to be huge for us."

Graduate running back Cam Edwards added 27 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown in his East Lansing debut. The Spartans held the ball for 43 minutes, 16 seconds and picked up 26 first downs.

Toledo took a 20-19 lead on a 71-yard touchdown run by Connor Walendzak with 13:47 left before MSU responded. Fitzgerald said he was "disappointed" he did not have the team ready in the third quarter, according to Impact 89FM.

The Saturday matchup carries a familiar subplot. Eastern Michigan quarterback Noah Kim, a former Spartan who won MSU's starting job in 2023, returns to Spartan Stadium leading the Eagles. Kim completed 27 of 38 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns in EMU's 28-17 win over Sacramento State on Aug. 29, earning MAC Offensive Player of the Week honors, according to The Eastern Echo. He led the MAC in passing yards last season.

Eastern Michigan (1-1) dropped its second game 27-21 to San Jose State on Sept. 4. Kim threw a late interception, and the Eagles converted just 3 of 16 third downs.

The EMU game is the first of three times this season MSU will host a team with a former Spartan quarterback. Katin Houser at Illinois and Aidan Chiles at Northwestern visit later in the year.

Fitzgerald said he expects an "even more raucous" atmosphere Saturday after 72,083 fans filled Spartan Stadium for the Friday, Sept. 4 opener against Toledo.