FINAL: Michigan State opens Pat Fitzgerald era with win, fends off Toledo, 30-20

East Lansing — And so it begins, the Pat Fitzgerald era of Michigan State football.

Michigan State hosts Toledo to open the season, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. and the game airing on TV on Fox Sports 1.

Friday's opener is also a debut for Toledo's new head coach, Mike Jacobs, who has arrived from the FCS levels and a successful run at Mercer, bringing plenty of players with him.

Mitten Football will be posting live updates throughout the game, in lieu of posting regular updates on social media, and then bring reported coverage in the hours and days after.

Follow along!

FINAL: Michigan State 30, Toledo 20

Michigan State (1-0) survived everything Toledo (0-1) could throw at it in a 30-20 win to open the Pat Fitzgerald era of MSU football. 

It was a slog at times for MSU, which settled for four first half field goal attempts after an earlier touchdown, holding a 19-7 lead at the half, only to see that dry up quickly through the first 16-plus minutes of the second half, as Toledo stormed back to take a 20-19 lead. 

But MSU quickly responded once Toledo took that lead, marching down for a touchdown and two-point conversion to take a 27-20 lead, one the Spartans didn’t relinquish. 

Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic 26-of-34 for 247 yards and a passing touchdown, plus he threw the two-point conversion. 

Tailback Cam Edwards battled through cramps and a number of other ailments to rack up 98 yards on 27 carries, plus a rushing touchdown. Edwards’ longest run was 17 yards. 

And while the defense showed plenty of holes in the second half, the Spartans did hold Toledo to 80 yards on 20 plays in the first half, with 60 of those coming on a singular long touchdown pass. 

Liam Boyd hits 54-yarder to stretch MSU's lead to 10 late

With 1:55 left in the game, Boyd nails a career-long 54-yard field goal to put MSU up, 30-20. It's a big kick for the transfer, who now has 17 points on the day.

Boyd is 5-for-6 on field goals with the lone miss being blocked, and has made from 48 and 54 yards tonight, both setting new career longs. Neither looked particularly strenuous, intimating there might be more range to his leg.

Either way, it's a massive kick to put MSU in a better position to close out the game with 1:55 to play and up by 10.

MSU trying to grind the game out, converts key 4th and 1

After Alessio Milivojevic scrambled and slid short of the marker on 3rd and 7, Pat Fitzgerald kept the offense on the field for a 4th and 1 in MSU's own territory. And the gambit paid off.

The Spartans got big and snuck it with Milivojevic, and the offensive line got enough surge to move the chains, as MSU chewed the clock under 5:00 to play.

Toledo drive comes up empty

The Rockets managed to get deep into MSU territory and had a shot to tie the game, got backed into 4th and 8, and opted for a field goal.

The attempt sailed wide right and MSU held on to a 27-20 lead with 7:50 left in the game. A major missed opportunity for Toledo to keep game pressure on.

Chrishon McCray injured after touchdown play

It's unclear how he got banged up, but MSU wideout Chrishon McCray was down on the MSU sideline around the 15 yard line as the kick off teams went out, spurring an officials timeout.

McCray then was seen hopping over to the MSU bench with a trainer right on his heels. He quickly got to somewhere he could take a seat and got off his feet, while apparently favoring his left leg.

Spartans retake the lead

A 4th and 1 gamble pays off, as Alessio Milivojevic rolls right and connects with an open Rodney Bullard in the back of the end zone.

He'd find Bullard there again for a more contested catch for the two-point conversion, and MSU quickly retakes the lead in about three minutes of game clock.

It's 27-20, MSU, with 10:37 remaining in the contest. That touchdown and two-point try are MSU's first points of the second half.

MSU right down into the red zone, Cam Edwards hurt again

Edwards has taken a beating tonight, and it's not surprising given he has 22 carries as part of 24 touches. He's very slow to get up, getting on his hands and knees as he gets up from a balled up position.

Eventually Edwards walks off under his own power with trainers.

MSU will have 2nd and 8 at the Toledo 13 coming up, trailing 20-19 with 12:16 to play. The Spartans have strung together a few long pass plays, plus a roughing the passer penalty, to get into scoring position so quickly.

Toledo takes a lead on a galloping Connor Walendzak run

Right after Michigan State turned it over on downs with a 19-14 lead, Toledo rips off a 71 yard run on second down to take a 20-19 lead.

It was Connor Walendzak streaking through the middle and breaking out to the right side, with just enough speed to outrace MSU's second-level defenders to the pylon in Spartan Stadium's north end zone.

Toledo went for two and didn't get it, so it's 20-19, Toledo leading, with 13:47 to play.

After 212 first half yards and 19 points, MSU has just 91 and is being shutout so far in the second half. On the night, MSU doesn't have a play longer than 20 yards.

MSU stonewalled on 4th and 1 to start final quarter

The Spartans went to the wildcat formation that had resulted in a touchdown but this time Edwards got turned back inches short of the line to gain.

MSU is getting shutout in the second half and Toledo has risen to the moment.

MSU LT Ben Murawski dealing with injury as 4th quarter arrives

Murawski went to the injury tent late in the third quarter and appeared to be dealing with some sort of lower body injury.

In his stead, Rakeem Johnson has gone in at left tackle.

Additionally, second-string tailback Marvis Parrish went down with an apparent injury. So LB Jordan Hall, Parrish and Murawski have all been banged up, and tailback Cam Edwards has been dealing with cramps.

Cam Edwards has returned to the game

Not a surprise to see the tailback return to the game, given he was apparently just dealing with some cramps. But he still missed the last series and MSU's offense hasn't had many answers with him off the field.

Worth noting, the third quarter isn't even done and Edwards is up to 19 carries and two receptions for 21 total touches. And they haven't been easy touches, at that.

Toledo in one 2nd half drive nearly matched its 1st half production

Toledo in the first half: 20 plays for 80 yards and a touchdown (with the touchdown and 60 of the yards happening on one long pass.

Toledo in one drive in the second half: six plays for 60 yards and a touchdown.

Toledo puts together a touchdown drive to start 2nd half

After MSU's series stalled out and the Rockets blocked a field goal, John Alan Richter and Co. put together a nice series, with Richter making a few nice throws in the process.

His best was likely on his touchdown pass to Adjatay Dabbs, leaving it on the wideouts back shoulder to be plucked over the back of a Michigan State defensive back.

All those drives where the Spartans settled for field goals and couldn't punch it in loom large, now.

19-14, Michigan State leads, and there's a tension in Spartan Stadium now.

Cam Edwards appears to be dealing with cramps

After a long run on the previous series, Edwards went immediately to the trainers after being knocked out of bounds on the MSU sideline. Quickly, they had him ont he ground and stretched out his left leg.

Whether he returns for this offensive series remains to be seen.

Liam Boyd's latest career-long attempt blocked

MSU will definitely be addressing the issue of promising drives stalling out, and this time the Spartans failed to convert a series into points as Boyd's 54-yard attempt got blocked by the Toledo rush unit.

MSU still leads 19-7, and Toledo will take over at the 40.

MSU keeps it simple, Milivojevic kept it on the rails in 1st half

The MSU offensive plan in the first half was not anything special, but they executed it fairly well.

In particular, the staff didn't seem to put too much complex passing offense on the plate of quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, who responded with a crisp 14-of-17 for 125 yards in the first half. He did take a few sacks and had a couple semi-dangerous throws, but the quarterback played on time, decisive, and with good urgency throughout the first half.

Half: Michigan State 19, Toledo 7

Actually, it's Liam Boyd with a bakers dozen points at the half, leading all scorers. He drilled one right as the clock expired on the second quarter.

The transfer kicker has been nails for MSU in his debut, going 4-for-4 on field goals and nailing his one extra point in the first half. He also hit a career-long 48 yarder.

As for the rest of Michigan State's offense, the general production has been solid, with 212 yards on 42 plays. The problem has been punching in touchdowns in the red area. At least twice in the second quarter MSU got inside the Toledo 20 and settled for a field goal.

The defense, outside of the long touchdown given up, has been dominant. But that touchdown play counts.

Toledo's offense has been AWOL outside of one play

Take away a 60 yard touchdown pass — though it counts, to be clear — given up by the Spartans on a double move and it's a bleak, bleak outing for Toledo in the first half.

The Rockets have 12 carries for a net of nine yards, with a long of 12. Due to negative rushes and quarterback sacks, this offense is moving backwards on the ground. And without the long TD pass, Toledo has 11 passing yards.

All told, the Rockets have gained four first downs and 80 yards on 20 plays — or 20 yards on 19 of its plays.

Toledo in general has struggled hold back the inside rush from MSU's defensive line, particularly Eli Coenen, who had a handful of pressures, a pass breakup and a quarterback hit in the first half.

Liam Boyd is 3-for-3, has new career long

The kicker hits from 48 with 4:10 until halftime and it's 16-7, Michigan State. And 48 yards is his new career long, though it didn't look like he had much strain to get it there. He's got a 50-plus-yarder in him.

Boyd is 4-for-4 on his kicks so far tonight, and has booted some kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks.

Toledo finally strikes on long TD pass

Adjatay Dabbs burned Charles Brantley deep, caught the pass on the left sideline with the DB closing ground, and then dragged him the final 12 or so yards into the end zone as Toledo is finally on the board. All told, 60 yards for the score.

Prior to that completion, John Alan Richter was 2-of-7 for 11 yards and an interception.

It's now 13-7, Michigan State, with 7:50 until halftime.

Toledo holds Michigan State to field goal after turnover

Liam Boyd knocks one in from 42, his second of the night, and ties his career long field goal make. MSU probably would've liked to tack more points on there, but Toledo's offense has been a non-entity to far.

Taking the points and letting the defense cook is a very sound decision. 13-0, MSU, 11:37 to halftime.

Kenny Soares gets the first takeaway of the season for MSU

John Alan Richter tried to squeeze one in to a tight window down the right sideline and Soares, dropping into coverage, stuck up a paw and deflected it up, then caught it coming down.

It sets up MSU at the Toledo 40 very early in the second quarter.

MSU defense goes back out up 10-0

The second offensive series of the game ended with an easy Liam Boyd field goal make, putting MSU up 10-0 with :06 left in the first quarter.

Cam Edwards already has 11 carries for the Spartans, and Jordan Hall is back out with the defense wearing the bulkier elbow brace option.

It appears like it's Hall's elbow banged up for MSU

Hall is out of the injury tent and being attended to by trainers on the sideline, who are trying a series of elbow braces on the veteran linebacker.

At first, the group was putting a soft sleeve over Hall's right elbow, then testing the stability it provided, but evidently didn't like the result. They took that soft brace off and had the linebacker put on a bulkier brace with padding and velcro instead of just neoprene.

Hall then got his helmet back and ran to rejoin the linebacker unit.

Jordan Hall banged up late in 1st quarter

The veteran linebacker for MSU stayed down and came off the field with trainers after a first down run went for three yards for Toledo. Hall was in on the tackle and stayed down, apparently favoring his right arm or shoulder.

He eventually jogged off the field under his own power, but went to the sideline injury tent.

Before his TD run, Cam Edwards had a... cheeky moment

Taking a run through the right side of the defense a few player before he punched in his touchdown, Edwards had a Toledo defender grab hold of the waistline of his pants from behind.

And then the inevitable happened, as Edwards nearly got fully pantsed, and the defender did make the tackle.

Edwards stayed on the ground for a few extra seconds, laying on his back while he got a handful of fabric, pulled it up over his hind quarters, and got back to the game.

Cam Edwards cashes in Michigan State's opening touchdown

The Spartans got into a heavy, offset backfield look, then Alessio Milivojevic ran out from under center and lined up wide like a receiver.

Edwards took the direct snap through a thicket of defenders to break the plane and give Michigan State a 7-0 lead with Liam Boyd's PAT.

Edwards has eight carries already for 34 yards and the touchdown. There's 6:59 to play in the first quarter, MSU leading 7-0.

MSU cashes in on early 4th down gamble

With a 4th and 2 just across midfield, Fitzgerald and Co. didn't hesitate to keep the offense on the field and QB Alessio Milivojevic completed a pass to a wide-open Chrishon McCray.

It's pretty evident this stadium is ready to explode at the first splash play — what the crowd probably hopes to be a touchdown on this drive.

Spartans open by forcing a three and out

Toledo's first play, an inside give to CJ Miller, went for five yards but the next two were both incomplete passes. QB John Alan Richter had a second down pass fall incomplete after getting it to Miller, and his attempt on third down got batted at the line. MSU got a strong push through the middle of the defensive line on the second down play.

Chrishon McCray returns the punt to the MSU 37, where the offense takes over.

Liam Boyd kicks off out of the end zone

And we're underway. MSU's defense takes the field after a touchback with the ball at the 25.

Pat Fitzgerald high-fives MSU president running out of tunnel

Running out of the tunnel with the team, Pat Fitzgerald high fives MSU president Kevin Guskiewicz, who was standing at the end of a throng of MSU student athletes flanking the path out of the Spartan Stadium tunnel.

MSU wins the toss, elects to defer to the second half, and the Pat Fitzgerald era is set to start here.

The starting point for MSU's OL

It's likely we'll see a few combinations on the MSU offensive line tonight, but to start it looks like the following:

• LT Ben Murawski
• LG Conner Moore
• C Trent Fraley
• RG Nick Sharpe
• RT Rakeem Johnson

MSU transfer LB Dion Crawford isn't in pads

A notable addition to the defense via the portal this offseason via Buffalo, and someone the Spartans have had strong reviews about in camp, will have to wait at least a week to make his MSU debut.

These Spartans didn't warm up

• OL Eli Bickel
• OL Drew Nichols
• OL Tristan Comer
• TE Joe Caudill
• EDGE Aidan Boehle
• EDGE Leonard Ah You
• WR Samson Gash

Given that Gash, Caudill, Bickel and Comer are true freshmen, their absences aren't surprising.

Listen to 'In The Pocket' for some pregame chit-chat

Andrew Graham and The Detroit News' Connor Earegood talk about all the happenings in Michigan college football.