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Iowa football 2025 early opponent preview: Michigan State
Hawkeyes seek better outcome against Aidan Chiles-led Spartans than in 2024
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Editor’s note: Eleventh in a 12-part series previewing each of Iowa football’s 2025 regular-season opponents.
IOWA CITY — In Iowa football’s last game against Michigan State, the Spartans had little issue humbling the Hawkeyes.
Michigan State — a five-win team in 2024 — never trailed in its 32-20 win last year as quarterback Aidan Chiles had one of his best performances of the season and Iowa’s anemic offensive output made a 12-0 deficit too hard to overcome.
It was Iowa’s third loss through the first seven games and delivered a sharp reality check for a team that saw the College Football Playoff as a “very realistic goal” ahead of the season.
The Hawkeyes will have an opportunity for vengeance in Week 13 of the 2025 season as Michigan State visits Iowa on Nov. 22.
Chiles — after going 22-of-30 for 256 passing yards with one touchdown, interception and 51 rushing yards against Iowa’s defense in 2024 — will have another shot against Phil Parker’s unit in 2025 (barring any changes between now and November).
Other key returners for the Spartans include 2024 receiving yards leader Nick Marsh at wide receiver, tight end Jack Velling, safety Nikai Martinez, safety Malik Spencer and punter Ryan Eckley.
Transfer additions include former Middle Tennessee wide receiver Omari Kelly, former Montana State offensive lineman Connor Moore and former Wake Forest offensive lineman Matt Gulbin.
Iowa’s Week 13 matchup against Michigan State — seeking its first bowl trip since 2021 and owning a Las Vegas over/under of 5.5 wins in 2025 — might be a relative reprieve after a challenging middle section of the schedule. The Hawkeyes’ previous six games feature three teams from last year’s College Football Playoff, two permanent rivals and a West Coast road foe.
Iowa vs. Michigan State: 3 things to watch
- How fundamentally sound is Iowa’s tackling? Missed tackles plagued the Hawkeyes’ usually-stout defense in last year’s loss at Spartan Stadium. (Pro Football Focus counted 19 missed tackles from that game, to be exact.)
- Iowa’s rushing attack vs. Michigan State’s defensive front. Aside from Kaleb Johnson’s 75-yard touchdown, Iowa struggled mightily on the ground against MSU defensive coordinator Joe Rossi’s unit.
- How well do Michigan State’s transfer additions on the offensive line mesh? National college football writer Phil Steele’s five projected starters on the Spartans’ offensive line includes three transfers.
2025 prognosis
Iowa should be favored against Michigan State in 2025 although one also would have said that ahead of the Hawkeyes’ 2024 loss to the Spartans.
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