Milivojevic, VanSumeren React to MSU’s Loss to Penn State

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Jacob Cotsonika | Last updated Nov 15, 2025 9:30 PM ET

EAST LANSING, Mich. --- Michigan State fell to 0-7 during Big Ten play after its 28-10 loss against Penn State on Saturday.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic completed 17 of his 27 passes for 128 yards during his second collegiate start. Redshirt junior defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren made eight tackles.

Both Milivojevic and VanSumeren spoke to the media following the loss. A full video of the press conference can be viewed below.

Watch Milivojevic and VanSumeren here:

Additionally, a partial transcript of their postgame comments can be read further below.

Transcript

Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Q: I was wondering, I guess how tough was it to stand in there and try to make those throws with the constant pressure, kind of similar to Minnesota? And how do you feel physically after today?

MILIVOJEVIC: Yeah, I mean, obviously, like you said, it's tough, but I trust the o-line fully, and I'm gonna stick in there, and if I can, I'm gonna go make a play.

Q: Alessio, can you walk through that last drive? You guys get down deep into the territory, kind of walk through the couple hits that you took first, and then what happened on the strip sack.

MILIVOJEVIC: Obviously, the couple hits, they had two flags pulled on them, so we got a big boost to the drive, and then they got us with a look at the end. And yeah, ended up not our way, but I gotta get the ball out faster.

Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

Q: What are the differences between what you guys can succeed in on third down and the struggles you found today?

MILIVOJEVIC: Like you said, we had some struggles, but I think it's just execution. I think we just need to execute at a better level, and they were giving us some tough looks, but it goes down to us, all about us, and our execution.

Q: When you're on the field, you're the leader on the field, the team's coming back to the huddle, from a psychological standpoint, what's the glass-half-full attitude that you have when you're pushing the team, trying to get the outcome you want?

MILIVOJEVIC: It's just keeping that positive attitude at all times. When things aren't going your way, there's no point to get negative. That's not gonna help at all. I think just keeping that positivity, keeping the guys going, keeping that energy up. Just talking to them, like I said, just high-fiving everyone, keeping everyone going, I think just keeping that positive energy to pull it out.