Nearly 24 hours until kickoff. Here’s a look at game one of the 2024 season for the Spartans, what to expect, and key matchups in tomorrows game.

I'm pumped for Week 1 to get going.

I'm interested in watching North Carolina vs. Minnesota and North Dakota State vs. Colorado tonight.

There are a bunch of other great games this weekend including Miami vs. Florida, Clemson vs. Georgia, USC vs. LSU and more.

Let's hear what games everyone is going to be watching this weekend...

Well, it doesn't appear that Michigan State will be releasing a depth chart publicly, so here are my best guesses for how things may play out. With that said, I expect a lot of positions to use heavy rotations and there will be different personnel on the field for different packages.

What are your thoughts? Let me know.

If you leave now, you might make it in time for kickoff. Just kidding. Barely. It's been quite crazy around here these last several months and it's going to be like that for several more. Here's a bunch of information about the construction near campus:

I am joined by Kevin Fielder, FAU Alum currently covering Kansas State for the Rival Network on this preview episode. We broke down FAU on offense and defense, shared some players to watch, and looked ahead to their matchup against MSU. Check out this preview to get all the information you need to know before the first game in the 2024 season.

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Get ready for kickoff with the ever-so-creative format of 3 things we want to see, 2 key stats and 1 best bet. THE DAY IS ALMOST HERE FOLKS, CAN'T WAIT.

EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 4 Michigan State women's soccer continues its six-game homestand on Thursday, Aug. 29 against Ole Miss (2-1) at 7 p.m. and against No. 15 Xavier (4-0) on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 1 p.m at DeMartin Stadium.

Both games will stream on B1G+.

FIRST TOUCH
The Spartans (2-0-1) are coming off a 1-0-1 showing last week, earning a 2-2 draw at DeMartin Stadium with then-No. 8 Arkansas on Aug. 22 before a 3-0 shutout over Ohio on Aug. 25. Graduate forward Mackenzie Anthony and sophomore midfielder Bella Najera notched goals against the Razorbacks, while Meg Hughes had a brace against Ohio and Anthony scored her second goal of the weekend in the final 40 seconds against the Bobcats. Junior midfielder Emerson Sargeant assisted on three of MSU's five goals last week, earning a spot on the TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week on Aug. 27.

MSU's No. 4 ranking by the United Soccer Coaches is its best ranking in program history, topping its previous best of No. 6 from 2022.

SCOUTING OLE MISS
Ole Miss is led by second-year head coach Molly Rouse, who holds a 9-8-3 record with the Rebels. The Rebels are 2-1-0 this season, most recently falling to then-No. 10 Memphis, 2-1, on Aug. 25. Freshman Kayla Keefer leads the Rebels in scoring with seven points from a trio of goals and an assist in 2024.

Ole Miss is the second of two SEC opponents MSU will play this season. The Spartans have not won a match against an SEC opponent since a 5-1 win over Kentucky in East Lansing on Sep. 5, 2004.

Thursday's match will be the first all-time between the Spartans and Rebels.

SCOUTING XAVIER
Xavier is led by first-year head coach Dean Ward. The Musketeers sit at a perfect 4-0-0 through the first two weeks of the season, most recently earning a 3-0 win over Dayton on the road on Aug. 25. Emma Flick and Olivia Lawson lead the Xavier in scoring with seven points each.

The Musketeers will be the third ranked opponent in the first five games of 2024 for the Spartans.

Despite playing each other for the first seven varsity seasons of MSU soccer, the Spartans and Musketeers have not met since Sept. 10, 1992, which was a 2-1 win for MSU on the road. The series, which dates back to 1986, is tied at 3-3-1. MSU is 2-1-0 in East Lansing against Xavier.

UP NEXT
MSU hosts Queens on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. and Loyola Chicago on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. in its final non-conference contests. Both games will stream on B1G+.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

QUICK STRIKES FOR THE WEEK AHEAD ...

• Michigan State kicks off the 2024 season on the road in California, taking on UC Davis and Cal in the opening weekend of play for all collegiate programs.

• Live statistics links can be found for both games on the field hockey schedule page at MSUSpartans.com. Friday's contest at UC Davis will have a live video webstream.

• The Spartans are looking to improve on a 4-12 regular season in 2023. MSU returns 15 letterwinners from a year ago, including two of its top four scorers in Ellie Rutherford (4-1-9) and Emma O'Neill (3-1-7).

• UC-Davis was 2-14 a year ago and went 1-7 in America East play. The Aggies boast seven seniors, and head coach Austin Pile is starting his third season on the sideline after a lengthy tenure as an assistant at Cal.

• Shellie Onstead is in her 29th season at the helm of the Cal program and has led the Golden Bears to 11 conference titles. Cal was 12-8 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament a year ago after posting a 5-3 mark in America East. Cal is one of the newest members of the Atlantic Coast Conference and will compete for that league's championship this fall.

• MSU will be led on the field by five returning seniors or grad students - Ellie Wheatley (grad), and seniors Jillian Bonczewski, Maddie Lawlor, Emma O'Neill, and Ellie Rutherford. Grad transfer Tatum Johnson (LaSalle) will miss the season with injury. Lawlor returns to the active roster after losing her 2023 campaign to an injury.

• Eight freshmen join the Spartans in 2024, from three different countries and three different states.

• The Spartans serving as captains are Emma O'Neill, Ellie Rutherford, and Ellie Wheatley.

• On Wednesday, the Big Ten announced its annual "Players to Watch" list - seniors Ellie Rutherford and Maddie Lawlor made the list, along with freshman Carmen Pucheta.

• Helen Knull begins her 14th season as the head coach at Michigan State and 18th season on the Spartan staff overall. She is the longest-tenured coach in program history and owns the second-most wins of any mentor since the start of the program in the 1972 season. She owns a 96-148 mark entering the 2024 campaign. She returns her entire staff, which includes Associate Head Coach Tamara Durante and assistant coaches Erin Shanahan and Matt Michie.

• MSU played a pair of exhibitions last week against in-state rivals Central Michigan and Michigan.

• Michigan State opens the home portion of its schedule next weekend with Friday and Sunday games against Vermont and Ohio, both starting at 1 pm. Vermont and Ohio will play a neutral-site contest at Ralph Young Field.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

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East Lansing, Mich. -- The Big Ten announced its Players to Watch for the upcoming field hockey season, in advance of the 2024 campaign kicking off this weekend for all nine teams.

Spartan seniors Maddie Lawlor (Shamong, NJ) and Ellie Rutherford (Edinburgh, Scotland) are joined by freshman Carmen Pucheta (Cordoba, Argentina) on the list of 27 standout players in the league. MSU begins its 2024 season this weekend in California with games at UC-Davis (Friday) and Cal (Sunday).

Rutherford is MSU's top returning scorer – she had four goals and nine points a year ago. She earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors and was the team's Offensive Player of the Year as a junior, and is a two-time academic All-Big Ten selection. She has appeared in 52 career games for MSU, with a 13-5-31 scoring line.

Lawlor is a two-time academic All-Big Ten honoree, and missed the entirety of 2023 season with an injury. She has appeared in 28 career games over two seasons (starting 17 of 22 as a sophomore), and with her return to the lineup, provides MSU leadership and experience.

Pucheta comes to MSU (and the United States) after a standout prep career in Argentina, where she participated in youth training camps for the Olympics in both 2020 and 2022. She is the only freshman among the list of 27 players on the Watch list.

Release courtesy of MSU Athletics.