The Mel Tucker era enters its second season as the Michigan State Spartans preview their 2021 roster at their annual spring game on Saturday.
The game starts at 2 p.m. ET and will be televised on the Big Ten Network. But if you don’t have cable, here are several different ways you can watch a live stream of the 2021 Michigan State spring game online for free:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of Big Ten Network and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the 2021 Michigan State spring game live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV also comes with 250 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch most games on-demand within three days of their conclusion, even if you don’t record them.
AT&T TV
AT&T TV has four different channel packages: “Entertainment”, “Choice”, “Ultimate” and “Premier.” The Big Ten Network is in the “Choice” and above bundles, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want for your free 14-day trial.
Note that the free trial isn’t advertised as such, but your “due today” amount will be $0 when signing up. If you watch on your computer, phone or tablet, you won’t be charged for 14 days. If you watch on a streaming device on your TV (Roku, Firestick, Apple TV, etc.), you will be charged for the first month, but you can get still get a full refund if you cancel before 14 days:
Once signed up for AT&T TV, you can watch the 2021 Michigan State spring game live on the AT&T TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the AT&T TV website.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours).
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of Big Ten Network and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which you can try out for free with a seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the 2021 Michigan State spring game live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
Michigan State Spring Game 2021 Preview
The Spartans finished 2-5 in limited play last year, which was last in the Big Ten East, and they’re hoping to get things back on track this year. They’ll showcase their squad in the annual spring game, which won’t be so much of a game as much as a glorified practice. Per Tucker, who took over coaching duties last season in February — just as the pandemic hit — the first half of the game will have the look and feel of a typical practice, and will feature both individual and group drills, while the second half will look more like a typical scrimmage.
“It’s gonna be a meat-and-potatoes-type practice,” Tucker said, via 247 Sports. “It’s not gonna be a whole lot of French pastry in terms of inside the lines. Whatever’s going on outside of the lines, it is what it is. But in terms of the practice, we’re gonna do what we do. We gotta get out there, we gotta get work done. It’s practice 15 for us. It’s another opportunity to get better.”
Michigan State has yet to decide on a starting quarterback, with Payton Thorne the most experienced and Temple transfer Anthony Russo having better football intangibles. Both will be competing for the starting job, and both will likely be on full display in the spring game, particularly during the first half.
“It’s a really healthy competition,” Tucker said. “I like the way they’re working together, I like the way they’re competing, I like the way they’re growing.”
Tucker also gave an idea as to when the team might name a starter. “That happens more in the preseason camp,” he added. “It’s really too early to tell. We have some indications of where it is but we’ve got a long way to go.”
The Spartans will also be looking to see some major improvements on the offensive side of the ball. They finished last in the conference in scoring last season, averaging just 18 points a game, and they were ineffective in both the rushing and passing game. They averaged 6.9 yards per pass attempt and an unimpressive 2.7 yards per carry, so something will have to change on offense. The same can be said for the defense, as Tucker’s unit surrendered 35.1 points a game, which also needs to be improved upon in a big way.
Approximately 6,000 fans will be in attendance to watch the spring game.