Michigan State’s weekend belonged to the football team, and the headline was impossible to miss: Paul Bunyan is back in East Lansing.
In Pat Fitzgerald’s first game against Michigan as head coach of the Spartans, MSU took the Paul Bunyan Trophy with a 15-6 win on Saturday, leaning on five Liam Boyd field goals to get the job done. The Spartans controlled the game in the trenches and on the clock, finishing with a 298-192 edge in total yardage, a 110-54 advantage on the ground and 38:07 of possession. Michigan State also forced a season-high four turnovers, including two interceptions and two turnovers.
The women’s basketball team added to the winning mood with a road victory of its own. Michigan State moved to 2-0 after beating Toledo, 72-64, on Saturday. Kennedy Blair powered the Spartans with her first double-double of the season, finishing with 28 points and 11 rebounds, while Theryn Hallock chipped in 14 points and six boards.
On the soccer side, the women kept rolling in the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan State knocked off Michigan, 1-0, on Sunday in St.
Louis to reach the championship match. The Spartans will face Purdue on Friday for the title, with Purdue hosting as the highest remaining seed.
Michigan State finished one point behind the Boilermakers in the standings, and Purdue won the teams’ regular-season meeting, 2-1, in West Lafayette on Oct. 11.
The men’s soccer team saw its tournament run end in the quarterfinals. No. 4 seed Michigan State fell to No. 5 seed Maryland, 2-1, on Sunday in Bloomington, Ind., and spent most of the match down a man after a red card in the 38th minute.
The Spartans also dealt with injuries throughout the game. It was the second meeting between the teams this season, after MSU won in College Park on Oct.
Hockey split a top-15 series with Boston University. After dropping Friday’s game, 6-2, No.
3 Michigan State answered with a 5-0 win on Saturday night. Freshman goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen earned his first collegiate shutout, stopping 25 shots.
Women’s tennis hosted the Michigan State Classic, presented by Auto-Owner’s Insurance, and picked up four singles wins along with two doubles victories over the weekend.
Volleyball also went the distance before falling short. Michigan State hosted Ohio State at the Breslin Center on Saturday night and lost in five sets.
Outside hitter Madi Andrews led the Spartans with a career-high 18 kills, while also adding eight digs and a service ace. Middle blocker Zora Hardison posted a career-high 17 kills on .378 hitting, and she tied middle blocker Breccan Scheck for the team lead with five total blocks.
Off the field and court, John and Becky Duffey made a $10 million commitment to FOR SPARTA, adding to their long record of support for Michigan State University. The university said the latest gift reflects the Duffeys’ gratitude for the experiences and relationships that shaped their lives, along with their desire to give back to a place that means so much to their family.
In Other News...
Pat Fitzgerald Just Dropped Michigan State Into A Huge CFP Debate
Pat Fitzgerald has already put Michigan State in the middle of one of college footballs biggest arguments, and he did it by taking a broad view of where the sport is headed. The Spartans head coach backed expanding the College Football Playoff to 24 teams and even floated the idea that a 48-team format could work, drawing parallels to the way the NCAA Tournament and the NFL have grown their postseason fields over time.
Fitzgerald also used the moment to sharpen his critique of how college football is run, saying coaches and players should have a bigger voice in the decisions that shape the sport. He pointed to the Protect College Sports Act as a possible step forward, while also casting doubt on whether it will actually get through, which leaves Michigan State tied to a larger debate that is still very much unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Tullis Just Gave Michigan State A Needed Backfield Spark
Jalen Tullis was not supposed to be a central part of Michigan States backfield plan, but injuries opened the door and he made the most of it in East Lansings biggest rivalry setting. In the Spartans win at Michigan Stadium, the running back handled 25 carries for a career-high 86 yards and gave MSU the kind of steady, physical presence it needed to tilt the ground game in its favor.
For a team trying to find its footing under Pat Fitzgerald, Tullis emergence mattered beyond one afternoon. Michigan State controlled possession and tempo with its run game, and the victory brought the Spartans their first Big Ten win under Fitzgerald while also snapping a six-game skid against Michigan. Whether Tullis role keeps growing is the next question, but he clearly gave this offense a spark it had been missing. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Found Unexpected Heroes In A Rivalry Win
Michigan States rivalry win over Michigan had the feel of a game the Spartans had to scrape together in real time, and they did it while missing several key players to injury. The 15-6 result snapped a six-game losing streak and turned into a night where the next-man-up approach mattered as much as any pregame plan, with younger and lesser-known contributors suddenly carrying major responsibility.
Sophomore wide receiver Bryson Williams was one of the most notable stand-ins after stepping in for an injured teammate, while Brandon Tullis delivered his best game yet with 86 yards on 25 carries. On defense, Eli Coenen was on the field for nearly every snap and helped anchor a unit that kept Michigan out of the end zone, giving Michigan State a hard-earned answer to a rivalry that had gone the other way for too long. [Read more 🡒]