Michigan heads into Saturday night’s rivalry matchup with a simple formula: keep the Paul Bunyan Trophy, and don’t let a struggling Michigan State team hang around long enough to make things messy.
The Wolverines are back at the Big House after last weekend’s 28-21 win over Rutgers pushed them to 5-3. Now they’ll play under the lights for the fifth straight year against a Spartans team that arrives in Ann Arbor at 2-6 and riding a six-game losing streak after opening 2-0.
Michigan has owned this series lately, winning the last four meetings and keeping the trophy since. That doesn’t mean the Spartans are going to treat this like a formality. Even with the record the way it is, this is still Michigan State, and the motivation will be obvious.
The first thing Michigan has to do is take advantage of a Spartans team that may still be piecing itself back together after a bye week. That break came at a good time after Michigan State was missing several key players in a 28-10 loss to UCLA two weeks ago.
Starting quarterback Alessio Milivojevic and starting running back Jaziun Patterson were both out in that game, and their availability for Michigan is still unclear. The initial availability report comes out later Wednesday.
The quarterback situation gets even thinner from there. Michigan State was also without backup Cam Francher and had to turn to freshman Kayd Coffman against UCLA, where he struggled.
Whoever lines up under center, Michigan has a clear talent edge. But if the Wolverines drift through the game instead of putting it away, they’ve shown enough inconsistency this season to leave the door cracked.
Defensively, Michigan should have a chance to stress the Spartans up front. Fredrick Moore leads Michigan State with two receiving touchdowns and will be eager for a shot in the Big House, but the Wolverines need to bring heat on the quarterback and make life miserable in the pocket. Michigan State is allowing three sacks per game, which gives Michigan’s edge rushers a real opportunity to make noise.
The other side of the ball is where Michigan needs to prove something, too. The offensive line has been a moving target all season, with starting right tackle Andrew Sprague sidelined since Week 3 and injuries popping up from week to week. It sounds like the Wolverines may be without another starter this weekend as well, with Brady Norton the likely answer after leaving last week’s game against Rutgers.
Still, Michigan has to find a way to create movement. The run game has been a major disappointment, and the issue goes beyond the backs. The scheme, the lack of push, and poor decisions have all fed into what has become Michigan’s worst rushing attack in recent memory.
That makes this matchup a chance to reset. Michigan State brings the No. 15-ranked rushing defense in the Big Ten, which is better than Rutgers, but not so intimidating that Michigan can’t respond. The Wolverines’ ground game fell short against the Scarlet Knights, and this is a spot to fix that - if the line can open lanes and give Tommy Carr a clean pocket.
Carr was nearly perfect last week and was rewarded with Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. The only real blemishes came on his deep balls, when he missed Andrew Marsh twice on throws that likely would have gone for touchdowns. Carr said he has been thinking about those plays and wants to improve on the deep passing game.
That part of the field could matter again here. Michigan State has given up five passes of 40 yards or more this season, and the Spartans are last in the Big Ten in allowing passes of 60 yards or more, with three surrendered. Kyle Whittingham recently said Carr doesn’t have a 70-yard cannon on him, but he can make passes at around 55 yards in the air.
Michigan has been working on that in practice this week, and Jason Beck is expected to have something dialed up to give Carr a few chances against the Spartans. Marsh, meanwhile, already showed against Rutgers that he can work a defense over before striking on a double move, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see that same kind of shot come back into play Saturday night.
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Michigan States Best Upset Hope Looks Brutal Against Michigan
Michigan State heads into its Big Ten rivalry game against Michigan with the kind of profile that usually keeps an underdog alive, even in a hostile setting. Both teams have struggled to find much rhythm on offense this season, which has helped turn this matchup into something closer to a grind than a showcase, and the Spartans can at least point to a defense that has kept them in games.
The challenge is that Michigan brings the better overall form and the betting market reflects it, with the Wolverines installed as a 13.5-point favorite. Under the lights at the Big House, this shapes up as a physical, competitive night where field position and toughness could matter as much as any big-play threat, and Michigan State will need its best version just to make the upset conversation real. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Heads Into Michigan Week With A Major Roster Concern
Michigan States first Big Ten availability report for Michigan week brought a familiar dose of uncertainty, with quarterback Alessio Milivojevic and safety Devin Vaught both listed as questionable for the rivalry game. The Spartans also ruled out 13 players for the matchup, a list that includes key starters Ben Roberts and Jaziun Patterson, leaving the roster thinner than it would like heading into one of the most demanding weeks on the calendar.
Pat Fitzgerald has already pointed to the significance of the rivalry and the work that goes into preparing for it, and now that preparation has to account for a long injury list as well. For Michigan State, the challenge is not just the emotion of the game, but figuring out how to line up with so many pieces potentially unavailable when the spotlight is at its brightest. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Faces Its First Real Test On A Quick Turnaround
Michigan State opened the season with a comfortable 96-59 win over Quinnipiac, but the real rhythm test comes fast. The Spartans have only a two-day window to reset before Thursdays game against Toledo, a matchup that should tell Tom Izzo a lot more about where his team stands early in the year.
Izzo pointed to the short turnaround as part of the challenge, especially with a game that figures to demand more from Michigan State than its opener did. The Spartans also expect Jesse McCulloch back after he missed the first game with a minor concussion, giving the frontcourt another piece as the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]