Michigan heads into its rivalry matchup with Michigan State carrying momentum from a 28-21 win over Rutgers, and the Wolverines get the Spartans in Ann Arbor under the lights for the fifth straight year. The setting is familiar.
The trophy is still in Michigan’s hands. And with Michigan State sitting at 2-6 and riding a six-game losing streak after opening 2-0, the Wolverines have a clear chance to keep the Paul Bunyan Trophy where it is.
That doesn’t mean the game is automatically going to take care of itself. Michigan State is coming off a bye week, and that break came at a good time after the Spartans were shorthanded in a 28-10 loss to UCLA two weeks ago.
They were without starting quarterback Alessio Milivojevic and starting running back Jaziun Patterson, and their status for Saturday is still unclear. The initial availability report is due later Wednesday.
The Spartans also lost backup quarterback Cam Francher, which forced freshman Kayd Coffman into action against UCLA. He struggled.
Still, the bigger picture for Michigan is simple: no matter who lines up at quarterback, the Wolverines have the more talented roster. The only danger is if Michigan lets this turn into a longer fight than it should be, something it has done too often this season.
One place Michigan can tilt the game decisively is up front on defense. Fredrick Moore leads Michigan State with two receiving touchdowns, and he’ll be looking to make his mark in the Big House.
Michigan’s answer has to be pressure. The Spartans are giving up three sacks per game, and that gives the Wolverines’ edge rushers a chance to make life miserable for whoever starts under center.
Michigan’s offensive line, meanwhile, remains a weekly puzzle. Starting right tackle Andrew Sprague has been out since Week 3, and the unit has dealt with injuries from game to game. This week sounds like it could bring another absence, with Brady Norton the likely piece to be missing after leaving last week’s game against Rutgers.
That matters because Michigan still hasn’t found its footing in the run game. The Wolverines’ ground attack has been a major disappointment, and the problems go beyond the backs themselves. The scheme, the lack of push and some poor decisions have all fed into what has become Michigan’s worst run game in recent memory.
Michigan State’s run defense is ranked No. 15 in the Big Ten, a slight step up from Rutgers, which makes this a chance for Michigan to answer for last week’s struggles. But that starts with better blocking and cleaner execution. Tommy Carr needs a clean pocket, and the running backs need room to work.
Carr, though, was nearly spotless against Rutgers and was rewarded with Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. The only real blemishes came on his deep throws. He missed Andrew Marsh twice on balls downfield, and both passes likely would have gone for touchdowns.
Carr said he has been thinking about those misses and wants to improve on the deep ball. That’s a problem Michigan State may have to live with, because the Spartans have allowed five passes of 40 yards or more this season and rank last in the Big Ten with three completions allowed of 60 yards or more.
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 give Carr a few chances to test the Spartans deep.
Marsh already showed how dangerous he can be by baiting Rutgers’ defense for much of the game before breaking free on a double move for a shot at a score. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Michigan tries to recreate that look on Saturday.
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Michigans Kicking Battle Just Got A Surprise Twist
Michigans kicking picture is already unsettled, and now the competition has taken on a different feel. The Wolverines are trying to sort out the position after sophomore Trey Butkowskis struggles, leaving the staff with an open battle heading into the next phase of roster building.
Ryan Jungs plan to reclassify to the 2027 recruiting class and arrive a year early adds another layer to that mix. According to a report by Hayes Fawcett of On3.com, the Michigan commit was influenced by special-teams coordinator Kerry Coombs, who pushed him to get on campus sooner and compete for a spot right away. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Knows Exactly What Could Decide The Michigan State Rivalry
The rushing battle has become the clearest clue to how Michigans next meeting with Michigan State might tilt, and the Wolverines know it. Players on the Michigan side pointed to the long-running trend in the rivalry, where the team that wins on the ground has taken 49 of the last 57 matchups, a reminder that this game often comes down to who can impose its will in the trenches rather than who flashes the most explosiveness.
Both offenses have had trouble establishing the run this season, which puts even more pressure on the little stuff: short-yardage gains, staying on schedule and avoiding negative plays. Michigans defense has done a good job limiting opposing rushing yards, and if that carries over, it could force the Spartans into a game plan that is harder to sustain. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Opener Forced An Early Frontcourt Test Before UConn
Michigans season opener against Oakland turned into an early frontcourt test when junior center Moustapha Thiam was held out shortly before tipoff because of illness. Mike Boynton Jr. had to reshuffle on the fly, turning to redshirt sophomore Oscar Goodman in the starting lineup and leaning on smaller groupings as the game unfolded, a reminder that even in November the rotation can change quickly.
The good news for Michigan is that Thiam is expected back for the upcoming matchup with Connecticut, which should give the Wolverines a better sense of their preferred size and structure inside. Still, the opener offered a useful glimpse at the kind of flexibility Boynton may need if the frontcourt is ever short-handed again, especially with a tougher test waiting next. [Read more 🡒]