Michigan and Michigan State have spent more than a century trading blows in one of college football’s fiercest rivalries, and the numbers still lean heavily toward the Wolverines.
The series goes all the way back to 1898, and Michigan enters Saturday’s matchup with a 75-38-5 edge over the Spartans. The recent trend has been just as lopsided for the Wolverines, who have won seven of the last 10 meetings and taken the last four straight.
Michigan’s biggest run in the rivalry came from 1916 through 1929, when it won 14 in a row. Michigan State’s best stretch is four consecutive victories, a mark the Spartans have reached four different times: 1934 to 1937, 1950 to 1953, 1959 to 1962 and 2008 to 2011.
The most recent game between the teams came in 2025, when Michigan left East Lansing with a 31-20 win. The Wolverines won that one by leaning on the run game, controlling the line of scrimmage and grinding down the Spartans over four quarters.
Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall were central to that effort, combining for 262 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Bryce Underwood added 26 rushing yards and a score of his own, helping Michigan stay in command and keep the ball moving against its in-state rival.
Michigan State did make a push in the second half, but Michigan held on and extended its winning streak in the series to four games. That matchup was played in East Lansing; this year’s game shifts to Ann Arbor, giving the Wolverines home-field advantage.
The last five meetings have tilted Michigan’s way, with the Wolverines going 4-1:
2025: Michigan 31, Michigan State 20
2024: Michigan 24, Michigan State 17
2023: Michigan 49, Michigan State 0
2022: Michigan 29, Michigan State 7
2021: Michigan 33, Michigan State 37
That 2021 game remains the wildest recent chapter in the rivalry. Michigan State erased a 30-14 deficit and stunned Michigan 37-33 in East Lansing behind Kenneth Walker III, who ran for 197 yards and five touchdowns in one of the most memorable performances this series has produced.
Still, the past only tells part of the story heading into Saturday. Michigan comes in with an offense that seems to be settling in behind freshman quarterback Tommy Carr. After replacing Bryce Underwood, Carr has given the unit a lift, and Whittingham has said he will stay in the starting role.
Michigan State’s issues have been more widespread. The Spartans are No. 122 nationally in rushing offense, No. 117 in passing offense, No. 86 in rushing defense and No. 50 in passing defense.
Those rankings point to a game where Michigan should have a clear chance to get its ground attack going and let Jay Hill’s defense set the tone. However it unfolds, Saturday adds another entry to a rivalry that has already produced 117 previous meetings, plenty of memorable moments and more than a century of bragging rights.
In Other News...
Michigan Coach Just Made Bryce Underwood's Situation Even More Concerning
Tommy Carr is set to make his third straight start at quarterback for Michigan after Bryce Underwood was benched following a recent game filled with interceptions, a turn that has pushed the Wolverines into a more unsettled stretch under center. Underwood, still serving as a team captain, has spent the last few weeks backing up Carr from the sideline while dealing with a season marked by shaky passing accuracy and too many mistakes.
Quarterbacks coach Koy Detmer has spoken highly of Underwoods leadership and the way he has handled the demotion, but his comments also added another layer to the concern around the situation. Detmer said he wishes he had done a better job preparing Underwood for the season, a remark that underscores just how much Michigan is still trying to sort out at the position even as Carr takes another turn leading the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan's O-Line Problem Is Becoming A Real Concern For Bryce Underwood
Michigans offensive line has turned into one of the more persistent issues of the season, and the effects have shown up everywhere from the trenches to the scoreboard. Injuries and constant lineup shuffling have left the unit searching for stability, with junior Jake Guarnera the only lineman to start all eight games. For a team trying to establish itself on the ground, that kind of turnover has made it hard to build any rhythm.
The run game has taken the brunt of it, with Michigan sitting 97th in rushing offense and too often looking out of sync when it tries to lean on the line. Coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive line coach Jim Harding have both acknowledged the problem and are pushing to make the group more physical and efficient, but the bigger question is how quickly that can happen before the pressure starts to mount on Bryce Underwood and the offense around him. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Gets A Huge Boost For Its UConn Rematch Test
Michigans next big nonconference test comes with a familiar twist, as the Wolverines head to Bostons TD Garden for a national championship rematch with UConn. This time, though, they are expected to have Moustapha Thiam available after he missed the season opener because of illness, giving Michigan a major boost in the middle as it prepares for one of its toughest early-season challenges.
Thiams presence matters because of what he brings on both ends of the floor, from shot-blocking to the kind of offensive skill that can change how a game is played around the rim. Michigan should be close to full strength for the matchup, with the only notable absence being former coach Dusty May, now in the NBA, leaving the Wolverines to handle this one with a different sideline voice and a deeper frontcourt than they had a week ago. [Read more 🡒]