Credit: Aaron J. Thornton
“A loss to Michigan State again will not happen.”
Michigan State started with the ball first but found themselves in a third and 29 as three penalties for 25 yards were assessed backing them up. No doubt the noise from over 111,000 in attendance, mostly Michigan fans, played a role as one of the penalties was for a false start.
After receiving the punt, the Wolverines gained some positive yardage plays however, their first drive ended in a fumble by Wide Receiver Cornelius Johnson. It was MSU’s twelfth forced fumble of the year, a stat they are tied for first in the country.
Midway through the first quarter, the Spartans with possession went for it on 4th and 1. After a first down was given to MSU on the measurement, the spot was then reviewed and the call was reversed leading to Michigan getting the ball back with good field position at the MSU 46-yard line. Michigan would then drive down to the 4-yard line and have goal to go. Despite not getting a touchdown, as the Spartans defense prevailed with a stop, they would score first with a field goal making it 3-0.
MSU would then put together their best drive of the night in which Quarterback Payton Thorne would connect with Keon Coleman twice with the second being for a 25 yard reception ending in a touchdown. This gave MSU a 7-3 lead before the end of the first quarter.
The Spartans lead didn’t last long as on Michigan’s next possession, the Wolverines drove 80 yards on 8 plays and Blake Corum ran the ball in for a touchdown from the 2-yard line. Corum’s 14th TD of the year gave Michigan the lead 10-7.
MSU then drove to the 11-yard line of Michigan but on 3rd and 3, they couldn’t get the first down. Instead of trying a field goal and taking the points, they went for it on 4th down and 1 to go for a second time in the half and were stopped again by Michigan’s defense. The Wolverines took over on downs, drove the length of the field to the MSU 6-yard line, and settled for their 2nd field goal. The teams went into halftime with Michigan up 13-7.
The second half was all Wolverines. To start the 3rd quarter, Michigan would go up 16-7 on a field goal ending first drive. On their second possession, a 28 yard reception from McCarthy to Bell and a couple runs by Corum would have Michigan back in the red zone. The Wolverines again would have trouble getting a touchdown out of the drive and would settle for a field goal increasing their lead to 19-7.
Michigan would add to their dominating second half with ten more points in the fourth quarter, including a career long field goal of 54 yards by Kicker Jake Moody. The Wolverines offense was very effective, as the team went without having to punt until six minutes left in the game. Michigan’s defense was also solid, holding MSU to just 37 yards rushing. Michigan, in comparison, had 276 rushing yards led by Corum’s 177 yards on 33 carries. The Michigan defense would also get an interception late in the 4th quarter by Rod Moore to seal the 29-7 victory. Coach Jim Harbaugh commented after the game in the press conference, “I thought our guys played great. Took care of business on the offense. I thought we won all three phases” (referring to offense, defense, and special teams).
Despite the University of Michigan hiring extra security because of the rivalry, there was still an altercation in the tunnel leading to the locker room after the game between a Michigan player and several MSU players. Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel addressed after the game the incident, “We won on the field and this (incident) was completely and utterly unacceptable”. Both Manuel and Harbaugh stated an investigation would be conducted by the Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren, who was at the game, and the authorities.
The 4th ranked Wolverines move on to Rutgers next week in New Jersey. Michigan State will head to Illinois to take on the 14th ranked Fighting Illini.
Final Score: Michigan 29 – Michigan State 7
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