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Michigan football: Can Wolverines run on top-ranked Spartans?
By Tom Brew
Published:
Just by the nature of the intense in-state rivalry, every yard is a battle when Michigan and Michigan State get together. There’s no love lost in this war, and the “you’re the little brother” or “no, you’re the little brother” debate rages on.
Michigan holds the upper hand in the rivalry (69-36-5), but it’s been Michigan State that’s owned it lately, winning eight of the last 10 games. It’s always heated, always intense, always important.
And this year is no different.
Saturday’s game (Noon ET; TV: Fox) in East Lansing still has enormous meaning for both teams. Michigan has won six in a row and is still unbeaten in the Big Ten. Michigan State reclaimed its season a week ago with a huge win last week at Penn State.
So bring it on. Michigan, as always under Jim Harbaugh, will want to run the ball. But that’s going to be a huge challenge.
Why? Because Michigan State is No. 1 in the country against the run, allowing a measly 2.34 yards per carry. They are allowing only 62.3 yards per game, which is a whopping 19 yards better than anyone (Iowa is No. 2, by the way, and Michigan is a respectable No. 15.)
Last week, Michigan State held Penn State’s explosive offense to just three points in the second half. They’re on their game, and the Wolverines will have to be ready for that.
“For a team that’s putting up 40-plus points a game, to give up three points in the second half is a tremendous job across the board defensively,” Michigan State safety Khari Willis said. “I think this demonstrates the heart and character of the football team.”
As always, the Spartans are going to fight to the finish.
“We stayed in the fight the whole game,” MSU linebacker Joe Bachie said. “And then you come out the end, you give your offense a chance to win.”
Michigan State loves its role as the dominant team in this series lately. There’s been a ton of trash talk through the years, and that doesn’t really change this year.
“That’s Spartan dog football right there,” Michigan State defensive tackle Raequan Williams said after the Penn State win, which got dismissed immediately so Michigan preparations could begin. “That chip and the swagger we carry, to everyone, means everything.”
Karan Higdon has been the Wolverines’ leader in the running game and the offensive line has been improving every week. Quarterback Shea Patterson killed Wisconsin with his legs last week, but that might be tough against Michigan State. They bottled up Penn State’s Trace McSorley pretty well in the second half last Saturday.
“We had to have a guy on him,” Bachie said. “I thought we did a really good job. Our D-line did good and took away a lot of step-up lanes throughout the game and put pressure in his face. And our DBs did a great job in the back end as well.”
Still, it’s all going to come down to that battle in the trenches. Michigan, which rushed for 320 yards last week against Wisconsin, will want to have success against Michigan State. The numbers don’t lie with No. 1 Michigan State.
Something’s got to give.
Tom Brew has been a recognized reporter in Big Ten sports for decades. Among other projects, he writes about Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.