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Michigan State football: Postgame brawl amplifies program’s ongoing troubles

Cole Thompson

By Cole Thompson

Published:

For a visual representation of chaos, one simply could have looked into the tunnel in Michigan Stadium on Saturday night.

A couple of 4th-down failures and Michigan’s slow-grind offense did in Michigan State in its 29-7 loss in the Big House.

But that’s not what anyone is talking about in the rivalry game’s aftermath. Let’s head to the tunnel.

Michigan’s Ja’Den McBurrows was seen in a swarm of white jerseys, being pummeled by MSU players venting their frustration. A frenzied swarm of Spartans came in left and right, delivering blows while bystanders watched idly from the sides.

Don’t worry, there’s visual proof of it. It’s not a word-of-mouth story as such things used to be in years past. Take a look for yourself.

No one likely knows what instigated McBurrows to cross enemy lines after Michigan made its presence felt with 2 fourth-quarter scores and kept its starters in almost to the bitter end while running out the clock. Was he at the wrong place at the wrong time? Is the rivalry strong enough to take it off the field and into the locker room?

It doesn’t matter. What the country witnessed Saturday evening wasn’t just an act of sheer unfiltered violence. It’s an in-depth look at the state of the Spartans, who are now 1 game away from being forced to win out if they hope to become bowl eligible.

Postseason eligibility should be the last thing on MSU’s mind as it preps for next week’s matchup against a surging 7-1 Illinois squad.

The brawl is an appalling look for Mel Tucker and the Spartans’ program. It shows a lack of discipline. A lack of maturity. Most of all, it shows that as a program, the Spartans are unraveling by the minute as the losses pile up.

Michigan State has lost 5 of its past 6 games. How many more are still on the table?

Emotions run high in rivalry games. How many brawls have occurred among fans following a loss at “The Game” in November? In the south, how many times have the cops been called to break up fights caused by the Iron Bowl? How about the World’s Largest Cocktail Party? The Third Saturday in October?

Michigan State was embarrassed. The Spartans had a shot at early momentum after recovering a Cornelius Johnson fumble. A few players later, Tucker gambled and lost on a 4th-and-short near midfield.

Two drives later, it was the same story. Tucker could have elected to go for 3 easy points at Michigan’s 5, but instead got greedy and played for the lead rather than the tie. A 4th-down tackle for loss on Jalen Berger ended the drive, and the Wolverines capitalized with a field goal 15 plays later.

East Lansing bellowed a scream. It’s a sound most Spartans have grown accustomed to since last season’s walk-off win over the Wolverines on the legs of Kenneth Walker III. Since the 37-33 upset at Spartan Stadium, Michigan State is 6-7 and regressing.

You think it hurts as a fan? Try sitting in the locker room, hoping to find a solution to the downfall, but knowing one isn’t in sight. After a while, it builds up. It festers. And when it can’t be contained any longer …

Well, you already know. You just witnessed it like everyone else with the capability of accessing a phone or turning on a laptop or television.

The end of the Tucker era?

No one within the program should feel safe from consequences. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said postgame, “It’s completely and utterly unacceptable.” U-M coach Jim Harbaugh said that one player was “assaulted” and another could be dealing with a broken nose.

How much worse can it get for the Spartans? According to the University of Michigan Police Department, an investigation is officially under way to determine if criminal charges are warranted. They’ll find out more information on what unfolded in the coming days.

Cameras are everywhere nowadays. In meeting rooms. In hallways. And yes, in tunnels, too.

Tucker said postgame that he wasn’t sure what caused his team to go off on a kid from an opposing team, saying only that “it was a heated game.” Call it a lost season and move on if that’s the best answer from a coach whose $95 million buyout is looking like less of a concern.

Tucker no longer needs to worry about what the fans think of his play-calling. The Big Ten will be handing out fines and Ann Arbor could be pressing criminal charges against several players from the “little brother” program northwest.

Rivalries are intense. They’re meant to be. Pure disdain between a pair of programs is good for the sport because it invokes passion. It brings out aggression. Most of all, it’s supposed to invigorate both sides into playing their best in front of a packed house.

Multiple moments in the Battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy over the years have fueled the rivalry since its inauguration in 1898. As of late, you have Walker’s Heisman moment of 2021. There was Devin Bush tearing up Sparty’s logo in 2018. There’s Sean McDonough’s “trouble with the snap!” call from 2015 and there’s Mike Hart’s “little brother” comment from 2007.

All memorable for the right reasons. Saturday’s antics will be heralded for the wrong ones.

Michigan State lost on the field as fans in the stands began chanting “O-hi-o”, an indication of where their minds were headed with 10 minutes still left on the clock. After a Payton Thorne interception with just over 4 minutes left, that was supposed to be the low point for Michigan State.

Who knew that a program could embarrass itself further by showing more heat in a hallway than grit on a gridiron?

Cole Thompson

Cole Thompson is a freelance writer for Saturday Tradition who has covered college football and the NFL for multiple websites. Thompson is currently based in Houston, Texas, and also can be heard daily on SportsMap National Radio's 'Just Sayin It' from 3am-6am.