EAST LANSING ~ Michigan State football put an end to a six-game losing streak and four-year rivalry drought, beating Michigan 15-9 on Saturday. The Spartans earned their first Big Ten win of the season and first win in Ann Arbor since 2015. Fitzgerald declared in a postgame press conference, “We’re coming home to East Lansing with Paul Bunyan. Go green.”
Ahead of the game, Michigan was widely favored to win, and at 2-6, MSU was the clear underdog. A lengthy injury report released Wednesday weakened the Spartans further, but quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, who was listed as questionable, suited up Saturday for his most meaningful performance of the year. He threw zero interceptions and committed no turnovers, but it was kicker Liam Boyd that put all 15 Spartan points on the board. Five field goals accounted for MSU’s scoring, including a 49-yarder. While fourth-string running back Brandon Tullis did not reach the end zone, he alone outrushed the entire Michigan team with 86 yards in a career-high game.
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Michigan State’s defense has been affected throughout the season by injuries across positions, but it coordinated a near-shutout effort against a Michigan offense led by quarterback Tommy Carr. The Spartans forced four turnovers and held Michigan to just 54 rushing yards on 26 attempts. The Wolverines scored with less than two minutes remaining, but a sack by Kenny Soares Jr. on the two-point conversion attempt kept Michigan at nine points.
Head coach Pat Fitzgerald maintained a “next-man up” philosophy and special teams-focused strategy throughout the drought, and that consistency showed in the team’s preparation and execution. Michigan State will look to build on the rivalry victory when it faces Washington on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 4:15 p.m.
