EAST LANSING, Mich. – The No. 25-ranked Michigan Wolverines defeated the Michigan State Spartans 31-20 in East Lansing for the Paul Bunyan Trophy, their fourth straight victory in the rivalry.
The battle for the state championship took place on Saturday (Oct. 25) at 7:30 p.m. on NBC as the Wolverines improved to 6-2 on the season.
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The last time Michigan won four consecutive games in the series was during a six-game streak from 2002 to 2007.
The Spartans, on the other hand, extended their losing streak to five in a row this season, as many fans were calling for head coach Jonathan Smith’s job in the process.
Running back Justice Haynes carried the ball 26 times in his return game for 152 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.
Bryce Underwood and the passing game were not heavily involved, as he completed 8 of 17 passes for 86 yards.
Jordan Marshall sealed the game with a massive 56-yard touchdown run to blow the game open late in the fourth quarter.
He finished 15 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown.
The Wolveines’ defense finished with three sacks while keeping quarterback Aidan Chiles to 130 yards, sacking him and backup Alessio Milivojevic a total of five times.
1st quarter
The Wolverines won the toss and deferred to the second half, putting the Spartans out on the field first.
Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles led his offense onto the field, and with the first snap of the game, completed a pass to wide receiver Crishon McCray for an eight-yard play.
With the crowd roaring, Chiles nearly threw an interception, but Jimmy Rolder recovered a fumble as Brandyn Hillman laid the boom to the quarterback on third down.
Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood completed a nine-yard catch and run to wide receiver Donaven McCulley.
Running back Justice Haynes picked up the first down with a one-yard carry, followed by a three-yard carry, setting up a second and seven.
Underwood found wide receiver Andrew Marsh for a five-yard catch, setting up a third down and two from the Spartans’ 15-yard line.
Haynes gained one yard on third down, and head coach Sherrone Moore decided to go for it on fourth down, in which Haynes gained eight yards, moving the ball to the six-yard line.
Underwood handed the ball off to Haynes for a three-yard run, but on second and goal, he threw an incomplete pass in the direction of wide receiver Semaj Morgan.
On third and goal, with the ball on the three-yard line, Underwood threw incomplete in the back of the endzone to McCulley.
Kicker Dominic Zvada capped off a 21-yard field goal to help the Wolverines take a 3-0 lead, capping off a 10-play 31-yard drive, eating up 4:07.
On their second possession of the quarter, the Spartans got the ball on the 25-yard line, and Chiles handed the ball off to Makhi Frazier for a two-yard gain.
Chiles threw an incomplete pass to wide receiver Rodney Bullard Jr.
Wide receiver Omari Kelly nearly brought in a toe-tap but didn’t control the ball to the ground.
The Spartans got called for back-to-back false starts, moving the ball back to the 17-yard line.
Punter Ryan Eckley, who booted it nearly 50 yards.
Underwood connected on a deep pass to Andrew Marsh for 22 yards.
He threw an incomplete pass down the field to McCulley before handing the ball off to Haynes for a two-yard carry, setting up a third down and eight.
On third down and eight, Underwood threw incomplete to McCulley.
Punter Hudson Hollenbeck bombed a punt 44 yards, but it went into the endzone, moving the ball to the Spartans’ 20-yard line with 7:40 to play.
Chiles threw a dart to wide receiver Nick Marsh, but the ball fell incomplete on first down.
On second down, Chiles went back to Nick Marsh on a seam route, but the ball fell incomplete.
Chiles threw an incomplete pass to Nick Marsh again, setting up a punt by Eckley, which traveled 43 yards to the Wolveirnes 37-yard line.
Jordan Marshall entered the game and gained three yards on his first carry of the game.
On second and seven, Underwood threw a jump ball to McCulley, but he drew a pass interference penalty from Malcolm Bell for 15 yards.
Morgan took a handoff from Underwood for a six-yard gain, followed by Marshall, who got the first down after toting the rock for a five-yard run.
Marshall gained seven yards after a tough run before Nick Marsh nearly drew another pass interference on second and three.
On third down, Underwood took the snap and threw it backside to Hyanes, who broke a tackle and gained 14 yards, moving the ball to the 13-yard line.
Underwood ran a quarterback counter and shook off a defender while following his blockers up the left side of the field for a 13-yard touchdown.
The Wolverines took a 10-0 lead after Zvada kicked in the extra point to cap off a seven-play, 63-yard drive in 3:18.
Trailing 10-0, the Spartans opened their third series of the quarter with a five-yard carry by Frazier, setting up a second and five.
Frazier toted the rock for a first down, but the play was called back due to an illegal block by Caleb Carter, negating the three-yard gain and moving the ball back 15 yards.
On second down and 18, Chiles took a 12-yard sack from Rolder before Frazier gained seven yards on third and 29, setting up a fourth and 22.
Cole Sullivan had to be helped off the field after suffering an injury on the play, before the Spartans punted the ball from their 13-yard line.
Eckley punted the ball 55 yards to the Wolverines’ 32-yard line.
Haynes opened the drive with a five-yard run.
On second down and five, Haynes moved the ball but was called for a 10-yard holding penalty.
Underwood threw incomplete to McCulley on a screen play, which was nearly picked.
On third down and 15, Haynes gained five yards before Hollenbeck punted the ball 53 yards and returned for 12 yards.
2nd quarter
The Spartans started the second quarter with a false start, moving the ball back five yards.
On first and 15, Chiles threw a complete pass for four yards to Kelly, setting up a second and 11.
Chiles handed the ball off to Frazier, who nearly housed the play for 40 yards.
With the ball on the Wolverines’ 25-yard line, Chiles gained six yards, setting up a second and four.
On second down, running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver gained three yards before the Wolverines called their first timeout of the game.
Chiles ran a quarterback sneak for a two-yard gain to move the chains.
With a brand new set of downs, Chiles handed the ball to Frazier, who broke two tackles to gain 10 yards down to the Wolverines’ four-yard line.
Frazier gained two yards on first down.
On second and goal, Smith called a timeout, which was their first of the half.
On second-and-goal, McCrae was tackled for no gain, but a personal foul was called, moving the ball 15 yards backward.
Replaying the down with 17 yards to gain, the Wolverines got called for pass interference on the two-yard line.
Chiles gained one yard on first down, which was stopped by T.J. Metcalf.
He ran a quarterback draw again but got no yards on the play.
Chiles ran the draw play again and finally got into the endzone, but another flag was thrown, this time another personal foul, which was added on the kickoff.
Michigan State kicker Martin Connington made the extra point to cap off a 10-play 73-yard drive while chewing up 6:36.
The Spartans kicked the ball off from their own 20-yard line but Andrew Marsh faircaught the ball on the Wolverines’ 25-yard line.
Haynes carried the ball for three yards on first down for the Wolverines before Underwood scrambled for six yards.
With third and one on the sticks, the center snapped the ball over Underwood’s head for a negative 16 yards for a three-and-out.
Hollenbeck punted the ball 45 yards down to the Spartans’ 37-yard line.
Poor tackling and bad judgment started creeping in on the Wolverines as the momentum started shifting towards the Spartans, who trailed 10-7 with 6:22 to play.
Frazier carried the ball to open the next possession for the Spartans for two yards.
On second and eight, Frazier carried the ball four yards, setting up a third and four, but Chiles threw incomplete on a questionable “no call” by the referees.
Morgan faircaught the ball on his own six-yard line.
Andrew Marsh had the option to return the kickoff or let it go out of bounds, but instead, he fair caught it.
Morgan did the same thing while backpedaling to his own six-yard line.
Leading 10-7 with 4:48 to play, with the ball spotted on their six-yard line, Underwood handed the ball off to Marshall for a four-yard gain.
On second down and six, Underwood handed the ball off to Marshall, this time for four yards, setting up a third down and two.
Underwood handed the ball off to Marshall, who gained four yards to move the sticks as the clock ticked under three minutes.
McCulley couldn’t bring in a first down back shoulder fade that went out of bounds.
Marshall gained one yard, setting up a third-and-nine pass completed to Haynes for one yard.
Hollenbeck punted the ball from his own 19-yard line with two minutes to play.
The ball was booted 47 yards and fair caught by Kelly at the Spartans’ 37-yard line.
Michigan State had 12 yards passing and trailed by only three points with the ball before halftime.
Frazier carried the ball for one yard to open the drive.
On second down, Chiles threw incomplete to McCrae, but on third down, Chiles connected with Nick Marsh for eight yards.
He had the first down but then went backwards, losing a yard on the play.
With 1:11 to play, the Spartans ran a quarterback sneak for two yards by Chiles to move the chains.
With a new set of downs, Chiles threw incomplete to Nick Marsh with one minute to play.
On second down, Chiles hit running back Brandon Tulus for six yards as he ran out of bounds to stop the clock with 52 seconds.
Chiles nearly got sacked but got called for intentional grounding, losing 13 yards and the down.
Punting the ball on fourth down and 17, Morgan, with 47 seconds left, got hit by his own man, downing the ball on his own 17.
Haynes carried the ball nine yards before catching a second-down pass for four yards while running out of bounds to stop the clock with 17 seconds to play.
Underwood hit tight end Marlin Klein for a four-yard catch and run out of bounds with 12 seconds to play.
Morgan had the ball bounce off his chest while surrounded by three defenders to the ground.
The Spartans called a timeout on third and six with eight seconds remaining before the half.
Haynes gained nine yards on third down to end the quarter.
The first half was unbelievably close as sloppy plays and lackluster passing led to a 10-7 Wolverines lead.
Chiles finished the first half with 26 yards through the air while Underwood had 59 yards.
The rushing attack wasn’t that great, as Haynes toted the rock 11 times for 50 yards, while Marshall turned seven carries into 28 yards.
Underwood ran the ball twice for 19 yards and had the lone touchdown for the Wolverines.
Frazier’s 40-yard run in the second quarter accounted for the majority of his yards as he turned 10 carries into 86 yards, while Chiles (Net -12) carried the ball nine times for 13 yards and a touchdown.
3rd quarter
With bragging rights and a state championship up for grabs, the Wolverines opened the second half with a big-time return by Andrew Marsh to his own 29-yard line.
Haynes burst up the gut for a 20-yard run before gaining another 28 yards up the left sideline down to the Spartans’ 23-yard line.
Marshall gave Haynes a blow and gained two yards on the next play, setting up a second and eight on the 21-yard line.
Underwood threw incomplete on second and eight on a rail route, fumbling the ball on the next play after the Spartans blitzed and got a strip sack.
But the Spartans were called for offside and gave the Wolverines an extra five yards on third down.
With a breath of fresh air, Haynes gained six yards to extend the drive.
The NBC broadcast said the offside penalty was incorrect, as the play appeared to be timed correctly, but the Wolverines got a gift.
After a brief injury timeout for the Spartans, Underwood handed the ball off to Haynes for a five-yard gain.
With the ball on the six-yard line, Haynes bounced the ball outside for an easy walk-in touchdown.
Zvada knocked in the extra point to cap off a seven-play 71-yard drive that ate up 3:02 while taking a 17-7 lead.
Needing a big stop, the Wolverines’ defense took the field and stopped Frazier’s one-yard gain at the hands of Jaishawn Barham.
On second and nine, Chiles hit Jack Veilling for a 10-yard gain.
Chiles eluded another sack and threw the ball out of bounds, but there was no receiver in the vicinity, and no penalty was called.
Derrick Moore stopped a quarterback draw by Chiles, holding him to two yards before the Wolverines’ pass rush forced another incomplete pass with 9:46 to play.
Eckley punted the ball 39 yards to the Wolverines’ 23-yard line, where Underwood handed the ball off to Haynes, who lost a yard on the carry.
On second and 11, Underwood handed the ball to Haynes for a one-yard gain.
Needing a big first down, Underwood scrambled right for seven yards, leading to a Hollenbeck punt.
The punt bounced to the Spartans’ three-yard line, netting 67 yards.
That was his best punt of the season as it pinned the Spartans ahead of their second drive of the quarter.
With their backs literally against the wall, the Spartans called a run play to Tulus for one yard.
Chiles ran the quarterback keeper for a two-yard gain, setting up a pivotal third and seven for both teams.
A passing play was called, and Chiles eluded a defender and threw the ball in the dirt to a wide-open receiver, which would’ve gained some yards close to a first down.
Eckley punted the ball 48-yards to Morgan who returned it two yards to the Wolverines 46-yard line.
With 5:46 to play and the majority of the frigid cold air leaving the stadium, the Wolverines opened their next drive with a Haynes four-yard gain.
Underwood handed the ball back to Haynes, who picked up another four yards, setting up a third down and two from the Spartans’ 44-yard line.
Haynes gained three yards to move the sticks.
The Wolverines called a play-action pass, and Underwood hit Andrew Marsh for 27 yards before Haynes bounced the ball outside up the left sideline for 14 yards to take a 23-7 lead.
Zvada capped off the five-play 52-yard drive with an extra point to take a 24-7 lead, chewing up 2:38 with 3:08 to play.
Trailing 24-7, Chiles and his Spartans took the ball on the 25-yard line and opened the drive with a Franklin loss of one yard.
Chiles connected with Veilling for a nine-yard catch and run, setting up a third and two.
The Spartans called a screen pass to Tau-Tolliver for four yards.
Chiles got sacked by TJ Guy for a loss of 10.
Nick Marsh gained 20 yards on second and 20 before getting a first down with a four-yard catch, setting up second and six to end the quarter.
4th quarter
Metcalf stopped McCrae who had nothing but green grass in front of him for just a one-yard gain.
Hillman tackled Chiles who scrambled for nine-yards to gain the first down.
Raishawn Benny got a stop to Tau-Tolliver‘s big gain of five yards.
Chiles hit Kelly for a 10-yard gain before connecting with Andrew Marsh down the right sideline for a 25-yard touchdown, but he stepped out of bounds at the half-yard line.
The play went for 24 yards down to the one-yard line before Chiles handed the ball to Tulus to cut the deficit to 24-13.
Chiles went for two, but the pass was incomplete to McCrae.
Michigan State responded with a 12-play 75-yard touchdown drive, which chewed up 5:34 of critical time.
The Spartans squibbed kicked the ball to the Wolverines but it was downed at the 22-yard line.
Marshall opened the drive with a two-yard gain, setting up a second and eight that lost five yards due to an encroachment.
On second and 13, Underwood eluded a defender and gained one yard.
With the crowd back into the game, the Spartans’ defense stopped Marshall who gained seven-yards on the play, setting up a Hollenbeck punt.
The punt traveled 32 yards to the Spartans’ 41-yard line, setting up great field position for the offense.
Frazier opened the drive with a massive 25-yard gain to the Wolverines’ 34-yard line.
He lost two yards on the next play. On second and 12, Chiles passed to Veilling for six yards.
Chiles ran the ball for two yards, setting up for the play of the game as Michigan State went for it, and it fell incomplete as Rolder had a massive pass breakup.
Haynes ran the ball to open the drive with a gain of four yards, setting up a second and six.
He gained three yards on the play, but the Spartans got called for taunting from Joshua Eaton, giving Michigan an extra 15 yards on the play.
Haynes gained three yards on the play before Underwood got sacked on the play.
The Spartans called a timeout to stop the clock with 5:59 to play.
It was their first timeout of the half.
Haynes fumbled the ball on the next play as the Spartans had the ball on the 46-yard line.
Chiles hit Nick Marsh for 16 yards to move the chains.
Zeke Berry had a key pass breakup on Kelly to set up a second and 10.
Running back Tau-Tolliver gained six yards on the next play.
With third down and four to go, he gained four yards.
On fourth down and two, Chiles’ quarterback sneak attempt got stuffed, forcing a turnover on downs.
Marshall opened the drive with a five-yard run, causing the Spartans to call their second timeout of the game.
With 4:33 to play, Marshall gained four yards on the next play, setting up a huge third down and one, which he gained to all but seal the victory.
Marshall blew the game open with a 56-yard house call to help the Wolverines take a 31-13 lead with 2:48 to play.
Milivojevic ended the game with a bad beat as he threw a touchdown to Michael Masunas to cut the deficit to 31-20 as the Wolverines were favored by 14.5 points.
The Wolverines will host the Purdue Boilermakers under the lights inside the Big House on Saturday (Nov. 1) at 7:30 p.m.
History
Michigan and Michigan State meet for the 118th time in their storied football rivalry.
The Wolverines lead the all-time series 74-38-5 and have won 30 of the last 47 matchups between the two schools.
Last season, Michigan defeated Michigan State 24-17 at Michigan Stadium and has won six of the last eight games in the series.
Saturday’s game marked the 73rd meeting for the Paul Bunyan Trophy, awarded annually to the winner of this rivalry.
Since the trophy’s inception in 1953, coinciding with Michigan State joining the Big Ten, Michigan holds a 42-29-2 advantage in the quest for the coveted Paul Bunyan Trophy.
Overall, Michigan has won 38 of the past 55 games (67%) played between the two rivals since 1970.