Wolverines, Spartans enter game unbeaten
After Michigan rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to beat Michigan State in 2007, Wolverines running back Mike Hart put the in-state rivalry in perspective.
“Sometimes you get your little brother excited when you’re playing basketball, let him get the lead,” Hart said. “Then you just come back and take it back.”
Three years later, Hart’s comment still resonates — particularly in East Lansing, where the Spartans’ inferiority complex is alive and well despite victories over the Wolverines the last two years.
In the Big House on Saturday, when the schools meet for the 103rd time, there is more at stake than self-image. For just the second time since 1962, both No. 16 Michigan State and No. 19 Michigan enter ranked and undefeated.
“They are all big, but this one is bigger,” Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez told reporters. “It’s a huge game, and our guys understand that, and I’m sure their players do, too.”
The importance of Michigan-Michigan State has never been underestimated in East Lansing. Whether it’s football, in which Michigan leads the series 67-30-5, or academics, Michigan State long has strived to measure up. It has been to the Spartans’ aggravation that the Wolverines’ primary rivals are Ohio State and Notre Dame.
When Hart poked fun at Michigan State in 2007, Spartans coach Mark Dantonio, then in his first year, shot back.
“Pride comes before the fall,” he said.
Dantonio’s words were prescient as the Spartans won the next two meetings. Last year’s win in East Lansing was particularly satisfying. Michigan State knocked off undefeated Michigan in overtime, touching off a tailspin for the Wolverines, who finished 5-7.
Dantonio, who is recovering from a heart attack and a subsequent blood clot, will coach from the press box Saturday while defensive coordinator Don Treadwell handles duties on the field.
On the other sideline, Rodriguez is feeling a different kind of pressure. He has yet to beat the “little brother” and has steered clear of any such reference.
“It’s very, very competitive and very intense, and that’s what makes it a great rivalry,” Rodriguez said. “It’s no less important for us than it is for them.”
The last time Michigan State defeated Michigan three straight was 1965-67. To prevail this time, the Spartans will have to derail sophomore quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Denard “Shoelace” Robinson, who leads the nation in rushing (181 yards a game), is second in total offense (383 ypg) and is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes (67-for-96).
“We have to swarm a lot of people to the point of attack — get a lot of people to the ball,” Dantonio said. “If [Robinson] makes a guy miss, he has the ability to go the distance.”
