Michigan Sports

Spartans use turnovers, field goals to beat U-M

ANN ARBOR -- Pat Fitzgerald’s long wait is over.

Liam Boyd made five field goals on five attempts and Michigan State’s defense forced four turnovers and had five sacks in a 15-6 win over Michigan on Saturday night.

The Spartans (3-6, 1-5 Big Ten) snapped a six-game losing streak and helped Fitzgerald end a 13-game Big Ten losing streak, dating to the 2022 season-opening game at Northwestern.

They snatched the Paul Bunyan Trophy that the winner of the rivalry gets to keep after the game and went around the perimeter of the field to enjoy the moment with green-and-white clad fans in the Big House that didn’t have many Michigan fans in the stands for the final minutes.

“To see our fan base and celebrate with them is something I’ll never, ever forget,” Fitzgerald said. “We know we’re not going to Indianapolis (for the Big Ten championship game), but today was the state championship and we’re 1-0.”

The Wolverines (5-4, 2-4) scored with 1:35 left on Savion Hiter’s 1-yard run to avoid being shut out for the first time since 2014 and Tommy Carr was sacked on a 2-point conversion to seal the defeat.

In a matchup of two of the worst offenses in college football, points were precious.

Michigan State connected on two field goals to take a 6-0 lead at halftime.

The Spartans went ahead 9-0 late in the third quarter with another kick that capped a 17-play, 79-yard drive that started at their 1 and took nearly 11 minutes off the clock.

Michigan had a chance to score in the second quarter, but Jacob Baggett hit the left upright on a 26-yard kick for the team’s fifth missed field goal in three games.

Michigan State’s Alessio Milivojevic, who missed the previous game with an injury, was 21 of 32 for 188 yards without a turnover. Milivojevic threw six passes for 92 yards to Chrishon McCray.

Brandon Tullis ran for a career-high 86 yards for the Spartans, making the most of opportunities to play with four running backs out with injuries.

Michigan’s

Carr was 14 of 26 for 138 yards with two interceptions. Running back Bryson Kuzdzal and receiver Andrew Marsh each lost a fumble in the second half.

The takeaway

Michigan State: Fitzgerald and his players desperately needed a victory after going 0-5 in the Big Ten, following a loss to the Fighting Irish, and it will be a little sweeter that the win was the Spartans’ first against their rival since 2021.

“I told you when I took this job that one game means more,” Fitzgerald said.

Up next

Michigan State hosts Washington (5-4, 2-4) on Saturday.

Michigan plays at Oregon (6-3, 4-2) on Saturday.