The Michigan Wolverines lost to Michigan State for the first time since 2021, this time by a final score of 15-6. The Spartans largely dominated the match from start to finish, as the final score was not as close as it seemed.
Here’s one thing I liked and two things I hated about tonight’s game.
1 thing I hated: anything offensive
It took a little while for the Wolverines to get things going offensively, as the first possession resulted in a Tommy Carr interception while the second possession was a three-and-out.
But things clicked on Michigan’s third drive of the game, and it was on the power play. Running back Bryson Kuzdzal completed a handoff five yards up the middle on the first play of the drive. After a pass from Carr to Kuzdzal for a first down, Kuzdzal took it 16 yards up the middle to pick up another first down. Kudzdal then took a nine-yard run to pick up another first down for the Wolverines.
It’s a shame the drive ended with a missed field goal, but the Wolverines had 71 yards on the drive, including 49 on the ground. It was a solid workout that should have earned points, but it was a small glimmer of light in an otherwise supermassive black hole.
But other than that dynamism, I can’t say anything else positive about Michigan’s offense. It was flat, uninspired and unsuccessful for the majority of the match. The Wolverines compiled a total of 64 yards on their other eight drives. In total, Michigan threw for 138 yards and ran for 54 yards; Carr threw two interceptions and Kuzdzal lost a fumble. They only scored when the game was already over, and then missed the try by two points.
The offense should be ashamed of this performance. Being shut out against one of the worst defenses in the country at home is absolutely embarrassing.
Another thing I hated: long runs on defense
We’ve been very complimentary of Jay Hill and the defensive unit this season, but cracks in the armor started to show last weekend against Rutgers. Things weren’t so good against the Spartans on Saturday night either.
Michigan’s defense was on the field a lot Saturday. The defense gave up drives consisting of six (three times), nine, 10 (twice) and 17 plays. The Spartans owned one time of possession, taking up 38:07 of the game clock. They wore down Michigan’s defense early and often, making 75 plays in total.
MSU wide receiver Chrishon McCray led the way with six receptions for 92 yards. Bryson Williams also had an explosive reception for 36 yards, while Brandon Tullis led them on the ground with 25 carries for 86 yards.
The offense certainly didn’t do the defense any favors tonight, but giving up nearly 300 total offensive yards to this team is unacceptable.
1 thing I loved: John Henry Daley
In a game where there isn’t much to like, I’d just like to give a quick shout out to edge rusher John Henry Daley, who was on another level early Saturday night.
His first sack happened because he pushed MSU left tackle toward quarterback Alessio Milivojevic. It was one of the highlights of the game for the Wolverines.
Daley had another bag later that evening. He totaled two sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, eight total tackles and one forced fumble in this game.
What did you like and dislike about the MSU game? Let me know in the comments below!
Gn sports
