It’s important to not be too hyperbolic about singular games or events, but if in the end this is the official passing of the torch in the state of Michigan’s college football back to the Wolverines, the symbolic play when it all happened was in the first half, tied at 7.
In Michigan territory, the Spartans went for it on fourth and one. Michigan stuffed it, gave the ball to Eddie McDoom the next play who scampered 33 yards, and four plays later, the Wolverines were up 14-7.
It’s been a long time since Michigan would have gotten the better end of that stop, and even though MSU did their typical “cute blonde girl in a horror movie” act where they get battered and bruised by some big bad monster but still somehow wind up alive in the final scene, it wasn’t meant to be.
Final score: Michigan 32, Michigan State 23. Paul Bunyan goes slightly south for the next calendar year.
Too much Jabrill Peppers, two too many times inside the red zone coming away with nothing for the Spartans (two) and three total drives ending in Michigan territory on downs.
The gap betwixt the two in on-field talent today be damned, this one was meaningful for the Wolverines, who’ve been a bit of a punching bag for the Spartans through the Rich Rodriguez-Brady Hoke eras, and then stuck the knife deeper into Michigan morale with The Play from 2015 when the Wolverines just needed to get themselves off a cogent punt to win and couldn’t.
Peppers was unusually animated for someone who’s normally plenty animated as the clock wore down, courtesy of his delay blitz on Brian Lewerke, the Spartans’ third quarterback of the day.
Peppers was shouting at anyone and everyone who would listen, and probably some who wouldn’t.
The overall figures don’t look that bad. MSU ran for more yards than the Wolverines. They took the ball down on their first drive and made it 7-0, making everyone in Maize and Blue think “really, these guys again?” Time of possession ended up being nearly even, as did the yards gained.
EAST LANSING, MI – OCTOBER 29: Amara Darboh #82 of the Michigan Wolverines signals a first down after making a catch during the second quarter of the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium on October 29, 2016 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
But a 20-3 Michigan-owned second quarter was their undoing, and after Tyler O’Connor tossed an interception with under a minute left when Michigan was content going into the locker room up 14 that led to an additional field goal, the vultures were circling.
Credit the Spartans, though, who picked off Wilton Speight the first drive of the second half, stepped on the Michigan running game to slow their offense to a grinding halt, and only gave up three points in the second half. Simply put, they just couldn’t finish drives.
That’s mostly because they couldn’t find stink in an outhouse when it came to the passing game. They averaged only 6.6 yards yards per pass and overall through three quarterbacks, were a pitiful 11-25.
The Wolverines on the other hand look the part, getting a massive monkey off of their backs, even if the monkey swung in battered up and 2-5. This was only their second win over their in-state rivals in the last nine meetings. To understand the gravity of the hump the Wolverines have been trying to get over with their foes from East Lansing is to not worry about it being a somewhat-tight-looking score against a team with only two wins.
No one individual player outside of maybe Peppers, who doesn’t post huge stats but impacts both sides of the ball with 10,000 volt intensity. De’veon Smith had two short touchdown runs. Speight was efficient. Amara Darboh was special, especially with two one-handed snags about his 8 catches for 165 total.
But this was overall what Michigan is, a group that excels on defense, has a cadre of play makers on offense, but is able to pick up one side of the ball with the other when one is slipping. Oh, and Peppers.
Now, with one huge bugaboo off their backs, they’re a month away from THEE monkey, Ohio State. With Maryland, a trip to Iowa, long a house of horrors for Michigan, and improved Indiana, this Michigan group is good enough to roll through them but wise to not even think about overlooking them.
Peppers backflipped and hooted loudly as the clock run out, understanding as the team’s best player, the gravity of the win. There will be challenges down the road, but for the Wolverines, this was a pelt long desired on the wall. Whether it signals a true changing of the guard or not remains to be seen.
But that doesn’t matter today.
