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Michigan State Football: 3 things that deserve more credit from win over Michigan

By Connor Muldowney

Oct 30, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Payton Thorne (10) celebrates with teammates during the fourth quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Payton Thorne (10) celebrates with teammates during the fourth quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Michigan State’s Xavier Henderson, left, tackles Michigan’s Blake Corum during the second quarter on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.211030 Msu Michigan 103a
Michigan State’s Xavier Henderson, left, tackles Michigan’s Blake Corum during the second quarter on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.211030 Msu Michigan 103a /

2. Run defense

All the talk heading into this game was about Michigan’s two-headed monster at running back and how they’d fare against Michigan State’s stout run defense.

Kenneth Walker III was just expected to take a backseat to Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins because of the offensive lines of each team and their defensive line matchups. Everyone just assumed that Aidan Hutchinson and the Wolverines would eat Walker III alive behind the line of scrimmage, but that just didn’t happen.

Corum and Haskins combined to rush for a little over 100 yards while Walker III had 197 and five touchdowns. The Michigan duo had 104 yards on 27 carries and didn’t score a single touchdown.

Why? Because Michigan State’s run defense was ready. They forced the Wolverines to pass the ball more than they have all year long and while Cade McNamara played well, you have to give Michigan State’s run defense ton of props for holding arguably the best duo in the nation to 104 yards on fewer than 4.0 yards per carry.

The defense hasn’t gotten a lot of respect because it did give up over 500 yards, but I can assure you that Braylon Edwards now knows some of these guys’ names who shut down Corum and Haskins — oh, and Charles Brantley.

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