Beating Michigan isn’t for every Michigan State football team that has come through East Lansing over the years, but this year’s version of the Spartans feel like they have what it takes.
The Wolverines have won three straight games in the rivalry and the Spartans miss seeing the Paul Bunyan Trophy with a Michigan State helmet on. Could that happen once again on Saturday despite being in the middle of a four-game losing streak after a 3-0 start? I think so.
Are you believing yet, folks? I’m here to turn that belief up a notch.
1. Bryce Underwood struggles on the road
Away from home, Bryce Underwood isn’t exactly the same player. The five-star freshman has been unbeatable in Ann Arbor this season, but away from home, he’s 1-2 with much worse numbers than the ones he puts up at Michigan Stadium.
This will probably be the most hostile environment that he’s ever played in, and I think we’ll see him made some rare mistakes because of it.
True freshmen don’t often have a ton of success in this game, especially at quarterback — just ask JJ McCarthy how he played in the game back in 2021.
2. Aidan Chiles got his confidence back
I’ll admit, I was worried about Aidan Chiles’ confidence heading into last week’s matchup with No. 3 Indiana, but I was wrong. I didn’t want the staff to start Chiles because that would risk further damaging his confidence by facing one of the best defenses in the country after back-to-back disappointing sub-100-yard performances.
Chiles looked like the quarterback that we saw in the first month of the season, passing for 243 yards and rushing for 48 more while accounting for one touchdown and no turnovers.
That confidence is back heading into the biggest game of the year at home. That makes me feel much better about the offense on Saturday night.
3. Jonathan Smith is coaching for his job
While playing with backs against the wall can sometimes be a bad thing, it’s going to provide a sense of urgency for the Spartans on Saturday night.
They know that if they lose to Michigan, they risk getting their head coach fired. That sense of urgency will be felt by Jonathan Smith and the Spartans against the Wolverines, but it’s going to translate into positive results as the team shows that they don’t want to lose him and guys like Chiles, Jordan Hall, and Nick Marsh have huge games to try and save their coach.
Plus, Smith immersed himself in the rivalry this offseason, and this week, bringing in former players and coaches to talk to the team about the importance of this game.
My money is on Smith and the Spartans.