He had trouble with the snap!
But this time it was well above MSU punter Bryce Baringer’s reach. Michigan tackled Baringer and regained possession inside the 10-yard line. And finally, after a day full of stops in the red zone, Blake Corum found the gap and rushed to the end zone for the 4-yard TD to cap Michigan’s 29-7 win.
🎙️ He…had trouble with the snap!
Sean McDonough polishes off his famous call ⤵️. pic.twitter.com/t2tbPHWe2q
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 30, 2022
Michigan ran away with the game and the Paul Bunyan trophy in the fourth quarter against Michigan State. The Wolverines finished the game with 443 yards and 167 passing yards from J.J. McCarthy, who completed 15-of-25 passes.
Michigan State had just 63 yards of offense and rushed for -18 yards in the second half.
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Fourth quarter
Michigan’s first punt of the night coms at the 5:58 mark of the fourth quarter. — Matt Fortuna
Jake Moody is five-for-five on field goal attempts for Michigan with makes from 22, 25, 39, 33 and 54 yards. That’s a lot of field goals. — Austin Meek
Third quarter-Michigan 19, Michigan State 7
While Michigan State’s offense has fallen flat, the Spartans have been able to limit Michigan’s production in the red zone. The Wolverines kicked two field goals in the third quarter, both by Jake Moody, to take a 19-7 lead.
Rinse, lather, repeat. Michigan stalls in the red zone after a productive drive, Jake Moody connects from 32 and the Wolverines extend their lead to 19-7 in a game that does not feel nearly that close. https://t.co/AvniJ9efY2
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) October 30, 2022
Moody is 4-of-4 tonight, with his 39-yard attempt at the start of the third quarter being his longest. The Wolverines’ only touchdown came in the second quarter.
Michigan outgained Michigan State 133-8 in the third quarter alone. The Spartans had minus-1 passing yards and put together just six total plays.
Halftime-Michigan 13, Michigan State 7
Michigan got creative to start the second quarter, with J.J. McCarthy tossing Blake Corum a TD pass to go up 10-7 against its in-state foe.
Michigan State continued to hang with the No. 4 team in the country on the next drive until it was stopped on fourth-and-1 for its second time tonight. The Wolverines took over on downs and the momentum shifted with Corum and McCarthy carrying them to the red zone. The Wolverines couldn’t convert on third-and-goal and kicked a 25-yard field goal.
Through the first half, Michigan is outgaining Michigan State 245-189. The Wolverines are 3 for 3 in the red zone and have 13 first downs to Michigan State’s eight.
A disjointed first half between Michigan and Michigan State ends with the Wolverines on top 13-7. Michigan stalled twice in the deep red zone, which has been an ongoing issue. Keon Coleman was a problem for Michigan’s secondary with four receptions for 104 yards, but Michigan stopped the Spartans twice on fourth down. — Austin Meek
Felt like a big hold there for Michigan State on third and goal, especially after coming up empty offensively. Jake Moody’s 25-yard FG makes it 13-7 Michigan with 1:08 left in the half. — Matt Fortuna
Michigan State goes for it on fourth-and-1 for the second time tonight and gets stopped for the second time tonight, this time out of a timeout from the Michigan 5 while down 3. — Matt Fortuna
Keon Coleman is up to 4 catches for 104 yards and I swear each play has been more impressive than the previous one. — Matt Fortuna
Michigan gets a little creative with Blake Corum on third-and-goal from the 2, tossing it to him in motion behind the line of scrimmage for the TD to re-take the lead, 10-7. — Matt Fortuna
First quarter-Michigan State 7, Michigan 3
After one quarter of play at the Big House, Michigan State leads Michigan 7-3.
The Spartans had some early momentum before five penalties (four accepted) on five plays pushed them back. Michigan State gained 24 yards on its first three plays before losing 24 yards on penalties.
On Michigan’s first drive, Xavier Henderson forced a fumble from Wolverines playmaker Cornelius Johnson. Dashaun Mallory recovered the ball for Michigan State, but the drive ended with a first down on fourth-and-1 getting overturned.
Mel Tucker gambles early on fourth-and-1 following a fumble recovery. Elijah Collins looks like he gets stuffed, but a favorable spot gives him the first down by inches.
Or so it seemed. Official review overturns the call, marking Collins a half-yard short. Michigan takes over.
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) October 30, 2022
Michigan took over on downs and settled for a 22-yard field goal from Jake Moody.
After a near-interception, Payton Thorne connected with Keon Coleman for a 29-yard Spartans gain to Michigan’s 32-yard line. On the next play, Thorne found Coleman again, this time in the end zone for the 26-yard touchdown pass that gave the Spartans the lead.
Michigan fumbled it away on its first drive, stalled in the red zone on its second drive and then Michael Barrett dropped a potential pick-six.
MSU takes advantage with back-to-back OUTSTANDING catches from Keon Coleman, the second one a 26-yard TD grab to make it 7-3 Spartans. — Matt Fortuna
Mel Tucker gambles early on fourth-and-1 following a fumble recovery. Elijah Collins looks like he gets stuffed, but a favorable spot gives him the first down by inches. Or so it seemed. Official review overturns the call, marking Collins a half-yard short. Michigan takes over. — Matt Fortuna
A rough start for Michigan State at the Big House. The Spartans committed four penalties — one declined — on their opening series and had to punt. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was especially damaging. — Austin Meek
Michigan State’s first dive: 5 plays; 5 penalties (only 4 accepted). The Spartans had gained 24 yards on their first three plays before losing 24 yards on penalties. — Matt Fortuna
Editor’s note:Below is our pregame coverage for Saturday’s game:
The series
The all-time series is heavily in Michigan’s favor (71-38-5), but Michigan State has had the edge recently, winning 10 of the past 14 meetings. The Spartans won tight ones each of the past two years, handing Michigan a 27-24 loss in 2020 and winning 37-33 in 2021 — the Wolverines’ only loss in the regular season.
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The matchup
Michigan enters Saturday second in the Big Ten in both yards per play and yards per play allowed, outscoring its opponents by more than 30 points per game. The Wolverines’ dynamic rushing attack averages 241.7 yards per game at a clip of 5.8 per carry.
That’s troublesome news for Michigan State, which ranks last in the Big Ten in yards per play allowed and is surrendering 35.4 points per game to Power 5 opponents. Opposing quarterbacks have thrown 16 touchdowns to just two interceptions against the Spartans’ defense.
Offensively, MSU is coming off a strong passing performance in a 34-28 win over Wisconsin. Michigan State needs more from its running game; it has been held to 100 yards or fewer on the ground in five consecutive games. Saturday will be a tough place to start — Michigan is holding opponents to just 2.9 yards per rush.
Players to watch
Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne, who led the program to 11 wins last season, enters Saturday with 1,499 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions and a QB rating slightly down from 2021. His main receiving targets are senior Jayden Reed (32 receptions, 373 yards) and sophom*ore Keon Coleman (31 receptions, 393 yards).
Senior linebacker Jacoby Windmon, a UNLV transfer, is among the Big Ten leaders in tackles for loss (10 1/2), sacks (5 1/2) and forced fumbles (five). Senior cornerback Kendell Brooks has 57 tackles and three forced fumbles.
The star of the Michigan offense is running back Blake Corum, who could cross the 1,000-yard mark for the season against MSU. The junior already has 901 yards and 13 touchdowns in seven games, ranking seventh and tied for first in FBS in those categories, respectively.
Sophom*ore quarterback J.J. McCarthy has 1,297 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions. Senior edge rusher Mike Morris leads the Wolverines’ defense with eight tackles for loss and five sacks.
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The coaches
Spartans coach Mel Tucker is 16-11 in two-plus seasons in East Lansing, after coaching Colorado for one year. The 50-year-old, a Wisconsin alumnus, had defensive coordinator stints in college at Ohio State and Georgia and in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears.
Jim Harbaugh, in his eighth year at Michigan, is 68-24 with the Wolverines and 97-45 overall at the FBS level. The Wolverines are three wins away from a fifth double-digit victory season under the 58-year-old.
Tucker is 2-0 against Harbaugh.
Odds, predictions and more
- Michigan State at Michigan: Odds, expert picks for in-state Big Ten rivalry.
- Will Michigan turn J.J. McCarthy loose? Can Michigan State pull off an upset? Ask Nick Baumgardner.
- Why Michigan’s Makari Paige could be an X-factor against Michigan State.
- The Big Ten set its 2023 schedule this week. Here’s what’s changed, as well as key dates.
- Stewart Mandel makes his Week 9 picks against the spread.
- College football Week 9 betting guide.
(Photo of J.J. McCarthy: Nic Antaya / Getty Images)
