Michigan Football hits new low with pathetic loss to Michigan State

A disastrous season in every sense of the phrase officially hit a new low point, as the Michigan Wolverines suffered a pathetic 15-6 loss to the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday night, losing to the in-state rival for the first time since 2021.

Here’s the recap, highlights and stats.

On the opening possession of the game, Michigan’s defense came to play as cornerback Zeke Berry recorded a pass breakup and linebacker Troy Bowles came up with a quarterback pressure on third down to force a punt.

The Wolverines were hoping to find a groove offensively, and quarterback Tommy Carr hit wide receiver Travis Johnson for an acrobatic first down catch to get the drive going. However, Carr’s very next throw went awry and was intercepted.

Michigan State took over at midfield, looking to put together a sustained drive, but Michigan wasn’t having any of that. The Wolverines stepped up and forced a turnover on downs, as Berry continued his impressive start with a pair of tackles.

Later in the quarter, Michigan’s defense showed out again as defensive end John Henry Daley showed off his strength. Daley drove a Michigan State offensive lineman directly back and into the quarterback, recording a sack and forcing a punt.

On the ensuing drive, Michigan started to get into a rhythm on offense as running back Bryson Kuzdzal pushed through a defender for a 16-yard first down run. Carr had a nine-yard run on the final snap of the quarter to pick up first down as well.

Michigan got the ball into the red zone as Kuzdzal ran for another first down and Carr hit wide receiver Andrew Marsh for a 13-yard catch. However, the Wolverines remained scoreless after kicker Jacob Baggett doinked a 26-yard field goal.

Midway through the second quarter, the in-state rivals were still tied 0-0. Luckily for Michigan, the defense didn’t let up. Daley continued his dominant start by flying off the edge, tallying a sack and a forced fumble to end Michigan State’s drive.

The Spartans found a bit of success on the following possession, as quarterback Alessio Milivojevic found running back Kenneth Williams for a 12-yard reception. A late hit out of bounds by the Wolverines put Michigan State in the red zone.

Milivojevic tried to find Williams for a touchdown as well, but Berry shot out of a cannon and came up with a big-time tackle to keep the Spartans out of the end zone. Michigan State kicked a field goal to go up 3-0 with 1:33 left in the half.

On the final drive of the half, Milivojevic connected with wide receiver Chrishon McCray for 35 yards to get into the red zone and the Spartans extended the lead to 6-0 following a 37-yard field goal.

HALFTIME: Michigan 0, Michigan State 6

Michigan picked up a first down on the first play of the half, but the drive quickly stalled as the Wolverines had to punt. The Spartans proceeded to put together a 17-play, 79-yard drive that lasted nearly 11 minutes. The Wolverines were able to force a field goal because Bowles had a tackle for loss and defensive back Smith Snowden had a sack, but Michigan State continued to churn out first downs and eventually went up 9-0 with 2:12 left in the quarter.

It’s difficult to imagine, but somehow things only got worse for the Wolverines. Just before the end of the third quarter, Kuzdzal was stripped of the ball and Michigan State recovered the fumble to regain possession and completely seize momentum.

The putrid offensive performance continued for the Wolverines on the next possession, as Carr was intercepted again. Michigan’s freshman quarterback tried to find Johnson for a big play, but Michigan State picked him off for a second time.

Michigan State took advantage of the pick, going on a 10-play drive that resulted in – you guessed it — a field goal. With just over five minutes remaining, the Spartans took a 12-0 lead as the Michigan crowd continued to head for the exits.

Just for good measure, the Wolverines turned it over one more time. Carr found Marsh for a first down, but as he was going to the ground, he fumbled and Michigan State recovered at midfield. It was Michigan’s fourth turnover of the game.

The Spartans tacked on another field goal because why not, and eventually put the final touches on a 15-6 road win. Michigan finally got on the scoreboard as running back Savion Hiter scored a touchdown, but it was too little, too late.

Following the first loss to Michigan State in five years, Michigan fell to 5-4 overall and 2-4 in Big Ten play in a season to forget. Now, head coach Kyle Whittingham’s hot seat will hit a boiling point as his first year in Ann Arbor continues to crash and burn.

FINAL SCORE: Michigan 6, Michigan State 15