With both teams in the midst of disappointing seasons, a rivalry game may be just what Michigan State and Michigan need to raise their energy levels on Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Michigan State (2-6, 0-5 Big Ten) is reeling from six straight losses and is tied with Maryland for last place in the conference.
The good news for first-year Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald: Given what the Michigan game means to the Spartans’ fan base, prevailing on Saturday might be worth 10 wins.
“I mean, from the minute I took the job, I think I was pretty clear that I understood what this rivalry meant,” Fitzgerald said. “Once I landed here in December, it was pretty crystal clear exactly what this game means. Since Day 1 it’s been top of mind here in our program.”
Michigan State had the luxury of an extra week to prepare as it comes out of its bye week. That may also help in the health department. Starting quarterback Alessio Milivojevic (1,263 passing yards, seven TDs) is questionable after missing the Spartans’ 28-10 loss to UCLA on Oct. 24 with an unspecified injury.
Michigan (5-3, 2-3) comes in after squeaking out a 28-21 road win at Rutgers last week on the strength of a solid performance from freshman quarterback Tommy Carr.
Making his second start after replacing the benched five-star Bryce Underwood, Carr completed 22 of 27 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 54 yards and two more scores to help ignite what has been a stagnant Michigan offense.
“I liked everything about what he did,” Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham said. “We know it’s only one game, but if you project that one game throughout the season, he’d be the best quarterback in the country statistically.”
Now, Carr hopes to repeat that performance and help Michigan earn what would be a fifth straight win in the series.
“It’s intense, obviously,” Whittingham said ahead of his first taste of the rivalry. “A lot of nastiness in it. I guess there was a fight in the tunnel a couple of years ago. It’s a game that with both teams, you can almost throw out the records and whatever else has gone on. It’s its own entity and you’ve got to be ready to play.”