Michigan State used a timeout to double-check that it had called the proper play.
After the Wolverines had already stopped Elijah Collins on a fourth-and-1 effort earlier in the quarter, the Spartans set up to attempt a touchdown instead of a field goal on fourth-and-1 from the Michigan football 5-yard line. (The initial call of a first down on the field was reversed following review.)
MSU tried a delayed counter the other way with running back Jalen Berger after running Jaden Reed in motion to get the defence moving. Nobody fooled Michigan at all.
With 7:31 remaining in the second quarter, the Wolverines’ defensive front shredded MSU’s interior into the backfield, linebackers Junior Colson and Michael Barrett burst through the openings, and dropped Berger for a loss of two, sending the 111,803 spectators into a pom-pom shaking frenzy.
It was the pivotal play in Michigan’s 29-7 victory over Michigan State, which ended the Spartans’ (3-5, 1-4 Big Ten) two-game winning streak in the series and gave the Wolverines (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) the Paul Bunyan Trophy back for the first time since 2019.
The sigh from the maize-and-blue faithful in the stands was as significant as any other part of the current situation. After Michigan committed an early turnover and MSU was in the middle of two straight drives of more than 70 yards, the crowd remained silent for the first 20 minutes of the game.