EAST LANSING, Mich. — It was billed as one of the biggest games in the history of the rivalry, and on Saturday afternoon at Spartan Stadium, neither No. 6 Michigan nor No. 8 Michigan State disappointed.
Michigan State, down 16 in the third quarter, came storming back behind the running of Kenneth Walker III to pull out the 37-33 victory in front of a packed house of 76,549, beat Michigan for the second straight season and remain unbeaten after freshman Charles Brantley’s interception with a minute to play iced the game.
Walker ran for 197 yards and five touchdowns, helping wake up a stagnant offense while staking his claim in the Heisman Trophy race. His play helped the Spartans (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) overcome two first-half turnovers as coach Mel Tucker became the first coach in Michigan State history to win his first two games against Michigan after last season’s 27-24 win in Ann Arbor.
Michigan (7-1, 4-1) came into the game averaging 189.6 passing yards a game and threw for 406, led by freshman Andrel Anthony, an East Lansing native who had six catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns, all firsts for his career.
But after the Spartans went ahead in the fourth quarter on Walker’s fifth touchdown, Michigan State’s defense got two stops, the last on Brantley’s interception.
Big plays and turnovers were critical early.
In the first half on Saturday it was all going Michigan’s way as the Wolverines struck quickly, getting a 93-yard touchdown pass from Cade McNamara to Anthony on their first offensive possession of the game while forcing two turnovers to take a 23-14 lead into the halftime locker room.
Anthony’s first score came after Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne was intercepted at the Michigan 2 by R.J. Moten. The second interception, on a batted pass, was hauled in by Michigan’s Mike Morris, which led to the first of three Jake Moody field goals to give the Wolverines a 10-0 lead.
Michigan State’s offense finally started to find some rhythm late in the first quarter as Walker scored on a 27-yard run to cut the Michigan lead to 10-7 after the first play of the second quarter.
After Michigan got another Moody field goal, Walker scored again, this time on an 8-yard run after Michigan State converted on fourth down when Thorne hit Jalen Nailor with a 40-yard gain, setting Walker up to give the Spartans a 14-13 lead with 7:16 left in the second quarter.
Michigan responded, though, with a 78-yard drive that ended with Anthony’s 17-yard touchdown pass, then added a 35-yard field goal with two seconds left to push the lead to nine.
Michigan State got a big break to open the second half when a Michigan fake punt failed to work as the Spartans took over at their 40. But a first-down holding call doomed the drive and three plays later, Michigan State punted. The Wolverines took advantage as McNamara hit Mike Sainristil with a 19-yard touchdown pass to give Michigan a 30-14 lead with 6:47 left in the third quarter.
The Spartans bounced back, converting on a fourth-and-four when Thorne connected with Reed for a 28-yard pass to the Michigan 1. Walker plowed in on the next play for his third touchdown, and when Thorne hit Tre Mosley with a two-point conversion pass, the Michigan lead was cut to 30-22 with 3:58 left in the third quarter.
Michigan State then got a big stop and responded with Walker’s fourth touchdown run, a 58-yarder, to pull within two points. Thorne then hit Jayden Reed with a two-point pass to tie the game, 30-30, with 12:29 left in the game.
The Wolverines responded by getting a 36-yard field goal from Moody to pull back ahead, 33-30, with 9:20 to play.
The Spartans then got a huge play defensively as McCarthy lost the handle on the ball and it was recovered by Jacub Panasiuk at the Michigan 41. Seven plays later, Walker scampered 23 yards for his fifth touchdown to put Michigan State ahead, 37-33, with 5:08 to play.
