Michigan Reigns in Battle for Paul Bunyan Trophy

Saturday, October 20

East Lansing, Mich.

Noon

Michigan

7-1 , 5-0

Michigan State

4-3 , 2-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Michigan

Michigan State

10/20/2018 5:39:00 PM | Football

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By: Dave Ablauf, Chad Shepard

Site: East Lansing, Mich. (Spartan Stadium)
Score: #6 Michigan 21, #24 Michigan State 7
Records: U-M (7-1, 5-0 B1G), MSU (4-3, 2-2 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Nov. 3 -- vs. Penn State (Michigan Stadium), TBA

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- In the 66th meeting for the Paul Bunyan Trophy, a dominant defensive effort led the No. 6-ranked University of Michigan football team to a 21-7 rain-soaked victory at No. 24-ranked Michigan State on Saturday (Oct. 20) in Spartan Stadium.

Michigan's vaunted defense limited MSU to 94 yards of offense on 51 plays, and a trio of impressive scoring drives gave the Wolverines what was necessary in a game that featured a 75-minute weather delay and was played under persistent rainfall.

» Michigan limited Michigan State to 94 yards of offense on 51 plays.
» Michigan improved to 10-0 when Karan Higdon runs for 100 yards (144 yards on Saturday).
» Shea Patterson's 79-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones in the third quarter broke a 7-7 tie.

Among the storylines Saturday was a defensive effort as dominant as this series has seen. Michigan did not allow a third- or fourth-down conversion to MSU (0-for-13 combined) while limiting the Spartans to 15 rushing yards on 23 carries (0.7 yards per carry). Michigan State's longest rush of the day was supplied by backup QB Rocky Lombardi, a 10-yard scamper late in the fourth quarter. Starting QB Brian Lewerke completed his first two passes of the day but finished just 5-of-25 for 66 yards. Six U-M players combined for seven tackles for loss, led by Josh Uche with two sacks.

The seven points scored by Michigan State are the fewest for the Spartans in this rivalry since 2002, when U-M won, 49-3. The 28 total points in the game are the fewest since 2000, when U-M won a 14-0 matchup. Michigan State possessed the ball for just 18:57 of the game.

Michigan was in the midst of its second offensive possession when play was halted for a 75-minute weather delay. Upon return, the Wolverines converted a trio of third downs including an 11-yard strike from Shea Patterson to Nico Collins for a touchdown to cap a 14-play, 84-yard drive covering 7:56 of game time and ending early in the second quarter. Patterson's throw was crisp and placed where only Collins had a play on the ball, as he streaked across the back of the end zone before a leaping catch under the goal posts.

The teams traded punts for the remainder of the half. Michigan's defense shut down the Spartans, while MSU's bend-but-don't break defense kept the Wolverines at bay despite excellent starting field position for the visitors. Among the missed opportunities for Michigan was a 36-yard field goal attempt that was no good with 1:36 to play in the second quarter.

The 7-0 halftime score belied how lopsided the opening half was, with Michigan out-gaining the Spartans, 170-49, in total yards. It was MSU's worst half offensively since Oct. 14, 2006, against Ohio State. Following his first two pass completion, Lewerke was successful on just one of his next 11 attempts for a total of 38 yards. Further, Michigan held the Spartans to 11 rushing yards on 13 carries. It only got worse for the home team in the second half as they would gain just four yards on the ground.

The second half did not start well for Michigan, which committed personal fouls on each of the first two plays to allow MSU to drive the ball inside the 30-yard line. U-M held fast and kept Michigan State off the scoreboard, but four plays later a fumble gave the Spartans the ball at the Wolverines' 7-yard line as rain returned to the region. MSU used a reverse option pass play from wide receiver Darrell Stewart Jr. to Lewerke from four yards out to tie the game with 11:12 to play in the third quarter.

The rain continued to wreak havoc. U-M was forced to punt on its next possession, and Will Hart pumped out another gem. His 50-yarder bounced up nicely for MSU's Shakur Brown, but Jordan Glasgow put his helmet right on the ball, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Joe Hewlett at Michigan State's 46-yard line.

Michigan converted a third down, and a run from Karan Higdon moved the ball to MSU's 22, where the Wolverines faced 2nd-and-2. Higdon stumbled into the next handoff, and MSU fell on the fumbled ball on its own 23-yard line to regain possession with 6:40 to play in the third quarter.

Momentum suddenly swung in Michigan's favor, thanks to another pinpoint pass from Patterson and a spectacular effort from Donovan Peoples-Jones. On first down from the U-M 21-yard line, Peoples-Jones was locked in one-on-one coverage with Tre Person along Michigan's sideline. Patterson targeted the sophomore and lofted a perfect pass that Peoples-Jones caught in stride before jumping out Person's arm tackle and streaking down the sideline for a 79-yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead with 2:24 left in the third quarter. By the end of the quarter, the yardage discrepancy stood at 308-87, but just seven points separated the teams.

After forcing its 10th punt of the day through just three quarters, Michigan reclaimed possession and scored again on another 84-yard drive capped by a bruising five-yard run from Ben Mason to make the score 21-7 with 10:21 to play. Patterson again keyed the drive when he kept the ball on a 4th-and-2 read-option play, scampering 11 yards for a first down before another 11-yard keeper several snaps later to set up Mason.

MSU briefly reached the 100-yard mark with 2:26 to play in the game, but three more tackles for a loss pushed them back to 94 yards of offense for the game against U-M's steady 395-yard day.

Higdon paced the ground game with his sixth consecutive 100-yard rushing effort. He finished the game with 144 yards on career-high 33 carries. Michigan is 10-0 when Higdon reaches the century mark.

Patterson was 14-of-25 through the air for 212 yards and two touchdowns while finding eight different receivers.

Following a bye week, Michigan will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 3, with a home game against Penn State. Start time has yet to be announced for the contest at Michigan Stadium.