ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Michigan Wolverines overcame an early deficit and pounded the Michigan State Spartans 44-10 in a Big Ten Conference battle of intrastate rivals Saturday afternoon at Michigan Stadium.
The game was broadcast live on FOX 17.
The Wolverines entered the contest 7-2 and rated 14th in the nation while the Spartans came in sporting a 4-5 record and in the throes of a 4-game losing streak. Michigan was a 13 1/2-point favorite and took the field leading the all-time series 70-36-5.
Michigan received the opening kickoff and the two teams swapped possessions until MSU quarterback Brian Lewerke hit Max Rosenthal with a 1-yard TD pass and a 7-0 advantage with 1:48 left in the opener -- a gap that stood through the period's conclusion.
The Wolverines came right back to knot the count at 7-all on Hassan Haskins' 1-yard scoring run and an extra-point kick by Rockford's Quinn Nordin with 14:29 to go until intermission. Michigan then took its first lead at 14-7 when quarterback Shea Patterson connected with Nick Eubanks on a 5-yard touchdown aerial at the 4:18 juncture.
Nordin then was true on a 28-yard field goal with 15 seconds left for a 17-7 hometown lead at halftime.
The Wolverines went up 24-7 at the 12:40 mark of the third on a swing pass from Patterson to Donovan Peoples-Jones and Nordin's PAT. Then with 6:43 showing in the third quarter, the Spartans' Matt Coghlin booted a 35-yard field goal to trim the gap to 24-10.
Nordin put Michigan ahead 27-10 with a 49-yard field goal with 1:01 remaining in the third stanza, which remained in effect at the final break.
Nico Collins then extended the Wolverine lead to 34-10 with a 22-yard catch from Patterson with 14:46 to play. Nordin added a 33-yard field goal for a 37-10 edge at 10:12. The bulge reached 44-10 when Patterson and Cornelius Johnson connected 39 yards through the air at the 2:38 juncture.
That's how the game ended, with Michigan retaining the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
The game became heated and was marred by a player ejection plus several unsportsmanlike conduct and personal foul penalties.
Next up, the Wolverines will hit the road to meet 24th-ranked Indiana next Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Spartans also will be away from home, bound for Piscataway, N.J., and a a date with Rutgers starting at noon next Saturday afternoon.
