ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The past several years, the Michigan football vs. MSU rivalry has taken center stage, especially because one or the other program is in a good position to contend for something in the postseason. However, this year, both rivals enter Saturday’s Week 9 contest with 4-3 records, and this game is mostly for pride.
The Wolverines have won two straight after having lost two straight. Both teams have new head coaches but for Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore, this is his seventh iteration against the rival Spartans, as he came aboard in 2018 as the tight ends coach for the maize and blue and having worked his way up to head coach. In his time in Ann Arbor, Moore has seen Michigan go 4-2 against MSU.
“I think it’s huge. It’s a huge game,” Moore said on Monday. “We’re playing Michigan State, and it’s a rivalry. It’s an in-state rivalry, and everything’s on the line. We’ve got to keep Paul Bunyan here, and there’s a lot of pride in that trophy. There’s a lot of pride in this rivalry, and we’re going to do everything we can to win.”
When it comes to turnovers, MSU is in a similar boat to that of Michigan. The Wolverines are ranked No. 117 in turnover margin, and the Spartans aren’t that far ahead, ranked No. 111. Both teams have lost 15 turnovers through seven games, but MSU has managed to get one more takeaway in that span.
However, quarterback Aidan Chiles has been far superior in being able to push the ball downfield, despite his turnover issues. He’s averaging 209.7 yards per game, though he’s accounted for nine interceptions despite having thrown six touchdowns. As a QB who can extend drives with his legs, Moore says it’s of paramount importance to not lose sight of Chiles’ playmaking ability, even if he does have some turnover struggles.
“You’ve got to do a great job with your rush lanes, and that’s something we’re going to stress and talk about,” Moore said. “You’ve got to do that with that guy because once he gets outside the pocket, he can be dynamic. He can do some things to hurt you. So you’ve got to keep him in the pocket and be really disciplined with your lanes, whether it’s a four-man rush or a five-man rush, where you’re at in the pocket, keeping him compressed. Because if he gets out, he can make things happen with his feet, and he can make things happen with his arms.
“So we’ve got to do things there and mix up different looks for him. So it’s not easy, so he can just look at his read and throw to his read. So you’ve got to do a good job of keeping him in his pocket.”
Michigan and MSU will kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday evening at The Big House with the game being broadcast on Big Ten Network.