Tag: msu spartans

MSU offense set to pose a threat to the Michigan football secondary

#Michigan coaches are on high alert for MSU’s pass game. #GoBlue

Michigan football is somewhat limping into what should be one of the biggest games of the season for the Wolverines, even though it’s an unranked vs. unranked matchup.

The annual rivalry against Michigan State always has a lot of juice, but both teams come in ranked 4-3, however the perception of either is moving in opposite directions. That’s in large part because new MSU head coach Jonathan Smith is getting more and more from his offense as weeks go by.

Most of the headlines are garnered by quarterback Aidan Chiles, but MSU is getting consistently better at running the ball while Chiles is getting better at not turning the ball over with as much regularity as he had earlier in the season. Thus, defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan says that Michigan is on high alert for what the Spartans bring to the table.

“I think their offense — that’s really what I kind of focus on. Sometimes on teams we have different areas that we worked on as too, as position coaches. But I think they do a really good job,” Morgan said. “I think the quarterback has gotten better throughout the year. I think that’s something that you can watch and see. I think he’s strong. If you don’t corral him in the pocket and you leave a crease, he’ll go, and you might not catch him. I think the receivers do a really good job. They have the freshman that’s really good. They have a senior that really worked – that did a really good job. I think they’re really good on the outside, one of the upper receiver groups.

“I know you talked about the offense earlier. I think the running backs run extremely hard. I think when you watch them on tape, they’re downhill runners. And I think they had a tight end from Oregon State that led the nation last year in all these stats. I think he’s No. 12 now. I think he’s 87 there. But I think they have a really good offense. I think they kind of mix it up where they’re under center or where they’re not. I think they give the quarterback different options at the line of scrimmage. And I think, you know, the head coach and the OC that deal with the offense, they do a great job of just keeping you on your toes, mixing run and pass. Sometimes you look at different stats. A lot of times they’re 50-50 on a lot of downs and distance, so they don’t really give you a beat. Then they do a good job of self-scouting themselves. But I think their offense is really good.”

As Morgan is a DB coach, he’ll be tasked with slowing down Chiles and the passing game. Chief among the Spartan receivers is a local product in his first year in wide receiver Nick Marsh.

Marsh leads MSU with 24 catches for 433 yards thus far, and as a player who very well could have ended up in Ann Arbor if the previous staff had pursued him harder, it’s tough for Michigan fans to watch a freshman receiver go off while there are issues with the veterans at the position for the Wolverines.

Morgan says that Marsh is already among the Big Ten’s best at his position and he knows it will take a lot to slow him down.

“I think he’s really good. I think he’s going to be a premier receiver in this league,” Morgan said. “I think he’s aggressive. He’s right down the street. As you know, those guys, whenever they get the opportunity to come back where they’re home, they’re going to play hard. I think he’s aggressive. He’s physical. I think he’s one of our better receivers in our league. And they do it as a freshman, right? So, once again, if you’re a freshman and you’re playing at a high level, that guy’s going to be a really good player in our league. And I think that’s kind of what you see.

“I think he’s good in and out his breaks. I think they move him around, inside, outside. I think they do a good job of having seven-man, eight-man pro, where it’s longer developing routes, 20-25 yards down the field. I think that’s kind of their game. They get you one-on-one. They’ll get you singled up. So, I think they do a good job with them.”

Sherrone Moore breaks down ‘huge game’ for Michigan football vs. rival MSU

Gotta win this one. #GoBlue

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.

Michigan football vs. MSU rivalry game in Week 9 time, channel set

Ugh. #GoBlue

Once upon a time, the idea of having a night game between in-state rivals Michigan football and Michigan State was outside the realm of thought. The teams from the mitten hate each other, and thus, the fans don’t exactly see eye to eye.

However, it appears to be becoming much more of a norm as of late that the two teams face off under the lights, as we’ve seen it happen in the past two years.

And now you can make it three in a row.

It was officially announced on Monday that the Wolverines and Spartans will face off at The Big House on Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. and that the battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.

Michigan football has won the past two after MSU had won the two before that. This will be the first meeting between the two under new head coaches Sherrone Moore and Jonathan Smith.

MSU S Dillon Tatum mum after losing teammate Jaden Mangham to Michigan football

The MSU-#Michigan rivalry this offseason has been ‘snip-snap, snip-snap!’ #GoBlue

INDIANAPOLIS — For MSU safety Dillon Tatum, he can look all over the in-state rivalry with Michigan football and see people he knows and loves on both sides. Even some who were on his side a few short months ago are on the other side, and vice versa.

Tatum originally played high school ball at West Bloomfield (Mich.) under then-head coach Ron Bellamy — who is now the receivers coach at Michigan. He has multiple former teammates who are now Wolverines — including running back Donovan Edwards and wide receiver Semaj Morgan. But most recently, he’s seen one of his own from East Lansing — fellow safety Jaden Mangham — opt to move from one side of the rivalry to the other.

In fact, hours after Mangham transferred to Michigan, Michigan linebacker Semaj Bridgeman transferred to Michigan State.

For Tatum, he’s more focused on who joined MSU rather than one of his brothers flipping sides in the rivlary.

“Yeah — switch-up is crazy! But at the end of the day, he felt like that was the best decision for him,” Tatum said. “We got in one of their guys. Just teaching that new guy how the rivalry is from my side, how we feel about this, and that it’s not just any game. It’s never gonna be that way.

“Bringing that in, we’re focused on the future. Focused on learning, getting better with the guys that are in this locker room now to win some games.”

Tatum was very measured with his words when asked about Mangham switching sides. Though he’s happy that he’s happy, he isn’t going to give any bulletin board fodder nor trash him for his decision to wear a winged helmet after being indoctrinated that maize and blue is evil.

“No — it’s OK,” Tatum said. “I don’t really have much to speak on it. It’s not my area to talk about. People are going to do what they’re going to do at the end of the day.”

Still, Tatum keeps his relationships with those who are on the other side. WolverinesWire asked him if he’s still close with Edwards — the burgeoning star for the Wolverines — and he simply said:

“Yup, we still talk.”

Perhaps this is a sign that the rivalry is set to be more respectful. Or it’s just a calm before another annual storm.

Does Jonathan Smith get the Michigan vs. MSU rivalry?

Perhaps his calmer demeanor is a good thing. #GoBlue

INDIANAPOLIS — Since 2007, the Michigan football vs. MSU rivalry has gone to another level. Starting with Mark Dantonio against Lloyd Carr, the pre-and-postgame war of words was the catalyst for a matchup that eventually became toxic.

Both teams have had multiple coaches since. Dantonio lasted for some time in East Lansing (giving way to the short-lived Mel Tucker era), while Michigan had Jim Harbaugh for nine years. But the rivalry boiled over in 2022 when a handful of Spartan players accosted two Wolverines in the Michigan Stadium tunnel after the 29-7 win by the maize and blue.

Tucker has since been fired, and Harlon Barnett served as the interim for much of last year. Now former Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith left his alma mater to oversee the Spartans, in hopes of forging another turnaround.

When it comes to the rivalry, Smith recognizes that there will be heated emotions, but he speaks of the battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy like any other rivalry, sharing generalizations that could come from playing any other in-state team.

“It’s going to be passionate and those things,” Smith said at Big Ten media days on Wednesday. “I enjoy being in an in-state rivalry — really for my whole coaching career — where there’s an in-state rivalry that took place. And I think that’s (great) for college football and the traditions and then go with that.

“Look, every game means something, but that game will mean a whole lot.”

When further asked what he’s learned about the rivalry, again, Smith speaks in platitudes, not offering much other than general observations that could be used to describe any two teams sharing a state.

“Just (hear) it means a lot,” Smith said. “It’s a state divided. Even families divided, which is common in other rivalries. Again, I go back to I think it’s a great thing for college football.”

In late May, new Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore and Smith were seen walking together, with Moore even briefly putting his arm around his newfound rival. That was just the second time the two have met, and Smith says he hadn’t met Moore prior to joining the Spartans.

“No, I guess at the Big Ten meetings I bumped into him, but that was the first time,” Smith said. “We don’t have a lot of communication. It’s fine. But I pay him respect for what he was contributing to the last few years at that place.”

Perhaps Smith not having much of an understanding (at least not that he’s talking about) of what’s transpired in recent years between the rivals is a good thing. This is a rivalry in desperate need of civility, and though it had seemed that it was possible when Mel Tucker replaced Mark Dantonio, his short tenure only served to inflame tensions rather than calm them.

Where CBS Sports ranks Michigan football vs. Ohio State rivalry

Some great rivalries for #Michigan within the Big Ten. #GoBlue

Michigan football and Ohio State fans say that The Game is the best rivalry in all of sports, yet, you’ll often find a lot of arguments of other rivalries, not just in sports, but even in college football, that some proclaim to be better.

Those arguments are wrong, but they exist.

Some will claim that there are others with more panache — The Red River Rivalry, Army vs. Navy, USC vs. Notre Dame, and the like. But when it comes to the Big Ten, no rivalry comes close.

CBS Sports ranked the top rivalries now that the Big Ten is being retooled with four new additions to the conference officially arriving on July 1, and unsurprisingly, The Game comes in at No. 1.

1. Michigan vs. Ohio State

It’s not only the biggest rivalry in the Big Ten, but it’s also in the running as the biggest rivalry in college football if not all American sports. It’s referred to simply as The Game, and it’s played between the two schools that have historically dominated the Big Ten. Coaches get fired for losing this game despite other accomplishments, while winning it consistently buys you time. No matter how large the Big Ten gets, this will always be the matchup the league considers its crown jewel. Michigan leads all-time series 61-51-6

Of course, that’s not Michigan’s only rivalry within the conference. The Wolverines also have a heated in-state rivalry that’s, at times, been utterly toxic.

The Michigan-Michigan State rivalry was once cherished but given the heated nature, sometimes it’s more frustrating than anything — even in years where the preferred team wins. Still, it’s ranked the No. 5 rivalry, according to CBS Sports.

5. Michigan vs. Michigan State (Paul Bunyan Trophy)

There’s plenty of hate here, as you’d expect from two public schools that share a state and battle each other on and off the field. However, while I appreciate that anger and the trophy is rock solid, the rivalry has been too one-sided to rank any higher than this. Plus, you know, Michigan State isn’t Michigan’s primary rival. Still, whenever the words “little brother” are thrown around as often as they are here, you can count on fireworks. Michigan leads 73-38-5

Not to be left out, the Minnesota rivalry (the Little Brown Jug) is No. 11 and the newly-minted Northwestern rivalry (the George Jewett Trophy) comes in at No. 17.

Former Michigan basketball assistant Saddi Washington joins rival MSU

Best of luck to him but C’MON! #GoBlue

There’s been a lot of rivalry switching these days with the University of Michigan seeming to be the bigger benefactor of late. But a new hire is going the other way.

In football, Michigan got running backs coach Tony Alford from Ohio State and safety Jaden Mangham from MSU. Linebacker Joey Velazquez ended up joining the Buckeyes. In basketball, the Wolverines got guard Roddy Gayle Jr. from OSU. But one former assistant from the basketball team is heading to the other rivalry.

On Thursday, Michigan State announced that Tom Izzo is hiring former Wolverines assistant Saddi Washington to be an assistant for the Spartans.

“I’m very excited to welcome Saddi to our staff and to bring him back home to the Lansing area,” Izzo said. “I’ve known him since he was in junior high school, where he had Doug Herner as a teacher and I’ve had a great relationship with him and his family for a long, long time. Obviously, he’s got some deep ties at Michigan State as his parents and his brother are all alums and his father, Stan, was one of the greats of our program.

“Saddi is not only a real and genuine person, but he’s an incredible coach who has had a great career working for some great people, from my good friend Greg Kampe at Oakland and to his last eight years at Michigan, under both John Beilein and Juwan Howard. He’s an outstanding teacher with a great basketball IQ and has been recognized as a great recruiter, in and out of Michigan.

“We’re excited to welcome Saddi back home and to have his wife, Channon, and their two kids, Sidney and Caleb, as part of the Spartan Family.”

Washington was a longtime assistant under former head coach John Beilein and was retained by Juwan Howard when he took over. However, new head coach Dusty May cleaned house after his hire in order to implement his vision for the maize and blue.

Sherrone Moore says ‘rivalries are still alive’ despite player swap with MSU

This is kind of surprising. #GoBlue

DETROIT — You’d think that Sherrone Moore and Jonathan Smith are buddies the way they appeared to be palling around with each other at the outset of the SoundMind SoundBody football camp at Wayne State.

After each gave a brief speech, the Michigan football and Michigan State coaches walked off the floor together, with Moore patting Smith on the back. But, for now, that’s off the field. Things are certain to change come October.

Both rivals had something almost unheard of just a few short weeks ago — players switching sides. It happens — Michigan got Ed Warinner’s son to switch before the 2020 season. The year after, linebacker Ben VanSumeren switched from maize and blue to green and white.

But this offseason, two players switched sides just hours apart.

First it was starting safety Jaden Maugham who transferred from MSU to Michigan — drawing the ire of Spartan fans. Hours later, Michigan linebacker Semaj Bridgeman transferred from Ann Arbor to East Lansing.

At SMSB, Moore says that he hasn’t heard all of the backlash on social media, but he’s happy that it worked out for both players. And regardless, once the teams take the field on the last Saturday in October, the mutual hate will certainly be apparent.\

“We’re happy we got Jaden,” Moore said. “He was really good player, an All-Big Ten player, so super stoked for him. And, excited for Semaj — he got an opportunity like he wanted, so good for him and all the blessings for him. But, I think the rivalries are still alive and just respected all of them but they’re still alive.”

Moore has been around the rivalry for some time having coached at Michigan since 2018. But this will be new to Smith — though he’s not unfamiliar with being the ‘little brother’ in rivalries, given he was the head coach of an overlooked Oregon State (which had occasionally taken down ‘big brother’ Oregon). It will be interesting to see how the two coaches handle working against each other in-state.

But for now, it makes sense they’d be docile. Because that October matchup in The Big House seems very far away.

Michigan linebacker transfers to rival Michigan State

The trade for Jaden Mangham was completed in a hurry.

Consider it something of a trade.

Once upon a time, it wasn’t usual for one player to move from one side of a prominent rivalry to another. It was groundbreaking when Justin Boren left Michigan football for rival Ohio State back in 2008. But it’s now becoming a little more commonplace.

In fact, on Friday, we saw one player go from Michigan State to Michigan and another from Michigan to Michigan State.

On the heels of MSU safety Jaden Mangham committing to the Wolverines via the transfer portal, just a few hours later, Wolverines linebacker Semaj Bridgeman transferred to the Spartans.

Bridgeman is entering his second year and has a full four years of eligibility at his disposal. He’s not the first Michigan football linebacker to make his way to East Lansing in recent memory as Ben VanSumeren — who moonlighted as a tailback — also made the move to MSU following a defensive coordinator change.

How to watch, listen or stream Michigan hockey vs. MSU in NCAA Tournament

HUGE game on Sunday night! Don’t miss it! #GoBlue #BeatMSU

The last time Michigan hockey faced off against rival Michigan State, though the Wolverines appeared to have an upper hand, a questionable goal tied things up for the Spartans, and MSU went on to win the Big Ten Tournament championship, 5-4, in overtime.

Now, the stakes are even higher, with a trip to the Frozen Four on the line. The 3-seed Wolverines hope to avenge the 1-4 record against MSU in 2023-24, this time on the biggest stage. If you’re Michigan, win and you’re taking a trip to St. Paul, Minnesota to face either Boston College or Quinnipiac for the right to advance to the championship game — while sending your rival home. Lose, and you’re going back to Ann Arbor, not set to take the ice again until next season.

If you’re planning on watching the game, here is all the information you need.

Basic info

When: Sun., March 31, 2024, 6:30 p.m. EDT

Where: Centene Community Ice Center (Maryland Heights, Mo.)

Who: Michigan State Spartans (1-seed, 25-9-3)

Line: MSU -1.5

How to watch/listen:

Streaming: TV: WatchESPN; fuboTV; Audio: MGoBlue

Broadcast: ESPN2

Radio: The Varsity Network

Notes:

Via MGoBlue.com

• One of college hockey’s greatest rivalries is renewed for the second time in as many weeks in the NCAA’s Maryland Heights Regional, as the University of Michigan and Michigan State will face off for the 343rd all-time meeting, but first in the NCAA tournament.

• U-M owns a 176-142-24 advantage over the Spartans in the all-time series, including a narrow 11-10 edge in postseason meetings. MSU won the first seven postseason contests between the rivals until Michigan turned the tables in 1996. Since then, U-M is 11-3 in the playoffs versus the Spartans.

• Michigan opened the 2024 NCAA tournament by knocking off No. 5 North Dakota on Friday night. After falling behind in both the first and second periods, Michigan tied the game early in the second and third periods. In the final frame, the Wolverines never looked back, scoring three times to secure a 4-3 win. The line of Dylan Duke, Garrett Schifsky and T.J. Hughes was tremendous. Duke, the Wolverines’ leading active career scorer, netted a pair of goals in the third period. Meanwhile, Schifsky notched two assists and Hughes scored one while assisting on another. The trio finished the night with a combined +8 rating.

• Rutger McGroarty leads the team in scoring with 52 points on 16 goals and team-high 36 assists. Big Ten Player of the Year Gavin Brindley has 51 points off a team-best 24 goals and 27 helpers. After Duke’s two goals Friday, he is now tied with the team lead in goals with 24 while adding 22 assists. Hughes matches his total with 46 points, followed by Seamus Casey with 45 and Frank Nazar III with 40. All six are averaging over one point per game. McGroarty and Casey rank third and fourth nationally in helpers.

• Michigan’s top-ranked power-play unit is operating at 35 percent and has scored 49 times, the most for Michigan since they had 49 in 2005-06. U-M has been strong in the faceoff dot (52.7 percent) and the penalty kill (78.6 percent) has improved in the second half.

• In a homecoming for Jake Barczewski, a native of O’Fallon, Mo., he set a new career high in wins by going 19-13-3 as a Wolverine. Earlier this year, he surpassed a pair of major milestones with his 100th collegiate start and 3,000th career save. Barczewski is the active NCAA saves leader with 3,674 over his five seasons. The goaltender has accrued 955 this year while posting a .907 save percentage and 2.83 goals-against average along with a pair of shutouts.

• This year’s NCAA tournament bid for the Wolverines is the 41st in program history. That figure is a record, as are Michigan’s 27 Frozen Four appearances and nine national titles. After Friday’s win, the Wolverines improve to 58-32 in the tournament all-time.