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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — They say of rivalry games to throw out the record books, that the perceived better team is going to get everything they can handle by its bitter enemy.
Yeah, about that.
On Saturday, the score was as lopsided as the records between Michigan and MSU, as the Wolverines handled the embattled Spartans with seeming ease.
On defense, it all started up front, with the defensive line consistently making MSU QB Brian Lewerke uncomfortable, despite having only gotten to him 3 times. But what’s it like for someone like DL coach Shaun Nua, who was just getting his first taste of the rivalry on Saturday? How do you prepare for the emotional component of a game like this when you’ve never taken part in it?
After having been through the game, a 44-10 drubbing by Michigan — Nua notes that the battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy stand tall with some of the other notable rivalries he’s been a part of.
“Been in a lot (of rivalries),” Nua said. “The Army – Navy game, the Holy War: Utah – BYU, (Arizona) -Arizona State – this is right up there.”
But with a bevy of personal foul and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties between both teams, Nua said he didn’t know the tenor of the game until it was well underway.
Still, there was little trepidation he had going into the game, and a lot of that had to do with his unit’s focus and preparation.
“I think it’s when the first personal foul flag went up!” Nua said. “It was probably the most at-peace I’ve ever been going into a rivalry game. And that comes straight from the players. I felt that they were confident. And going into that game, I felt like, ‘I think we’ll be okay as long as we execute.’
“My main worry was the mental part, the emotional part. I think we had five flags and the D-line was responsible for four of them. I was like, ‘Crap! I did a bad job of explaining the emotional part of the game!’ But, we came out on top and it turned out well.”
One of those unsportsmanlike conduct penalties was assessed early to second-year defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, whose father — Chris Hutchinson — was a team captain and All-American in the late 1980s-early 1990s.
Upon getting flagged, Nua says he did have to settle the younger Hutchinson down, but that he loves seeing the aggression he had in this particular game.
“I did – a couple times,” Nua said. “But it’s good, it’s good to be passionate, just gotta control it.
“Aidan – in-state, been in this rivalry since he was born. So I understand where his passion comes from.”
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