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3 things Michigan Football must do to beat Michigan State

By Jordan Bruetsch

Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh watches warmups before action against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan Stadium, Saturday, October 15, 2022.Michpenn 101522 Kd 001868
Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh watches warmups before action against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan Stadium, Saturday, October 15, 2022.Michpenn 101522 Kd 001868 /
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We are closing in on Michigan football and Michigan State and here are the three things the Wolverines must do to upend the Spartans on Saturday.

Michigan Football has not fared as well against the Spartans in recent history as fans would like. In the entirety of the Jim Harbaugh era, I don’t think there’s been a single year where the Spartans have had more talent than the Wolverines, yet Jim Harbaugh sits at 3-4 against the Spartans.

This year is no different. Michigan football has tons more talent than the Spartans and should, on paper, be able to put down the Spartans without much of a fight.

As we all know, however, it isn’t that easy.

This is the most important game of the year for the Spartans, and if they’re able to pull off an upset against their arch-rival, their struggles on the field this season will be forgotten and forgiven.

Here are three things the Wolverines must do in order to avoid an upset and keep their undefeated hopes alive.

Win the 50-50 balls

I don’t know if this is just me, but it seems like every time an opposing QB lobs up a jump ball, their WR comes down with it. While Michigan football cornerbacks usually cover well enough to dissuade quarterbacks from lobbing it in their direction, when one does make the gutsy decision (and makes a decent throw), our defensive backs aren’t able to turn around and find the ball, giving up big plays.

This isn’t a new issue either; for as long as I’ve been watching Michigan Football, this has largely been the case. We get into a great position, but finding the ball is a struggle.

For Michigan State to beat us, Jayden Reed and Keon Coleman are going to need to have huge games. The Wolverine run defense has been stout, and against an average-at-best Spartan run offense, I think it’s safe to say that the MSU run game won’t have a ton of success.

This leaves the Spartans with one option: Passing the ball. We know that Mel Tucker and the Spartans won’t be scared to call risky plays and throw risky throws. Heck, I still have nightmares about the 4th & 1 play action pass to Jalen Nailor last year.

For Michigan State to stay in the game, Reed and Coleman are going to have to come down with jump balls. DJ Turner, Will Johnson, and Gemon Green must ensure that they’re unable to.

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