ANN ARBOR — It’s not like football coaches to disparage an opponent before a game. Even though Michigan State has yet to win a Big Ten game this season, losing all four by double digits, and Michigan has won three straight in the series, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore talked up the Spartans.
Most of the questions he fielded Monday about Saturday’s showdown in East Lansing (7:45 p.m. ET, NBC) revolved around the rivalry in general: How he’ll teach the Wolverines about the Paul Bunyan Trophy and how to handle the extracurricular activity that often takes place before, during or after these games, for example.
“We’ll definitely educate our young guys and let them know that this is a game we put everything into,” Moore said.
Moore’s predecessor, Jim Harbaugh, called this game the state championship, a phrase repeated by Michigan offensive lineman Giovanni El-Hadi on Monday. The Wolverines gave no indication they are overlooking their in-state rival.
Michigan State did get off to a 3-0 start, with Spartans claiming the Big Ten’s offensive and defensive player of the week awards after a win over Boston College in early September. One of those honors went to quarterback Aidan Chiles. A rough stretch followed, but Chiles bounced back in Saturday’s 38-13 loss at Indiana. His stat line was impressive: He completed 27 of 33 passes, including 20 straight, for 243 yards and a touchdown, and also had a 64-yard run.
“Chiles is a really good quarterback,” Moore said. “He’s created some explosive plays with his legs too. A little similar to last week as far as explosiveness with his legs — not as twitchy as (Washington’s Demond) Williams (Jr.), but he definitely can make those plays with his legs.”
Michigan limited Williams as a passer and completely shut down his run game in a 24-7 win over Washington. Moore figured it would take a similar effort to slow Chiles.
Michigan State’s Nick Marsh had seven catches for 64 yards last week and caught his fifth touchdown of the season. The 6-foot-3 receiver from Detroit had a touchdown against Michigan last year.
“Big, strong, physical receiver,” Moore said. “Can make the 50-50 ball. Really good route runner. … We’ll have to have a great plan to stop him.”
Moore praised Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith for having good run schemes going back to his days at Oregon State.
The play calling and personnel have not led to much production lately. Michigan State ranks 16th among the 18 Big Ten teams in total offense and 17th in total defense.
Moore said he’s familiar with Michigan State defensive coordinator Joe Rossi not just from last year’s game but previous years at Minnesota. The Wolverines, Moore said, will have to prepare for various types of coverages.
Michigan State may be reeling, but Moore doesn’t think that will matter Saturday. Rivalry games bring out the best in teams, right?
“Oh, yeah, 100 percent,” Moore said. “Records don’t matter. Records do not matter in this game. … We’re going to get everything they’ve got. We’re going to get their best. They’re going to get our best. It will be a great game, a physical game, a great atmosphere. So that’s all we can worry about.”
The 5-2 Michigan Wolverines face the 3-4 Michigan State Spartans on Saturday night at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Michigan has won the last three matchups, but Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore says to throw out the record books in a rivalry such as this one.
Michigan versus Michigan State gets chippy between fanbases and players alike, something Moore is fully aware of. Moore has made it clear to the Michigan team what they should be focusing on heading into the tilt.
“The outside noise doesn’t matter, the talking doesn’t matter. It’s about playing the game, executing the game on the field,“ Moore told Brad Galli.
Moore wants all of Michigan’s energy to be focused on football.
“The biggest thing is that you’re not going to win the game talking. You’re not going to win the game with all the extra stuff,” Moore explained. “Conscious effort on just attacking what we need to attack to win the football game. The fans, the crowd, their players talking, people talk, that doesn’t matter. We have to worry about executing. And put in the work to go win the game.”
Michigan and Michigan State got into a skirmish after the final whistle last year, and in 2022, an incident occurred in the Michigan Stadium tunnel where seven Michigan State players were charged with assault and battery against Michigan’s Ja’Den McBurrows and Gemon Green. Moore, who was Michigan’s offensive coordinator in ‘22, knows that fighting can’t happen again.
“None of that helps you win the game; it actually takes away the energy from you winning the game. All we have to do is rinse, repeat. Urgency is the keyword right now, urgency in everything we do. Urgency in the detail, urgency, and that’s going to class, making sure everything’s aligned perfectly for us to win this game,” Moore said. “We can’t worry about it. Can’t worry about the past, but we can learn from it and learn about those things. We’re just going to continue to harp on that. All that stuff doesn’t matter; just work on things we need to work on to win the game.”
Moore says he has respect for Michigan State’s coaching staff and players.
“We’re going to get everything they got. We’re going to get their best. They’re going to get our best,” Moore said. “It’ll be a great game. A physical game. A great atmosphere. That’s all we can worry about.”
Moore and Michigan will hope for the same type of success as the last time they had a road game at Michigan State, a 49-0 Michigan win in 2023.
