By Micheal Greenway
The Michigan Wolverines travel to East Lansing to try to beat their in-state rivals for the first time since 2007.
Michigan leads the all-time series 67-31, but has lost the last three. This will be Michigan’s second road game this season, the first coming against Northwestern which does not compare to the atmosphere the Wolverines will face Saturday. It would be a huge win for first-year coach Brady Hoke if Michigan is able to get the win.
Meanwhile, Michigan State will try to send its seniors off with a perfect record against the Wolverines. Hoke has people excited in Ann Arbor again as Michigan is off to its best start since 2006 when the Wolverines started 11-0 before losing to Ohio State. The much improved Wolverine defense must slow down Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins. Last season Cousins led the Spartans to a 34-17 victory over Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Last week Denard Robinson threw four interceptions, if Robinson has a repeat performance the game could be over by halftime. Michigan State is coming off a bye week, so the Spartans have had two weeks to prepare for Saturday’s game a.
Michigan State is third in points against average per game in the nation, only giving up 10.2 points a game. That stat is misleading though, as the Spartans have played three of their five games against Youngstown State, Florida Atlantic and Central Michigan. The other games have come against Notre Dame, which hung 31 points on the Spartan defense, and Ohio State which they managed to hold at seven points.
Cousins is they key for the Spartans and is going to have to play a near perfect game Saturday. The Spartans will need close to 40 points to win.
My call: Michigan 38, Michigan State 28 — Denard Robinson will prove too much for the Spartan defense. Robinson will have 200 yards rushing, 200 yards passing and four total touchdowns against an unproven Michigan State defense. Kirk Cousins and Michigan State will score points, but it won’t be enough and Michigan will end its three-game losing streak, against one of their rivals.