The Battle for the Paul Bunyan is happening tonight at the Big House. Here’s what #Michigan needs to do to earn their third consecutive win in the rivalry game over MSU:
The rivalry game that means the most is happening in late November, but the Battle for the Paul Bunyan trophy is a close second. There has been no love lost between the Wolverines and Spartans in recent years, from Devin Bush stomping on the Spartan logo to Michigan State players assaulting Gemon Green in the tunnel.
The rivalry game means a bit more for the Wolverines this season. At 4-3 and coming off an ugly Illinois loss, Michigan’s College Football Playoff chances are essentially nonexistent, meaning this has the potential to be U-M’s most satisfying win of the season.
Here’s what the Wolverines need to do to take home Paul Bunyan for the third year in a row.
Stay disciplined and limit turnovers
Jonathan Smith’s tenure at Michigan State has low key been pretty impressive. While the Spartans are also 4-3, their three losses are a tough road matchup to Boston College and losses to Ohio State and Oregon.
One major weakness for MSU this season is penalty yards. The Spartans give up 68.86 yards per game via penalties, a mark that’s second-worst in the Big Ten ahead of only Purdue.
Michigan has been significantly better when it comes to penalty yards (49.86), and it needs to stay the same in this game. Every single yard is going to matter in a rivalry game between two teams that are fairly even on paper.
Dominate on the ground on both sides of the football
Michigan has an advantage on the ground on both sides of the ball. The Wolverines rush for more yards per game (180.3 yards per game compared to 133.3 yards per game for MSU) and have a much better rushing defense (92.1 rushing yards allowed per game compared to MSU’s 131.3 rushing yards per game).
While the struggles of Michigan’s passing offense has been well-documented , Michigan’s rushing attack has looked competent for a good portion of this season. Michigan has an advantage in the trenches, and it has to capitalize on that.
If they can dominate the Spartans on the ground and stop MSU from gaining 4-6 yards per carry, the Wolverines can control the clock and hopefully wear down the Spartans.
For the love of God, win the turnover battle
Quarterback Aidan Chiles had arguably his best game last weekend in a win over Iowa, completing 73.1 percent of his passes for 256 yards and a 1-1 touchdown-interception ratio. With excellent footwork and touch on his passes, he looked like an NFL quarterback for portions of that victory.
As good as Chiles was last week, he has thrown nine interceptions this season, the same amount that Davis Warren, Alex Orji and Jack Tuttle have combined for the Wolverines.
The turnover margin is extra important in a close game like this. Michigan needs to put the quarterback on the field that is the least likely to give away the football. On defense, Michigan needs to dominate against the run and force Chiles into third-and-longs. And a pick-six could be a huge difference-maker in a game like this.
What else does Michigan need to do to win this game? Let us know in the comments.