F

or all the talk of Michigan’s quest 
to reclaim the Paul Bunyan trophy 
and avenge last year’s defeat, the 
Spartans entered the Big House undaunted. 
Regardless of records or talent, the allure 
of hoisting the trophy and holding in-state 
bragging rights always brings out best efforts 
from each team.
On Saturday night, the Wolverines (8-0 
overall, 5-0 Big Ten) took some punches 
from Michigan State (3-5, 1-4), but ultimately 
came out ahead, ensuring the trophy would 
reside in Ann Arbor for the next year with a 
29-7 victory. 
“Tremendous win,” Michigan coach Jim 
Harbaugh said. “Great to have Paul back. Our 
players were locked in and focused the entire 
game.”
Celebrations, though, were dampened 
following the game when an ugly altercation 
broke out in the tunnel, with Harbaugh 
saying two of his players were “assaulted” 
— and footage corroborated his statement. 
Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel 
addressed the situation post game and said 
there would be a police investigation. 
The fight, perhaps, was indicative of 

frustrations boiling over 
after a difficult night for the 
Spartans. But in the early moments of the 
game, they looked ready for a battle. After 
forcing a fumble on the Wolverines’ opening 
drive, Michigan State then claimed the 
game’s first touchdown, connecting on a 
deep ball to wide receiver Keon Coleman.
Michigan was knocked on its heels and 
trailed 7-3 at the end of the first quarter. 
But it remained unfazed and conjured a 
counterpunch, putting together an 80 yard 
drive the following possession capped with 
a two-yard touchdown reception from junior 
running back Blake Corum. 
The Wolverines found the red zone often 
in the first half. But winding up in the end 
zone proved much more elusive — as they 
settled for short field goals on two other 
possessions. 
“We gotta score,” junior running back 
Blake Corum said. “I wanted to blow them 
out. And it should’ve been a blowout. But I’m 
not gonna make any excuses, we got to get 
better at the red zone. And we will.” 
Michigan held a 13-7 lead into the locker 
room, firmly controlling the pace of play but 
leaving points on the board and the door 
open for Michigan State to hang around. 
The Wolverines found themselves just 30 
minutes from reclaiming Paul Bunyan. 

But when they returned 
to the field and those minutes 
began to tick down, Michigan’s red zone 
inefficiencies made that achievement look a 
little less attainable. 
Despite methodically moving the ball 
into the red zone on both third quarter 
possessions, and only punting once in the 
game, it settled for two more field goals 
with graduate kicker Jake Moody suddenly 
shouldering the offensive burden. 
“We just got to finish,” sophomore 
quarterback J.J. McCarthy said. “It’s back 
to back weeks where we can’t put the ball 
in the end zone so that’s gonna be a huge 
improvement for us. That’s gonna be a huge 
focus going forward, and we just got to get 
it done.”
Fortunately for the offense, Moody was up 
for the task, and his fifth field goal attempt 
in the early fourth quarter — this time from 
54-yards — soared through the uprights 
once again to extend the lead to 22-7.
While Michigan wasn’t dominating, 
it still managed to slowly suffocate the 
Spartans. For every falter the offense had, 
the defense only grew stronger, stymying 
the Spartans over and over — and not even 
surrendering a first down in the second half 
until the fourth quarter. 
“The key to the game was the way our 

defense played, on third down especially,” 
Harbaugh said. “The three and outs in the 
second half. The third down stops. Just an 
outstanding job by our defense.”
The Wolverines could nearly feel the 
high of a rivalry victory, but the floodgates 
weren’t truly open until, ironically, the game 
recreated one of the rivalry’s most dramatic 
moments. With 13:26 left, Michigan State’s 
punter had some “trouble with the snap” and 
Michigan pounced — tackling the punter 
and gaining possession at the Spartans’ 
eight-yard line. 
This time, the red zone offense prevailed 
as Corum squeaked through the line for 
his second score of the day. From there, the 
rivalry morphed into a rout.
“We don’t talk, we just do,” Corum said. 
“(Michigan State) was talking. But you 
can only talk so much when you’re getting 
punished. It got quiet real quick.”
For 364 days, Michigan heard the chatter 
about what they failed to do in East Lansing, 
forced to live with the image of Paul Bunyan 
being hoisted by their rivals. But after sixty 
minutes of smothering football, and a refusal 
to wilt with the game seemingly in hand, the 
Wolverines finally found a way to maintain 
control. 
And for the first time since 2019, Paul will 
spend the night in Ann Arbor.

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, November 2, 2022

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

JOSH TAUBMAN
Daily Sports Editor

michigandaily.com

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INDEX
Vol. CXXXII, No. 98
©2022 The Michigan Daily

NEWS............................ 2

A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

S TAT E M E N T . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

MIC ............................10

O P I N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1

S P O RT S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
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Spartans resort to violence in 
tunnel following first rivalry 
loss to Wolverines since 2019

DefeateD
without 
Dignity

MICHIGAN 29

MICHIGAN STATE 7

an ugly 
altercation broke 
out in the tunnel, 
with harbaugh 
saying two of his 
players were 
“assaulteD” — 
anD footage 
corroborateD his 
statement.

ANNA FUDER/Daily, KATE HUA/Daily | Design by Lys Goldman