Michigan State Defeats Michigan 15-6 to Reclaim Paul Bunyan Trophy

Michigan State Reclaims Paul Bunyan Trophy After 15-6 Win in Ann Arbor

For the first time since 2021, the Paul Bunyan Trophy will reside in East Lansing. Michigan State traveled to Ann Arbor in the midst of a six-game losing streak and without a single conference win to its name, but reversed course on its season after a grind-out defensive battle, according to reporting by The State News.

The Spartans entered the matchup without a conference win to its name. That narrative changed under head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who secured his first Big Ten victory since taking over the program via a 14.5-point upset over the Wolverines.

The game featured an unrelenting defensive showcase orchestrated by defensive coordinator Joe Rossi. According to coverage by Detroit Sports Nation, Rossi’s defense held Michigan to just six points, marking the first time the Spartans have kept an opponent under ten points since playing Eastern Michigan.

Liam Boyd Kicks Five Field Goals to Defeat Michigan

Neither offense reached the end zone for the majority of the contest. Instead, Michigan State relied heavily on the leg of graduate kicker Liam Boyd, who went five for five on field goal attempts. Boyd accounted for all 15 of the Spartans’ points, highlighted by a 49-yard strike.

Michigan’s offense struggled to find traction against the Spartan pressure. Quarterback Tommy Carr finished 14 of 26 passing for 138 yards and was sacked five times. The Michigan State defense also matched its season total in interceptions during the single contest, picking off Carr twice—once by safety Devin Vaught and once by cornerback NiJhay Burt—while also forcing and recovering two fumbles.

Spartan punter Rhys Dakin added stellar field-position control, averaging 48.8 yards on four punts and pinning three of them inside the Wolverines’ 20-yard line.

Alessio Milivojevic Guides Spartans Past Rival Michigan

Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic returned to the field after being listed as questionable on the pre-game injury report. Milivojevic completed 21 of 32 passes for 188 yards, steering the offense into scoring range while avoiding turnovers for the fourth consecutive game.

For Michigan, a late touchdown with 1:35 remaining brought the score to 15-6 following a failed two-point conversion, but the late surge proved insufficient to keep the trophy in Ann Arbor.

With the victory, the Spartans improve to 3-6 overall and 1-5 in conference play. Fitzgerald’s squad now returns to East Lansing to host Washington at 4:15 p.m. Saturday on the Big Ten Network, looking to build momentum as the season winds down.