Spartans win ‘state championship’ over UM
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Pat Fitzgerald’s long wait is over.
Liam Boyd made five field goals on five attempts and Michigan State’s defense forced four turnovers and had five sacks in a 15-6 win over Michigan on Saturday night.
The Spartans (3-6, 1-5 Big Ten) snapped a six-game losing streak and helped Fitzgerald end a 13-game Big Ten losing streak, dating to the 2022 season-opening game at Northwestern.
They snatched the Paul Bunyan Trophy that the winner of the rivalry gets to keep after the game and went around the perimeter of the field to enjoy the moment with green-and-white clad fans in the Big House that didn’t have many Michigan fans in the stands for the final minutes.
“To see our fan base and celebrate with them is something I’ll never, ever forget,” Fitzgerald said. “We know we’re not going to Indianapolis (for the Big Ten championship game), but today was the state championship and we’re 1-0.”
The Wolverines (5-4, 2-4) scored with 1:35 left on Savion Hiter’s 1-yard run to avoid being shut out for the first time since 2014 and Tommy Carr was sacked on a 2-point conversion to seal the defeat.
Michigan was held scoreless in the first half for a third straight home game. The last time the Wolverines didn’t have a point by halftime three times in a season was 1979, according to Sportradar.
Michigan State’s Alessio Milivojevic, who missed the previous game with an injury, was 21 of 32 for 188 yards without a turnover.
Michigan’s Tommy Carr was 14 of 26 for 138 yards with two interceptions. Running back Bryson Kuzdzal and receiver Andrew Marsh each lost a fumble in the second half.
Notre Dame 31,
Miami 24
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- Notre Dame quarterback C.J. Carr said his father, former Michigan quarterback Jason Carr, didn't hold back evaluating his first performance against Miami.
"My Dad called me before this game," C.J. Carr said. "His words were, `There was a boy out there playing at Miami.'”
On Saturday, Miami saw the grown-up version of C.J. Carr.
Carr, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound junior from Saline, Michigan, passed for three touchdowns and 319 yards as No. 4 Notre Dame knocked off No. 1 Miami 31-24.
Wisconsin 31,
Rutgers 10
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Freshman Ryan Hopkins went 18 of 24 for 241 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start as Wisconsin bounced back from its worst loss of the season by defeating Rutgers 31-10 on Saturday.
Hopkins earned the start in place of Colton Joseph after relieving him during a 30-0 defeat at Iowa last week. Joseph had thrown for fewer than 100 yards in each of the Badgers' last three games.
Hopkins had touchdown completions of 21 yards to Eugene Hilton Jr., 11 yards to Ryan Schwendeman and 66 yards to Jacob Harris. Wisconsin scored the game’s final 21 points.