No. 2 Michigan stays unbeaten with 32-23 win at Michigan St

The Spartans won seven of the last eight meetings, including their improbable 27-23 victory last season on Jalen Watts-Jackson’s 38-yard fumble return after an aborted MI punt attempt on the game’s last play. After a season in which they achieved a CFB Playoff berth, MSU is now 2-6.

The Spartans started hot, picking up 63 rushing yards on a 75-yard touchdown drive to start the game.

This was alluded to a bit earlier, but it did sort of feel like MI went a bit conservative after they went up 30-10. The junior had 136 of his 169 yards in the second half and had two touchdown runs of 40-plus yards. James Washington had six catches for 117 yards, Chris Lacy caught two touchdown passes, and Jalen McCleskey matched a career high with 11 receptions for the Cowboys (6-2, 4-1 Big 12).

Speight and his main target on the outside, Amara Darboh, were connecting all game. Facing a fourth-and-five from the U-M 13 yard-line, the Wolverines put the pressure on, and Peppers came through, sacking Brian Lewerke to effectively seal the game. After tying it at 24 with 9:07 left, the Utes (7-2, 4-2) went three-and-out on their next possession and punted to Pettis, who ran parallel toward the far sideline, broke a tackle and outran everyone else. Then, an outside run on fourth and goal was shut down by U-M.

Jackson dominated the game for the Cardinals, as he completed 24 of 41 passes for 361 yards with four touchdowns and just one interception. Tight end Jake Butt ranks just behind him with 26 catches, 310 yards receiving and four TDs. The Wolverines quickly responded with an 80-yard drive, which Peppers finished off when he took a direct snap and scored from three yards out.

Smith’s first touchdown was a 20-yard burst up the middle with 2:16 left in the first quarter, giving the Gophers (6-2, 3-2) the lead for good at 14-7. O’Connor pitched the ball on an option run, but Gerald Holmes fumbled the pitch and it was Peppers once again who made the play for Michigan, picking up the loose ball and returning it to the endzone for the defensive two-point conversation to give Michigan a nine-point lead and squander any hope of a Michigan State miracle play on the ensuing onside kick.

It’s important to not be too hyperbolic about singular games or events, but if in the end this is the official passing of the torch in the state of Michigan’s college football back to the Wolverines, the symbolic play when it all happened was in the first half, tied at 7.

MSU opened the game with Tyler O’Connor at quarterback and produced one of their signature initial drives, perhaps even better than others considering the opponent. Michigan State had won seven of the previous eight meetings, in many instances bullying the Wolverines physically, but Jim Harbaugh has already closed that toughness gap – and Michigan finally enjoyed a breakthrough on the scoreboard.

West Virginia’s Skyler Howard passed for 212 yards, but he threw two interceptions and lost a fumble for the Mountaineers (6-1, 3-1). MSU was 3-of-6 in the red zone and left a lot of points on the board, while U-M was 6-for-6 on the day in the red zone.

With the U-M defense reeling on the drive, it had been in the same position before and stepped up when it counted. Senior Delano Hill led the defense with 11 tackles.