Michigan vs. Michigan State 2025 Preview: Battle for Paul Bunyan Axe

The Michigan Wolverines (5-2, 3-1) will head to East Lansing to face their in-state rival, Michigan State (3-4, 0-4). These two teams will face off in The Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe under the lights on NBC. The historic matchup would be a massive win for both teams. For Michigan, it would be their fourth-straight and sixth win in their last eight meetings, creating a dominant run for the Wolverines. For Michigan State, the Spartans aim to end their losing streak and turn their season around before it gets away from them. Michigan is currently a 14.5-point favorite. 

Michigan Wolverines vs. Michigan State Spartans History and Quotes

The Wolverines hold a 74-38-5 record over the Spartans in one of the most lopsided major rivalries in college football. 

Sherrone Moore is heading into his second meeting against the Spartans as Michigan’s head coach. However, he has been with the Wolverines since 2018 and knows how deep this rivalry runs. Moore knows what kind of environment this young Michigan team is walking into, emphasized keeping his players focused ahead of Saturday’s game. 

“The biggest thing is that you’re not going to win the game talking. You’re not going to win the game with all the extra stuff. Conscious effort on just attacking what we need to attack to win the football game. The fans, the crowd, their players talking, people talk, that doesn’t matter. We have to worry about executing. And put in the work to go win the game. None of that helps you win the game; it actually takes away the energy from you winning the game. All we have to do is rinse, repeat. Urgency is the keyword right now, urgency in everything we do. Urgency in the detail, urgency, and that’s going to class, making sure everything’s aligned perfectly for us to win this game.” 

Moore is gearing his guys up for a high-emotion, intense battle, and he wants everyone to stay focused on the product on the field rather than the outside noise.

Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith is heading into his second season as the Spartans’ lead man. Michigan State has yet to win a Big Ten game this season, and Smith is looking to make sure their season doesn’t spiral out of control. A win in Michigan State’s biggest game of the season is the marquee win that Smith needs. The head coach had this to say about the game this week. 

“Rivalries are not all the same. They’re across the country and all of those things. So, for this particular one, I’ve really felt like galvanizing that fuel, that energy, that focus, that want-to, passion behind it, boiling that into our preparation, using that in our play but not well out of bounds to where it’s hurting us. We want it to help us.”

This is Michigan State’s most important game on the schedule, and Smith knows everyone within the program needs to treat it that way.

Michigan vs. Michigan State 2025 Preview: Keys to the Game

Key Players for Michigan

Bryce Underwood played his best game of the season last week. If it weren’t for a couple of critical drops, his stat line would have been close to perfection. He threw for 230 yards at a 77.0 completion percentage and two touchdowns.

Running back Jordan Marshall also shone in his first game as Michigan’s true bell cow back, rushing for 133 yards and a touchdown. If Justice Haynes returns this week, this will be a difficult unit for Michigan State to defend.

Andrew Marsh is slowly becoming one of the best freshmen in the country. He continues to improve every week, making plays that put Michigan fans in disbelief at his talent.

Left tackle Evan Link had a serious knee injury versus Washington. Still, Blake Frazier came in immediately and excelled, allowing zero pressures in the game.

Defensively, the Michigan defense continues to force a galore of turnovers. Linebacker Cole Sullivan, in particular, is quickly becoming one of the best linebackers in the country and could be a high draft selection in the 2027 NFL draft. After forcing an interception last weekend, Sullivan, Ernest Hausman, and Jimmy Rolder create a well-rounded linebacking core.

Derrick Moore also had one of his best games of the season, recording four pressures and two sacks last weekend. Cornerback Zeke Berry missed some time with an injury, but has come back better than ever. Berry, Jyaire Hill, and TJ Metcalf, along with safeties Brandyn Hillman, Mason Curtis, and Rod Moore, are creating one of the better secondaries in all of college football. 

Key Players for Michigan State

Quarterback Aidan Chiles is in his second season as the Spartans’ quarterback. He has put together a solid season with 15 total touchdowns and 1647 total yards. However, he puts the ball in harm’s way quite a bit with five fumbles and three interceptions.

Running back Makhi Frazier has also had a solid season thus far with 395 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Nick Marsh has continued to excel as the Spartans’ best wide receiver over the past two seasons, totaling over 404 yards, 35 catches, and five touchdowns. Center Matt Gublin has arguably been the Spartans’ best offensive player, a dominant blocker in both the run and pass game. 

Defensively, edge rusher Quindarius Dunnigan has been a solid pass rusher with 10 pressures and two sacks this season. Defensive lineman Alex VanSumeran is another great defensive player, just like his brother Ben was for the Spartans. In the secondary, cornerback Malcolm Bell has been great at forcing incompletions and erasing wide receivers on his side of the field.

2025 Game Preview: How Michigan wins vs. Michigan State in Week 9

While Michigan is the more talented team, you can never look past a huge rival. This game will be a high-emotion, physical battle from start to finish, and the Wolverines need to be prepared.

The key to stopping the Michigan State passing attack. Aidan Chiles has struggled under pressure this season, posting a 42-percent completion rate and only three touchdowns to two interceptions. Not only has Chiles struggled under pressure, but Michigan State’s offensive line has also struggled to prevent pressure. They have already allowed 13 sacks and 71 pressures this season. Michigan’s defensive line and blitzing mentality will be critical in making Chiles uncomfortable and getting into the backfield quickly. This could create opportunities for Michigan’s defense to take advantage of a turnover-prone offense.

Michigan State’s defense has also struggled this season. They rank 102nd in the FBS for passing yards allowed per game and 119th in third-down conversion rate. This team struggles to defend the pass and get off the field. This should create easy opportunities for the Michigan offense to get Donaven McCulley and Andrew Marsh going early in the game. Getting Bryce Underwood into rhythm early and allowing him to pick apart the Spartan defense quickly could lead to a blowout win for the Wolverines.