Paul Bunyan Trophy On The Line As Spartans Travel To Michigan

Game 8: Michigan State (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) at Michigan (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten)

Date: Saturday, Oct. 26
Kickoff: 7:40 p.m. ET
Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Stadium: Michigan Stadium (107,601)
Surface: FieldTurf

►GAME DAY INFORMATION
Game Day Information (Parking/Tailgating/Timeline)

►BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: Big Ten Network
Streaming/Mobile: FOX Sports app
Announcers: Jeff Levering (play-by-play), Jake Butt (analyst), Brooke Fletcher (sidelines)
Live Stats: Live Stats

Radio: Spartan Media Network | Affiliate Listings
Play-by-Play: George Blaha
Analyst: Jason Strayhorn
Sidelines: Jehuu Caulcrick
Broadcast Host: Will Tieman
Website/Mobile: msuspartans.com/watch, MSU Spartans app, Tune In radio
Flagship Stations: Lansing: WMMQ (94.9 FM)/WJIM (1240 AM); Detroit: WJR (760 AM); Grand Rapids: WBFX (101.3 FM)
Affiliates: 23 affiliates listed at msuspartans.com
Satellite: SiriusXM Ch. 160/196 | SiriusXM App
Pregame Show: Begins at 6 p.m.

►SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time Series: Michigan leads, 73-38-5
Series in Ann Arbor: Michigan leads, 51-23-3
Series in Big Ten Games: Michigan leads, 40-29-2
Last Meeting: UM 49, MSU 0 (2023 in East Lansing)
Current Series Streak: 2 by Michigan

►HEAD COACHES
MSU Head Coach: Jonathan Smith
MSU Record: 4-3 (first year)
Overall Record: 38-38 (seventh year)
Record vs. Michigan: 0-0

Michigan Head Coach: Sherrone Moore
Michigan Record: 5-3 (first year)^
Overall Record: 5-3 (first year)^
Record vs. MSU: 0-0
^ served as interim head coach for one game in 2023

►SPARTAN FOOTBALL NEWS AND NOTES
• Following a 32-20 Homecoming win over Iowa last Saturday night in Spartan Stadium, Michigan State heads back on the road to face Michigan (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 7:40 p.m. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network and streamed on the FOX Sports app with Jeff Levering (play-by-play), Jake Butt (analyst) and Brooke Fletcher (sidelines) on the call. The Spartans are playing their fifth consecutive night game and sixth overall under the lights this season.

• Michigan State improved to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten with the victory over the Hawkeyes. MSU opened the season 3-0 with wins over Florida Atlantic, Maryland and Prairie View A&M. The Spartans lost at Boston College in Week 4, 23-19, on a late fourth-quarter touchdown before falling to No. 3/3 Ohio State on Sept. 28 and at No. 6/6 Oregon on Oct. 4.

• Saturday's game marks the 117th meeting between Michigan State and Michigan. The Wolverines lead the all-time series, 73-38-5. Since 1950, Michigan owns an eight-game advantage in the series, 40-32-2, and since 1999, UM holds a one-game edge, 13-12. The Spartans are looking for their 11th win in the past 17 games against Michigan.

• Since 1953, the winner of the Michigan State-Michigan game has been presented the Paul Bunyan Trophy. The four-foot wooden statue was donated by then-Governor G. Mennen Williams to mark Michigan State's acceptance into the Big Ten. Since 1953, Michigan leads the series 40-29-2. The trophy depicts the legendary giant lumberjack astride an axe with feet planted on a map of the state with flags representing the schools.

• Michigan State has won five of the last eight meetings over Michigan in Ann Arbor, including three of the last five matchups. Four of those five wins came against ranked Wolverine teams. In addition, Michigan State has defeated Michigan 22 times when the Wolverines were ranked in the AP Top 25, including 12 wins in the top 10.

• Michigan State ranks second among opponents in all-time victories over Michigan. Only Ohio State (52) has posted more wins over the Wolverines than the Spartans (38).

• Michigan State ranks second among opponents in all-time victories over Michigan at Michigan Stadium. Only Ohio State (22) has posted more wins over the Wolverines than the Spartans (21) at Michigan Stadium (opened in 1927). In addition, only Ohio State (24) has recorded more wins over Michigan in Ann Arbor than the Spartans (23).

►AIDAN CHILES PASSES FOR CAREER-HIGH 73 PERCENT AGAINST IOWA
• Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles was 22-for-30 passing for a career-high 73.3 completion percentage in the win over Iowa to earn Spartan Offensive Player of the Week honors. His 256 passing yards were the second most this season (career-high 363 at Maryland on Sept. 7). Chiles also compiled 307 yards of total offense with 11 carries for 51 rushing yards, including a career-long 26-yard rush in the third quarter.

• Chiles is off to a 4-3 start as the starting quarterback for the Spartans. He has completed 59 percent of his passes (108-of-182) for 1,468 yards (209.7 ypg), six touchdowns and nine interceptions. The Long Beach, California, native is in his first season in East Lansing after playing in a back-up role as a true freshman at Oregon State in 2023. He ranks third in the Big Ten and 21st in the FBS in passing yards per completion (13.6).

• Chiles also leads the team with three rushing touchdowns; he has a net of 166 rushing yards on 56 carries (23.7 ypg).

►NICK MARSH NAMED BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK FOR SECOND TIME
• Freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second time this season after tying his season high with eight receptions for 113 yards vs. Iowa. He also earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors following his eight-catch, 194-yard performance at Maryland on Sept. 7.

• A native of Detroit, Marsh is the first Spartan true freshman to have two 100-yard receiving games in his first season. He leads the team with 433 receiving yards (72.2 ypg) and ranks second with 24 catches. He needs just 58 receiving yards to surpass Cody White (490 in 2017) for the MSU true freshman single-season record.

• Marsh ranks second in the Big Ten and third in the FBS among true freshman wide receivers with 72.2 receiving yards per game.

►SPARTANS FEATURE A PAIR OF 2,000-YARD CAREER RUSHERS IN THE BACKFIELD
• Michigan State features two running backs – sixth-year graduate transfer Kay'ron Lynch-Adams and redshirt junior Nathan Carter – who have both rushed for more than 2,000 career yards. Carter (2,075) and Lynch-Adams (2,312) are one of eight duos on the same team in the FBS to have more than 2,000 career rushing yards (Missouri, Ohio State, UCF, Ole Miss, Penn State, Michigan State, Auburn, South Carolina).

• Lynch-Adams, who transferred from UMass over the summer, leads the Spartans in rushing after seven games, averaging 60.6 yards per game (82 carries for 424 yards; 5.2 avg., 2 TDs). He surpassed the 2,000-career rushing milestone with 46 yards on 10 carries at Maryland; he now has 2,312 career rushing yards and 18 rushing TDs in 55 collegiate games.

• Lynch-Adams and Carter have combined for 65 percent of the team's overall rushing attempts (149 of 230) and 90 percent from the running back room (149 of 165).

• Michigan State rushed for a season-high 212 yards against Iowa, averaging 5.3 yards per carry (40 carries). Lynch-Adams led the way with 15 carries for 86 yards, while Carter had 49 yards on nine carries.

►SPARTANS RANK 29TH IN FBS IN TOTAL DEFENSE
• Michigan State ranks 29th in the FBS in total defense, allowing 323.1 yards per game. The Spartans have held four opponents under 300 yards of total offense this season (Florida Atlantic, 248; Prairie View A&M, 140; Boston College, 292; Iowa, 283).

►SPARTANS EXCEL IN KICKING GAME
• Michigan State features one of the best kicking duos in all of college football with sixth-year graduate placekicker Jonathan Kim and redshirt sophomore punter Ryan Eckley. Kim is 15-of-16 on field goals for the season to rank first in the Big Ten and tied for second in the FBS in made field goals. Eckley, who is on the Ray Guy Award Watch List, ranks second in the Big Ten with his 48.0-yard punting average; 11 of his 23 punts this season (48 percent) have been for 50-plus yards.

• Kim earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors and was named one of the Lou Groza Award three stars of the week and after setting a school record with six field goals in the win over Iowa. A native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Kim connected on six of his seven field-goal attempts, including a season-long 55-yarder in the fourth quarter. He also was good from 42, 43, 36, 29 and 46 yards out. It also tied a modern-day Big Ten record, matching Jake Moody of Michigan with six field goals vs. Indiana (11/17/18); E.C. Robertson of Purdue owns the overall record with seven field goals on Oct. 27, 1900, vs. Rose Poly. With 20 points overall against Iowa, including two PATs, Kim also set a top scoring mark in modern-day Big Ten history by a kicker, bettering the 19 points by Moody in 2018 vs. Indiana.

►STAT LEADERS
Michigan State:
Rushing – Gr.-6 Kay'ron Lynch-Adams (82 carries for 424 yards, 5.2 avg., 2 TDs, 60.6 ypg)
Passing – So. Aidan Chiles (108-of-182, .593, 1,468 yards, 6 TDs, 9 INTs, 209.7 ypg)
Receiving – Sr.-5 Montorie Foster Jr. (27 receptions for 374 yards, 13.9 avg., 2 TDs, 53.4 ypg)
Tackles – Sr.-5 LB Jordan Turner (43 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, 1 INT)

Michigan:
Rushing – Gr. Kalel Mullings (110 carries for 676 yards, 6.1 avg., 7 TDs, 96.6 ypg)
Passing – Sr. Davis Warren (48-of-72, .667, 444 yards, 2 TDs, 6 INTs, 148.0 ypg)
Receiving – Jr. TE Colston Loveland (36 receptions for 344 yards, 9.6 avg., 2 TDs, 57.3 ypg)
Tackles – Jr. Ernest Hausmann (45 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 INT1, 1 PBU)

►SERIES NOTES
• Saturday's game marks the 117th meeting between Michigan State and Michigan. The Wolverines lead the all-time series, 73-38-5. Since 1950, Michigan owns an eight-game advantage in the series, 40-32-2, and since 1999, UM holds just a one-game edge, 13-12. The Spartans are looking for their 11th win in the past 17 games against Michigan.

►BATTLE FOR THE PAUL BUNYAN TROPHY
• Since 1953, the winner of the Michigan State-Michigan game has been presented the Paul Bunyan Trophy. The four-foot wooden statue was donated by then-Governor G. Mennen Williams to mark Michigan State's acceptance into the Big Ten. Since 1953, Michigan leads the series 40-29-2. The trophy depicts the legendary giant lumberjack astride an axe with feet planted on a map of the state with flags representing the schools.

• Michigan State has won five of the last eight meetings over Michigan in Ann Arbor, including three of the last five matchups. Four of those five wins came against ranked Wolverine teams.

►BATTLE FOR IN-STATE BRAGGING RIGHTS
• Michigan State's 2024 roster features 47 players from the state of Michigan.

►SATURDAY'S RIVALRY GAME FEATURES MATCHUP OF NEW HEAD COACHES IN SERIES
• For the first time since 1995, both Michigan State (Jonathan Smith) and Michigan (Sherrone Moore) will have new head coaches on the sidelines with the Paul Bunyan Trophy on the line. In that matchup between MSU's Nick Saban and Michigan's Lloyd Carr, the Spartans beat the seventh-ranked Wolverines, 28-25, in Spartan Stadium on Nov. 4, 1995.

►SPARTANS RANK SECOND IN ALL-TIME VICTORIES vs. MICHIGAN
• Michigan State ranks second among opponents in all-time victories over Michigan. Only Ohio State (52) has posted more wins over the Wolverines than the Spartans (38).

►GROUND GAME KEY FACTOR IN THIS SERIES
• The team with the most productive ground attack has won 48 of the last 54 games in the MSU-UM series, with the only exceptions being in 2020, 2016, 2015, 2007, 2004 and 1995.

►QUICK GLANCE AT MICHIGAN (4-3, 2-2 BIG TEN)
• The Wolverines are 4-3 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten play, having lost their last two in a row, both on the road. Michigan was ranked No. 10/10 in the Week 6 rankings before losing at Washington, 27-17, on Oct. 5 and then after a bye, the Wolverines fell at No. 22 Illinois, 21-7, last Saturday. The Wolverines own Big Ten wins over USC and Minnesota.

• UM lost at Illinois despite having 55 more yards of total offense, but Michigan lost two fumbles and had one interception, along with getting sacked five times by the Illini defense. Illinois got out to a 13-0 lead before Michigan cut the gap to 13-7 before halftime, but the Illini added a TD midway through the third quarter to secure the win.

• Michigan had 322 yards of total offense, with 208 yards passing and 114 yards rushing, while Illinois had 267 yards, with 187 on the ground and 80 through the air.

• The Wolverines are 15th in the Big Ten and 112th in the FBS in scoring offense (21.1 ppg), while ranking 14th in the league and 51st in FBS in scoring defense (22.1 ppg).

• UM is 16th in the conference and 119th in the country in total offense (308.6 ypg), ranking seventh in the league and 45th in the nation in rushing offense (180.3 ypg), while ranking 18th in the Big Ten and 129th in the FBS in passing offense (128.3 ypg).

• The Wolverine defense is 10th in the conference and 34th in the country in total defense (326.3 ypg), highlighted by ranking third in the Big Ten and ninth in the FBS in rushing defense (91.2 ypg), while ranking 14th in the league and 96th in the nation in passing yards allowed (234.1 ypg).

• Michigan has used three quarterbacks this season, with graduate quarterback Jack Tuttle starting at Illinois, going 20-of-32 for 208 yards, with one interception and no TDs. For the season, Tuttle is 30-of-50 for 306 yards (153.0 ypg) with one TD and two INTs. Junior quarterback Alex Orji is 24-of-53 for 148 yards (24.7 ypg) with three TDs and one INT, adding 35 rushing attempts for 124 yards. Senior quarterback Davis Warren is 48-of-72 for 444 yards (148.0 ypg) with two TDs and six INTs.

• Graduate running back Kalel Mullings leads UM's rushing attack with 110 carries for 676 yards, with seven TDs. Mullings is fifth in the Big Ten and 24th in the FB in rushing yards/game (96.6), while ranking seventh in the conference and 32nd in the country in rushing yards/carry, (6.1 ypc) and also ranking seventh in the league and 31st in the nation in rushing TDs (7).

• Junior tight end Colston Loveland has 36 receptions for 344 yards and two TDs, ranking seventh in the Big Ten and 27th in the FBS in receptions/game (6.0), while ranking 16th in the conference and 108th in the country in receiving yards/game (57.3) and 23rd in the league in receiving TDs (2).

• Senior defensive end Josaiah Stewart spearheads the UM defense, leading the Big Ten and ranking fourth in the FBS in tackles for loss/game (1.7), while topping the conference and ranking tied for ninth in the country in total TFL (10.0). Stewart is also second in the league and tied for 12th in the country in sacks (5.5), topping the B1G and ranking 10th in the FBS in sacks/game (0.92). He has 24 total tackles, adding six QB hurries and one forced fumble.

• Junior linebacker Ernest Hausmann leads the Wolverines with 45 total tackles, ranking tied for 12th in the B1G in total tackles and 14th in tackles/game (6.4). Hausmann adds 3.5 TFL, 1.0 sack, one INT and one pass break-up.

• Junior defensive back Will Johnson has a team-best two interceptions for 128 return yards, returning both for TDs, leading the Big Ten in return yards and TDs.

• Junior placekicker Dominic Zvada is 16-of-17 on PATs and 8-of-9 on field goals with a long of 55 yards, with his only missing coming from 28 yards last time out at Illinois. Zvada is second in the B1G and 15th in the FBS in field goal percentage (.889).

• Senior punter Tommy Doman is eighth in the Big Ten and 50th in the FBS in punting average (41.8 ypp), punting 30 times, with a long of 58 yards, one of seven punts of 50+ yards, with eight inside the 20.

• Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore is in his first full year at the helm of the Wolverines, posting a 5-3 record.

Nathan Carter vs Iowa — **Nate Carter and the Spartans rushed for a season-high 212 yards in the Homecoming win over Iowa last Saturday night in East Lansing.**

LAST TIME OUT: MSU 32, IOWA 20

►GAME RECAP
• Sixth-year graduate kicker Jonathan Kim set a school record with six field goals and Michigan State scored a touchdown with two minutes left as the Spartans beat Iowa, 32-20, in front of 69,682 fans on Homecoming at Spartan Stadium.

• The Spartans outgained the Hawkeyes, 468-283, and had the ball for 39:44 compared to Iowa's 20:16.

• Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles completed 22-of-30 passes for 256 yards and one touchdown, while running 11 times for 51 yards. Sixth-year running back Kay'ron Lynch-Adams carried 15 times for 86 yards and senior running back Nathan Carter had nine carries for 49 yards and one touchdown as Michigan State rushed for a season-high 212 yards.

• Freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh caught eight passes for 113 yards, his second game this year with at least 100 yards, and senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. had five catches for a career-high 100 yards and a touchdown.

• Michigan State kicked four field goals and held Iowa to 58 yards of total offense in the first half to take a 12-0 lead at halftime. The Spartans amassed 250 yards of total offense and held the ball for 21:12, compared to just 8:48 for the Hawkeyes.

• MSU scored on all four of its possessions in the second half (two touchdowns, two field goals). Carter's 1-yard TD run with 2:03 left in the game sealed the 32-20 victory.

►OFFENSIVE NOTES
• MSU amassed a season-high 212 rushing yards on 40 carries, the Spartans' first time this season over 200 yards, and topping the previous season-best of 188 vs. Prairie View A&M (9/14/24) and bettering the previous top mark of the season of 37 carries vs. Florida Atlantic (8/30/24).

• The Spartans dominated the time of possession to the tune of a 39:44-20:16 (19:28) advantage . . . the 39:44 was MSU's highest time of possession of the season by nearly six minutes, topping the previous high of 33:57 vs. Prairie View A&M . . . the 39:44 was also the most since Nov. 25, 2017, vs. Rutgers when Michigan State had a 47:50-12:10 (35:40) advantage.

• Michigan State scored a season-high 20 points in the second half (two touchdowns, two field goals).

• MSU scored on eight of its 10 offensive drives, with the other two drives ending on an interception and a missed field goal, while not punting at all. It marked the first time MSU had not punted in a game since Nov. 18, 1989, vs. Northwestern, when the Spartans beat the Wildcats, 76-14.

• Freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh had 113 receiving yards and fifth-year senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. had 100 receiving yards, marking the first Spartan receiving duo with 100-yard receiving games since Oct. 2, 2021, when current NFL standouts Jalen Nailor and Jayden Reed did so against Western Kentucky with Nailor having 128 yards on eight catches and Reed snaring 127 yards on four receptions.

• Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles was 22-for-30 passing for a career-high 73.3 completion percentage . . . his 256 passing yards were the second most this season (career-high 363 at Maryland on Sept. 7) . . . Chiles also compiled 307 yards of total offense with 11 carries for 51 yards, including a career-long 26-yard rush in the third quarter.

• Senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. snared a career-high 100 yards receiving on five catches, marking his first career 100-yard outing, bettering his previous career-best of 94 yards, done twice, most recently vs. Indiana (11/18/23) . . . he also extended his team-leading streak of at least one reception in 20 consecutive games, dating back to 2022 . . . Foster has at least one reception in 30 of his last 42 career games played.

• Freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh had his second 100-yard outing of the season behind his career-best 194 at Maryland (9/7/24) . . . Marsh's eight catches tied his season high (eight vs. Maryland on Sept. 7).

• Graduate running back Kay'ron Lynch-Adams rushed for team-highs of 15 times for 86 yards, marking his fourth double-digit rushing attempts outing of the season, with MSU now 3-1 when Lynch-Adams has 10-plus rushing attempts, doing so vs. Maryland, Prairie View A&M, Boston College and Iowa . . . Lynch-Adams' 86 yards were the second most of the season behind his Spartan debut of 101 yards vs. Florida Atlantic (8/30/24).

• Michigan State's 468 yards of total offense were the second most this season for the Spartans (484 vs. Maryland).

►DEFENSIVE NOTES
• MSU's defense held Iowa to 133 rushing yards, marking the Spartan defense's fourth game this season in holding the opposition under 150 rushing yards; all four times have come in Victories for MSU, with 132 yards vs. Florida Atlantic (8/30), 86 yards vs. Maryland (9/7) and 17 vs. Prairie View A&M (9/14).

• Michigan State's defense held Iowa scoreless in the first half, marking the second time this season that the Spartan defense pitched a shutout in the opening half, also doing so vs. Prairie View A&M (9/14); the MSU defense now has 11 quarters in holding the opposition scoreless.

• Junior defensive back Nikai Martinez snared his second interception this season with a pick in the fourth quarter . . . it was the second INT of the season for Martinez, also snaring a pick in his Spartan debut in the season opener vs. Florida Atlantic (8/30/24) . . . by returning his interception 21 yards, Martinez is now second on the team in both interceptions and interception return yards with two picks for 62 yards, trailing teammate Charles Brantley with three picks for 101 yards, boosted by the 100-yard pick-six vs. Prairie View A&M (9/14/24).

►SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Graduate placekicker Jonathan Kim split the uprights on a school-record 6-of-7 field goals (42, 43, 36, 29, 55, 46 yards), including making four of 40-plus yards . . . Kim's six field goals are the most in a single game in the Big Ten and FBS this season . . . the six field goals betters the previous school record of five, done three times and last since 1998 by Paul Edinger twice that season, vs. Ohio State and Northwestern, and also by John Langeloh vs. Wisconsin in 1988.

• Kim's six field goals tied a modern-day Big Ten record, matching Jake Moody of Michigan with six field goals vs. Indiana (11/17/18), and is tied for the most ever in a conference game in Big Ten history; E.C. Robertson of Purdue owns the overall single-game record with seven field goals on Oct. 27, 1900, vs. Rose Poly. With 20 points overall against Iowa, including two PATs, Kim also set a top scoring mark in modern-day Big Ten history by a kicker, bettering the 19 points by Moody in 2018 vs. Indiana.

• Kim's longest field goal of the night was a 55-yarder, marking his career long at home, and second of 55 yards or more vs. Iowa, behind his career long and Kinnick Stadium record of 58 yards last season at Iowa (9/30/23) . . . the 55-yarder is tied for No. 6 on MSU's longest field goal list, matching Edinger vs. Wisconsin in 1999.

• Ray Guy Award Watch List member redshirt sophomore punter Ryan Eckley did not punt at all Saturday night, marking the first time that Michigan State did not punt in a game since Nov. 18, 1989, vs. Northwestern in a 76-14 win.

• According to the Big Ten record book, Saturday was only the 23rd time in a Big Ten Conference game for a team to not punt in a game.