East Lansing— This wasn't about a fashion statement.
It was about a mission statement.
And in the end Saturday, as Michigan State's players charged onto the field celebrating and, yes, taunting after another victory over their bitter in-state rivals — it was 28-14 over 11th-ranked Michigan before a crowd of 77,515 at Spartan Stadium on this day — the mission was as clear as the message that was delivered.
Loudly, and with no apologies for the way it was packaged.
"That Michigan State is here to stay," MSU defensive tackle Jerel Worthy said, when asked what kind of statement the Spartans made, delivering the hardest hits and then piling on the punishment Saturday afternoon. "We're trying to show our dominance in the state. Coach (Mark) Dantonio has instilled in our minds that we won't lose to Michigan."
And since they haven't in quite some time now — winning four in a row in this rivalry for the first time since 1962 — they're more than happy to let everyone know what's on their minds.
As MSU safety Isaiah Lewis raced toward the end zone with a 39-yard interception return late in the fourth quarter, effectively icing the game, he made sure to show Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson the football before pulling it back. Later, he joked he thought twice about that celebration, but couldn't help himself.
After all, this was Michigan, wasn't it?
"You saw how they didn't shake our hands after the game?" Lewis said. "It's a lack of respect."
A matter of respect
Indeed, the Spartans are still talking about Mike Hart's infamous "Little Brother" comments that lit a fuse back in 2007. Their fans were chanting it derisively as the Wolverines left the field Saturday, while many of the MSU players were giving their defeated opponents a four-finger salute before hustling over to pick up the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
And really, can you blame them? They're still following the lead Dantonio set back in '07, too, when he fired back and said the Wolverines "need to check themselves" while noting "pride comes before the fall." Dantonio made this rivalry personal then, just as he does today.
"You've got to take it to heart a little bit, because of the fact you're constantly being disrespected," insisted Worthy, who wears his emotions on his sleeve almost literally, with a tattoo of a Spartan warrior stomping a wolverine wearing a block 'M' helmet. "The 'Little Brother' comments and things like that kind of get to you. So you've gotta go out there and make a statement."
And now that it's made — again — the question was posed to Dantonio. Does he finally feel as if his team has earned Michigan's respect?
"I don't have to answer that," replied Dantonio, who is now one of only two MSU coaches to win four of his first five games against Michigan. "That's for other people to answer. But our (motto) this week was, 'Right here, right now.' We got it done."
They got it done because they're the better team, unquestionably. They're more physical, with more playmakers, particularly on defense.
And on this windswept Saturday afternoon in East Lansing, it was plain to see as the Spartans blitzed and badgered Robinson into his worst game statistically as a starter at Michigan.
Robinson, the nation's ninth-ranked rusher averaging 120 yards per game, was held to just 42 on the ground in this one, finding very little daylight after his 15-yard touchdown scamper capped the game's opening drive.
He also finished the day 9-of-24 passing for 123 yards and two touchdowns — one for the Wolverines to pull within a touchdown with 9:49 left, and other for the Spartans' Lewis with 4:31 left. Robinson watched the end of the game on the sideline after absorbing one final indignity, as MSU defensive end Marcus Rush tossed him to the ground and drew the last of the Spartans' handful of personal-foul penalties Saturday.
Asked later if Michigan State played dirty, Robinson said, "No. We were playing football. It's a dirty game."
Dressed to thrill
Much was made about the Spartans' snazzy new, green-and-gold Nike Pro Combat uniforms, unveiled a month before Saturday's game. But when the Wolverines got back to the visitors' locker room after warm-ups, longtime equipment manager Jon Falk had a surprise waiting for them, too. Instead of its traditional road uniforms, Michigan came out in new "legacy" outfits with striped sleeves, white pants and two-tone socks.
"They tried to match ours," Worthy said, smiling. "But I still think ours were better. You know, maize and blue really doesn't go together, in my book."
Hey, when you look good, you feel good, right? But it's in the football — not the fabric — that teams show their true colors in a rivalry game like this.
And no matter how many times MSU players crossed the line Saturday — defensive end William Gholston deserved an ejection for punching Michigan tackle Taylor Lewan, and he might yet face some supplementary discipline — there's no arguing the bottom line.
Michigan State dominated at the line of scrimmage, rushing for 213 yards on 39 carries — that's 39 of the last 42 years the team with the rushing edge won this game — and sacking Michigan's suddenly two-headed quarterback rotation seven times. (Cue the debate again about Robinson's ability — or durability, at least — to be a successful Big Ten quarterback.)
The Spartans pounced on obvious snap counts and curious play-calling, most notably a fourth-and-1 play-action pass from Michigan State's 9-yard line that ended with Robinson buried by a cornerback blitz with 6:16 left in the fourth quarter.
"They were definitely more physical," Michigan safety Jordan Kovacs said. "They pounded us, and ate us up."
And their fans understandably will eat this up, reveling in the recent rivalry domination, not to mention a 2-0 start in the Big Ten, good for sole possession of first place in the Legends Division. The last time the Spartans beat both Michigan and Ohio State in the same season was 1999, by the way.
"We've been doing things since Coach Dantonio got here that've been first, things that haven't been done in a long time," said Kirk Cousins, the first MSU quarterback ever to beat Michigan three straight years.
And here's the thing about that, in case you hadn't figured it out by now. These Spartans aren't going to give back what they've taken, not without a serious fight. Maybe even a seriously dirty fight.
"You've got to understand," Worthy said. "Anytime we beat a school like Michigan, the arrogance in 'em — they never want to come shake our hands, they never want to come and just say, 'Good game.' But they were all up in our face in previous wins they had. So it feels good to get even a little bit.
"We didn't want to boast and brag. But just understand that, 'You're Michigan, yeah. That's great.' But it's all about, 'What have you done for me lately?' And they've got to go out there and prove that they can beat us."
And until they do, they can expect to hear about it.
From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20111015/OPINION03/110150407/Michigan-State-states-its-case--loudly-and-with-force#ixzz1avKbW7bw
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