Free PRess sports writer Chris Solari reviews the Michigan State football players who helped or hurt their stock in the Spartans’ 24-17 loss Saturday night at Michigan.

Winners

LOOKING AHEAD: What we learned at U-M, what to watch vs. Indiana

RB Nate Carter

For a kid who grew up in upstate New York dreaming of playing for U-M, Carter ran with a personal and punishing mission statement against the Wolverines. The junior, in his second season after transferring from Connecticut, posted his MSU-best 118 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries while establishing a new personal high with 56 receiving yards on two catches. It was Carter’s first time back in Michigan Stadium since 2022 with the Huskies, when he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after running six times for 21 yards.

RG Brandon Baldwin

After playing exclusively at left tackle for two seasons at MSU, two injuries in the first three weeks necessitated the fifth-year senior’s move to the interior. Considering how entirely lost he looked in his baptism at Boston College, Saturday’s road-grading performance against U-M was an entirely different beast. Carter followed his big blocker for his 2-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and Baldwin and center Tanner Miller helped create creases off the right side for the Spartans to outrush the Wolverines, 163-119.

Run defense

For the second straight game, following the containment of Iowa star Kaleb Johnson last week, MSU’s front seven squelched its opponent’s rushing attack. The Spartans held U-M’s top rusher, Kalel Mullings, to just 18 yards on 13 carries and stuffed Donovan Edwards for 24 yards on nine attempts. MSU, however, found minimal success in stopping quarterback Alex Orji, who led the Wolverines with 64 yards and a touchdown on just six carries. The Spartans now rank 45th in the nation at 129.6 yards allowed on the ground per game.

Losers

Pass rush

While the front seven neutered the U-M running backs all night, the Spartans continued to struggle with getting to opposing quarterbacks. MSU failed to get a sack for the fourth straight game against Big Ten competition after opening the season with 15 sacks in the first four games. Some of that came from Wolverines quarterback Davis Warren throwing just 19 times, but the Spartans have not had a sack in more than a month, a stretch of 257 minutes and 53 seconds of game play. Their last came when defensive end Anthony Jones dropped Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos with 2:53 left in the third quarter on Sept. 21.

FEELING SICK: Michigan State football laments missed chances at U-M: ‘We should have won this game’

Special teams

The Spartans struggled in all three phases against U-M, but they also had issues among multiple special teams units. It started with Jonathan Kim missing a chip-shot field-goal attempt that cost MSU points on the first drive of the game. It continued with a botched fair catch call by upback Sam Edwards with Alante Brown snagging a kickoff early in the second half, pinning the Spartans at their 5-yard line. Then after a Kim field goal, the kickoff unit gave a slight tell that an onside kick was coming to tip off the Wolverines to recover (and MSU also was offsides on the dribbler). Losing long snapper Kaden Schickel to an apparently significant left leg injury could eventually become problematic, as the James Madison transfer had been spectacularly steady through the first eight games.

LB Jordan Turner

The between-periods review of Turner’s hit on an Orji run on the final play of the third quarter cost the Spartans one of their best defenders and captains. Turner’s loss was felt quickly later in that drive as the Wolverines exploited safety Malik Spencer’s aggressiveness trying to help the linebackers against the run, with Edwards delivering a halfback pass for a touchdown to Colston Loveland that ultimately proved to be the winning score. Equally as costly for MSU is losing Turner for the first half of next week’s game against No. 13 Indiana due to NCAA targeting rules.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

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LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – Spartans beat Boilermakers 3-1 in East Lansing for the final game of the regular season.

Mackenzie Anthony got things started for the Spartans with a nice goal early in the game. However, Gracie Dunaway was able to tie things up for the Boilermakers.

The tie would be broken with a goal from the boot of Kaleigh Mcpherson. Michigan State would put the game away after a nice pass from Mackenzie Anthony found Meg Hughes to give the Spartans a 3-1 lead.

Up next the girls will play Rutgers in their first game of the Big Ten Tournament. That game will take place on Sat, Nov. 2.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan tight end Colston Loveland and Michigan State defensive end Anthony Jones pushed, shoved and butted helmets, triggering a skirmish with the rivals throwing punches as the final seconds ticked off the clock Saturday night.

“It was heat-of-the-moment type stuff,” Loveland said after the Wolverines won 24-17.

Quarterback Davis Warren took a knee to let the remaining time run out as Loveland and Jones got tangled up.

Michigan players left the nearby sideline to join the scrum, and Michigan State players rushed over to join the fray.

“I told the team that was unacceptable,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said.

The last time the teams met at the Big House two years ago, a melee broke out in the tunnel, with Spartans hitting, kicking and using a helmet to hit Michigan players.

Seven Michigan State players were later charged with crimes, and the Big Ten fined the school $100,000. Michigan was reprimanded for failing to provide adequate protection for personnel of both home and visiting teams when entering and leaving the venue.