25 Years Ago, Michigan State Beat the G.O.A.T.
What better time to reflect on the past than during a bye week?
On this day, 25 years ago, one of the many memorable chapters in the history of Michigan State-Michigan football took place.
Former Spartan Bill Burke helped will No. 11 Michigan State to a win over former Wolverine quarterback Tom Brady and Michigan at Spartan Stadium.
Before former Michigan State coach Nick Saban and Brady went on to become the "G.O.A.T.s" of their respective sports, these two icons shared in the rivalry that is Michigan State vs. Michigan.
The Spartans entered the matchup 5-0, looking to keep their hot start alive against their rivals. They did just that, as Michigan State conquered the Wolverines at home, narrowly defeating their in-state foe, 34-31.
Burke led the way for the Spartans, finishing with a then program-record 400 passing yards and two touchdowns. His main target was Spartan legend Plaxico Burress, who finished the game with an incredible 255 yards on 10 receptions.
It was a 3-point game going into halftime, with Michigan State having the advantage.
Late in the third quarter, the Spartans had stretched the margin to a comfortable 27-10 lead. But it wasn't that comfortable. Not if Brady had a say.
After not playing in the second quarter or much of the third quarter, Brady stepped back in for his fellow quarterback, Drew Henson.
The then senior quarterback led a scoring drive that would trim the deficit to just two possessions early in the fourth quarter. He and the Wolverines' offense would explode for 208 yards in the game's final quarter, eventually cutting the margin down to a 3-point deficit late in the fourth.
But Michigan State's offense was persistent. With just under 2 minutes remaining in the contest, Burke would find Burress near the sideline for a first-down conversion, sealing the 3-point victory for the Spartans.
What an epic battle it was and one that would go down as one of the best in the rivalry's long history. It added to the legacies of Burke, Burress and Saban and advanced the Spartans to a perfect 6-0 on the year.
Michigan State would drop its next two games but rebounded with three straight wins to close out the regular season. It earned a trip to the Citrus Bowl, where it defeated Florida to finish with a 10-2 record in what was the final season of Saban's five-year career at Michigan State.
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