Michigan Wolverines Taunt Michigan State Spartans Before Enduring Own Struggles
Michigan fans sure got their fix of "little brother" turmoil when Michigan State narrowly survived Florida Atlantic on Friday night. But the celebrations were rather premature, considering the Wolverines had their own hands full for the majority of their battle with Fresno State in their season opener.
Former Michigan football stars took to social media to mock their rival's first outing under the Jonathan Smith regime.
Former Michigan cornerback and 2024 second-round NFL Draft pick Mike Sainristil, for instance, took a jab at the Spartans for their 2-0 lead late in the first quarter, writing in a post on his instagram story: "I LOVE Michigan vs. these guys."
Taylor Lewan, former Michigan offensive lineman and three-time Pro Bowler also joined in:
Woke up from a nap before the midnight Yell in college station and saw this.
— Taylor Lewan (@TaylorLewan77) August 31, 2024
Congrats to MSU squeaking out a win on a powerhouse like FAU. pic.twitter.com/sIGr65NRhq
Lewan probably did not foresee the battle his alma mater would have with its own "powerhouse" in Fresno State.
With just over 10 minutes to go in Michigan's season opener, the score was the exact same as Michigan State's final, 16-10. Michigan only led 10-3 at halftime.
The Wolverines had a stronger finish than the Spartans, who had several opportunities of their own to widen the margin in the fourth, but isn't that expected of the reigning national champions?
Michigan ultimately won 30-10, an underwhelming result for the No. 9-ranked team in the country.
The Spartans and Wolverines will meet at Michigan Stadium on Oct. 26, but there is surely to be more shots taken from both fanbases along the way. Many college football fans are already anticipating Michigan to get a rude awakening when it hosts No. 4 Texas this Saturday.
Meanwhile, Michigan State will have its own mountain to climb as it heads on the road for its first Big Ten matchup, looking to upset a Maryland team that just hung 50 points in its season opener against UConn.
Regardless, if we learned anything from both rivals' first games, each fanbase should probably worry about itself until the foes clash in the Big House late next month. Of course, that likely isn't going to happen. It is a college football rivalry, after all.
Michigan State's Week 2 contest against Maryland on Saturday is set for 3:30 p.m. in College Park.
Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
AIDAN CHAMPION