U-M's Donovan Edwards on Michigan State: "We're going to win and...leave them no mercy"
Michigan State and Michigan had an extra week to prepare for one another ahead of the annual renewing of the Battle for Paul Bunyan, as both programs enjoyed a bye this past week.
While the Spartans spent the week mostly working in quiet, U-M head coach Jim Harbaugh elected to treat it like a normal game week and allowed his players to speak to the media.
Both Harbaugh and several Wolverines had something to say about the upcoming matchup against Michigan State, but no quote stood out more than the one delivered by U-M tailback Donovan Edwards.
“This year, we have an edge on those guys," Edwards told former U-M offensive tackle Jon Jansen on the latter's podcast. "Coach Harbaugh is 0-2 against Mel Tucker. We want to bring Paul back to Michigan. We’re going to do whatever it takes.
“We’re going to win. We’re going to win, and we’re going to, like, leave them no mercy kind of deal. That’s what we want to do. We want to bring Paul back. We know what we have to do this week. Everybody is laser focused, locked in, even though we have this bye week. If we had a game this week, it would be bad.”
Edwards was far from the only Wolverine who expressed confidence that Michigan wouldn't struggle with the Spartans on Oct. 29 however. U-M starting cornerback Gemon Green said that, without Kenneth Walker, Michigan State doesn't have the weapons at tailback this season to run the ball on the Wolverines.
“I remember that we weren’t as good in [run defense] as we are this year," Green said. "No. 9 from Michigan State last year [Walker], he was a very good back. I don’t think they have that this year. I feel that we’re going to do a lot better this year than in previous years in stopping the run.”
Green added that Michigan was in position to win last year, but didn't finish the job. The Wolverines led MSU by 16 points midway through the third quarter in 2021.
“Just not getting the win [hurts the most," Green said. "We were always in the position. We never got beat by more than 10 points. Last year, we should have blown them out. For them to come back and beat us, that was a big emphasis for us and that’s not going to happen again.”
Harbaugh himself got in on the rivalry talk this week as well. Following Michigan's 41-17 win over Penn State, the head coach congratulated tailback Blake Corum on his 166-yard, two-touchdown rushing performance.
“The cool thing is coming up the tunnel, Blake said it — ‘it’s on to Michigan State’. And the offensive line, I’m congratulating them on the game and it’s, “on to State, coach.’ I like where their head’s at," Harbaugh said.
Michigan's head coach said that the Wolverines' practices this past week would all be zeroed in on the rivalry game.
“We’re regrouping," Harbaugh said. "We want to refresh. But we’re going to practice four times in this week. It’s all going to be Michigan State, except the practices we do with the young guys. Also, we want to get those guys getting reps and playing football, getting good at football, doing that this week. All of it is going to be getting ready for that game.”
Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson said the Wolverines have been waiting for this game since the bus ride home from East Lansing a year ago, following their defeat.
“I remember sitting all the way in the back of the bus with Erick All and we did not say one word," Wilson said. "We got back to Schembechler Hall, and went home. Did not say one word. We all knew what we did. We know what we have to do this year and we have just been waiting for that moment.”
“We know that we are the better team and we have got to go out there and prove it. We just can’t let bullshit happen. Excuse my language, but that’s what was happening. We know that we have to play better.”
Offensive guard Trevor Keegan expressed similar sentiments.
“Ever since we lost last year [I’ve been thinking about it]," the senior said. "That bus ride home was… it sucked. I have been thinking about it ever since. It still pisses me off. We are going to do everything we can to prepare for this game. We have got the bye week to get healthy. We’ll be ready to roll.”
Michigan starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy was a little more reserved when speaking of the Spartans, but he too expressed a confidence heading into the rivalry game.
“We want Paul back. We want him back," McCarthy said. "They’re coming to our house. … We’re ready for that one. We’re going to be turning the page pretty quick.”
Defensive end Mike Morris, who leads the Wolverines with five sacks on the year, liked the fact that Michigan had a bye week and extra time to prepare for Michigan State.
“We have more time to prepare, more time to game plan and scheme against the team. So I like it a lot," he said. "But the drive to beat them isn’t going to stop on this bye week.”
Following the Wolverines' win over Penn State, offensive tackle Karsen Barnhart, a native of Paw Paw, Mich., expressed his desire to get back on the winning side of the rivalry as well.
“We have the 24-hour rule — everybody knows the 24-hour rule — but we gotta get Paul back," he said. "Especially for me, being a Michigan guy, I’ve only beaten them once, my freshman year. Now, it’s time to have him back in Ann Arbor.”
The weekly routine returns to normal this week for Michigan State, as head coach Mel Tucker will meet with the media on Monday, followed by an assistant coach or two and several players on Tuesday.
It will be interesting to see if any of them will respond to the talk that's been coming out of Ann Arbor these past seven to eight days.
Even if they don't you can be sure that the Spartans will know about what's been said. After Michigan State beat the Wolverines last season, senior safety Xavier Henderson went on a rant as soon as he entered the post-game media room.
“Yes sir. What they talking about now? What they talking about now? It sounded good. It sounded good, before the game," Henderson said. "Thanks Mike Hart. Coach D said it would never be over, still not over. Thanks (Chase) Winovich. Thanks (Taylor) Lewan. Thanks Braylon Edwards. I bet you know Chuck Brantley’s name now, don’t you? It sounded good, but I don’t know what they talking about now."
Hart popularized the “little brother” description of MSU after Michigan’s win in 2007. Winovich used the phrase again after the Wolverines won in Spartan Stadium in 2018 and Lewan said it again this week before the 2021 game at a Tennessee Titans press conference.
Also last season, Edwards expressed his confidence in Michigan, stating before the game that MSU had no notable players on its defense — “Name me one player on Michigan State’s defense. Don’t worry, I’ll wait.”
This year, Michigan State enters the week as 21-point underdog to the Wolverines.
