After getting off to a dreadful start, the Wolverines settled in and made enough plays on both sides of the ball to outlast the Spartans in a 24-17 win for the home team. It was Michigan's third consecutive victory over Michigan State, the longest winning streak the Wolverines have enjoyed in this series since winning six in a row from 2002-07.

No Michigan football first-year head coach had beaten its in-state rival, MSU, in the first try since 1948. But head coach Sherrone Moore found a way, even when going into the game it felt dire, and it felt even more so early in the game.

Michigan State football returned home on Saturday night without Paul Bunyan. For a third straight year, Michigan got the best of the Spartans, this time in a tight, hard-fought battle at Michigan Stadium.