Marquette MI, – October 24, 2025 – The stage is set at Spartan Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 7:45 p.m. under the lights. The Michigan State Spartans will face off against the Michigan Wolverines for the coveted Paul Bunyan trophy. In the last ten matchups, Michigan has emerged victorious six times, including winning the past three games. The Spartans are eager to bring Paul Bunyan home for the first time since 2021, which was highlighted by Kenneth Walker III’s remarkable performance, where he scored five touchdowns in a thrilling 37-33 victory.
In last year’s matchup at the Big House, the Wolverines defeated the Spartans 24-17. Sparty took an early lead with Nathan Carter’s touchdown, but Michigan responded with a Colston Loveland touchdown and a Dominic Zvada 37-yard field goal, heading into halftime up 9-7.
Michigan extended its lead with Alex Orji’s touchdown, making it 16-7. The Spartans trimmed the deficit with Jonathan Kim’s 47-yard field goal, but the Wolverines scored again on a trick play as Donovan Edwards threw a touchdown to Loveland for his second. Sparty managed one last touchdown from Aiden Chiles to Nick Marsh, but ultimately lost 24-17.
The Spartans are counting on their duo of wide receiver Nick Marsh and quarterback Aiden Chiles. In last week’s game against Indiana, Chiles performed well, throwing for 243 yards with a completion rate of 27 out of 33 attempts. For Michigan State to have a chance at winning, they will need to stop Michigan’s powerful run game. The Wolverines average 212 rushing yards per game, led by one of the top running backs in the country, Justice Haynes, who averages 117 rushing yards per game. However, Haynes is currently dealing with an injury that kept him out last week, and he is trending toward a game-time decision this week.
Michigan will be led by freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, who will be experiencing this rivalry for the first time on Saturday. Underwood delivered an impressive performance in Michigan’s last game against Washington, completing 21 of 27 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Michigan’s defense has been outstanding, allowing only seven points and forcing three interceptions last week.
If looking to tune into the game you can find it on NBC Saturday night.
