Michigan game creates a 'huge opportunity' for Michigan State, says Jonathan Smith

A year and a half into his tenure at Michigan State, things haven't gone according to plan for Spartans' head coach Jonathan Smith.

In his first year, MSU finished with a 5-7 overall record, and after a 3-0 start to the 2025 campaign, the Spartans have now dropped four straight and sit at 3-4 and winless in the Big Ten heading into this Saturday night's game against No. 25 Michigan (5-2).

That has left many who cheer for the Green and White wondering about the state of the program and what direction it is headed under Smith's leadership.

With that being said, while a win on Saturday night against the Wolverines might not cure everything, it would certainly be a positive step in the right direction and could be a victory that would give Smith and the program new life in a sense.

The second-year head coach in East Lansing talked about the important of the Michigan game in his press conference earlier in the week.

"This game means a ton—to our players, but also former players, the program, you think about alumni—all of it," Smith said. "It's a very important and meanginful game, and so that creates a huge opportunity for us. Especially with kind of where we're at with things this season, things haven't gone our way, all of those things. I think it comes at a good time to galvanize this group and have a great week of work getting ready for Saturday night."

"It's a very important, meaningful game."

🗣️ Jonathan Smith on the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry pic.twitter.com/25ILl4UTq4
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) October 20, 2025

On the other hand, the Wolverines as a program should be familiar with the amount of weight MSU's program and fanbase puts on this game. Michigan enters as a double digit favorite, but there have been times in the rivalry's recent history where the Spartans have come into the game as huge underdogs, most notably in 2017 and 2020, and found themselves taking home the Paul Bunyan Trophy by game's end

Michigan has won three straight games in the series dating back to 2022 and will look to make it four straight on Saturday night when the Wolverines travel to Spartan Stadium to take on MSU under the lights for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on NBC.

Kenneth Grant — Oct 26, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) passes in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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