Takeaways after Michigan football defeats Michigan State for the fourth year in a row

For the fourth year in a row, Michigan takes down Sparty.

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For the fourth year in a row, Michigan took down Michigan State -- all four being under the lights. It was far from pretty, the Wolverines weren't sharp, but Michigan was the better team on the field. The Wolverines' defense played well and RB Justice Haynes was sensational.

Following the 31-20 Michigan win, here are some takeaways.

Not Michigan's best performance, but the Wolverines were clearly the better team

It wasn't a flawless performance from the Michigan Wolverines -- not nearly as clean as last weekend's win over Washington. But the Wolverines got the win over their bitter rival. You never know what you're going to see in a Michigan vs. MSU game, but it was obvious Michigan was the more talented team.

The Wolverines got out to a quick 10-0 start, and then Michigan got complacent and let the Spartans get back into the game with a TD. However, Michigan quit playing with its food in the second half and leaned on the rushing attack. It felt like in the first half, the Wolverines tried too hard to get Bryce Underwood rolling, but he had an off night.

Michigan's defense had two bad drives, but was very good overall. Jyaire Hill did a great job in coverage and the Michigan pass rush kept Aidan Chiles on his heels for majority of the night.

It was like Justice Haynes never left

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Justice Haynes started his Michigan tenure off with a bang. Through the first five games, he surpassed 100 yards on the ground, and scored at least one touchdown. He was injured against USC in Game 6, only getting to 51 yards. Haynes wouldn't play against Washington last week.

But there was no rust for the former Alabama transfer. Haynes looked like his dynamic self and was a horse for Michigan on Saturday. He broke loose a few times and rushed his way to 152 yards and two scores in his first game against Sparty. Haynes did, however, lose a fumble in the fourth quarter -- a play he would want back.

Bryce Underwood looked like a true freshman

Entering the game, Michigan State had the 17th-ranked passing defense in the country, allowing 251 yards per game through the air. A lot of people -- including myself -- thought Bryce Underwood was in store for a big game, but the Wolverines had to rely on the ground game to get the win on Saturday.

Underwood threw for just 86 yards in the game, and at times, he looked overwhelmed against the MSU defense. The Spartans did a good job of masking their coverage, and Underwood wasn't ready for the corner blitz -- at least twice.

He flashed a few times in the game, and Semaj Morgan had another drop in the game, but overall, it was not Underwood's best performance. It will be a good game for him to watch the tape to learn.

Michigan's special teams play continues to raise more and more questions

Michigan might miss Jim Harbaugh and Jesse Minter, but one coach who might not get enough credit is Jay Harbaugh -- Michigan really misses him. The Wolverines' special teams were good last year under J.B. Brown, but Michigan has taken a serious step backward in 2025.

Kicker Dominic Zvada has had his struggles, but the weak points are punting the football and returning kicks/punts. Whoever returns the ball appears to have no idea what they should/shouldn't be doing.

Semaj Morgan has been the main punt returner this season and every punt return is a wild ride. He fair caught a punt at the 5-yard line and Channing Goodwin ran into Morgan on another. Freshman Andrew Marsh fair caught a kick at the 10-yard line when MSU was backed up following a penalty.

The Wolverines' special team play isn't getting any better, in fact, some are asking what's going to go wrong the next time.

Apparent coaching blunder to end the first half

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Michigan got the ball back 39 seconds on the clock in the second quarter with a timeout. The Wolverines went up-tempo and made a point to get out of bounds to save the clock. But once Michigan got up to its 40-yard line, coach Moore elected to not take the timeout, and instead, let the clock run out to end the half.

The issue? Back when the Wolverines played Nebraska, the Huskers completed a successful Hail Mary attempt to end the half. Why Michigan wouldn't have tried a Hail Mary to end the half is beyond me. Unless Moore didn't want Bryce Underwood to have another incomplete pass, or possible INT on his resume -- there is not other logical reason.

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