MSU Men's Soccer Beats Michigan for Second Straight Top-5 Victory
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For the second time in as many games, the Michigan State men's soccer squad has taken down a top-5 opponent. Just a couple of days removed from a victory over No. 3 Indiana, the Spartans went down to Ann Arbor and won a big rivalry matchup versus No. 5 Michigan.
It is the first instance of MSU taking down two top-5 opponents in the same week.
To make it sweeter, Michigan State also keeps possession of the Big Bear Trophy. The Spartans are actually unbeaten in their last five matches against the Wolverines, but that only features two victories and three draws. It's MSU's first victory in Ann Arbor since 2017.
Game Summary
No goals were scored in the first half of the game, but there was a bit of a flurry of them during the earlier portion of the second one.
Michigan State got on the board first during the 51st minute on a successful penalty kick by Miles Merritt.
MILES. MERRITT.
— Michigan State Men's Soccer (@MSU_MSoccer) September 26, 2025
Spartans take the lead! pic.twitter.com/vFKmoSVp6S
The Wolverines weren't too far behind, though. They answered a little more than five minutes after the Spartans did to level things at 1-1.
In the 64th minute, it was time for Michigan State to score again. MSU's Richie Ludwig received a pass from Chimnosoh Okeke and sent it through the legs of not one, but two Wolverine defenders' legs and into the back of the net for a go-ahead goal that ended up being the difference.
Okeke finds Ludwig and Richie takes care of the rest! pic.twitter.com/9AR9mF2Q8e
— Michigan State Men's Soccer (@MSU_MSoccer) September 26, 2025
The deficit didn't keep UM away from trying, though. Michigan attempted five shots in between the Spartans' second goal of the night and the final seconds of the game.
The Wolverines actually attempted nine shots in the second half to the Spartans' two, which makes MSU's victory seem a bit more unlikely and, potentially, thrilling. In fairness to Michigan State's defense, most of those attempts were off-target, as the Spartans had four shots on goal for the game to Michigan's three.
Season Summary
A part of what makes the back-to-back big wins also huge is the fact that Michigan State actually began conference play with consecutive losses to unranked teams. The Spartans opened up their Big Ten schedule with a 2-1 loss at Washington and a 1-0 defeat to Ohio State at home.
During their non-conference slate, MSU went 3-2 with all three wins coming at home and both losses on the road. This win over Michigan makes the Spartans 5-4 on the year.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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