Last Saturday, Michigan State football led for a majority of its matchup against Rutgers, and looked dominant for three quarters. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Spartans led the Scarlet Knights 24-6, but Rutgers ended up spoiling what could have been interim head coach Harlon Barnett’s first win.

The Spartans look to move on, and will have an opportunity to rain on the rival Michigan Wolverines' parade on Saturday and pull off an upset that would shock the college football world.

The game at Spartan Stadium will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, and will be broadcast on NBC.

Redshirt senior offensive lineman J.D. Duplain took to the podium on Tuesday to speak about the Spartans' 27-24 loss to the Scarlet Knights, and transitioning the focus to this weekend’s matchup against the Wolverines.

“You get emotional after a loss, it’s tough to go through a loss like that,” Duplain said about being defeated by Rutgers. “You’ve just got to overcome it and remain mission-focused. That’s preached, but we know what’s at hand this week, and it’s really just getting the pads on and getting back to work. You’ve just got to get better each week.”

The Spartans, as mentioned, have since shifted their focus to this weekend’s game versus in-state rival, and No.-2 ranked Michigan. The undefeated Wolverines have impressed, and have been flawless in many facets of the game. However, this game is different and there is much more at stake with a heated rivalry and Paul Bunyan Trophy on the line.

Oftentimes, as we have seen, the team that is more emotionally prepared, and not necessarily always the team that is more talented, comes out on top in this series. But it may take more than just readiness for Michigan State to defeat Michigan in 2023.

The Wolverines feature one of the best defenses in all of college football, an offense that moves the ball at will and a balanced and disciplined team overall. It is no surprise that this team has a 7-0 record right now.

Resiliency, and moving forward is something that is important for the Spartans currently, and Duplain knows that the Spartans are “one of the most resilient teams.”

On-the-field struggles and serious off-the-field issues that include the firing of former head coach Mel Tucker have defined the Spartans' 2023 season so far. However, Duplain maintains that the team has stayed together.