Michigan State is coming off of a disappointing loss against Rutgers in which the Spartans blew an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter, and now will face their archival, the Michigan Wolverines.

Michigan State will also look to snap a four-game losing streak tonight, dropping its last four to Washington, Maryland, Iowa and Rutgers, respectively. Meanwhile, Michigan has a perfect 7-0 record and ranks as the No. 2 team in the country.

WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 21 - 7:33 p.m. kickoff

WHERE: Spartan Stadium (74,866) - East Lansing, Michigan

TV: NBC (Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge)

Radio: Spartan Media Network (FIND YOUR LOCAL STATION)

SiriusXM: Sirius/XM (Ch. 137/204), SiriusXM app (Ch. 967

Michigan State - Harlon Barnett (interim head coach)

- Career Record: 0-4
- Record at Michigan State: 0-4
- Record against Michigan: 0-0

Michigan - Jim Harbaugh

- Career Record: 136-52
- Record at Michigan: 78-25
- Record against Michigan State: 4-4

All-time, Michigan leads the series between the two programs 72-38-5, dominating in Ann Arbor and prior to becoming Big Ten foes. In East Lansing and as league opponents, it has been a much closer series with the Wolverines holding a 21-15-2 edge at Spartan Stadium and a 39-32 advantage over MSU in the Big Ten.

More recently in the series, the Spartans have the edge in the series, winning 10 of 15 matchups since 2008. But the Wolverines have won three of the last five, including last season in Ann Arbor by a final score 29-7.

Michigan is a heavy favorite entering tonight's game with the spread currently at -24 in favor of the Wolverines. The over/under for the game is set at 46 points. The Spartans are 2-4 against the spread this season, while the over has gone over three times, including in both of the Spartans' last two games.

Courtesy of the Michigan State Athletic Department:

• Michigan State will look for its 11th victory in 16 games over No. 2/2 Michigan when the two rivals meet on Saturday, Oct. 21 for the first time under the lights at Spartan Stadium. The game will kick off at 7:33 p.m. and will be broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock with Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst) and Kathryn Tappen (sidelines) on the call. MSU has won 10 of the past 15 matchups against the Wolverines. Saturday marks the 28th night game in Spartan Stadium history (MSU: 20-7 record).

• Michigan State (2-4, 0-3 Big Ten) fell in its second straight road game last Saturday at Rutgers, 27-24, while Michigan beat Indiana, 52-7, to improve to 7-0 (4-0 Big Ten).

• Saturday’s game marks the 116th meeting between Michigan State and Michigan. The Wolverines lead the all-time series, 72-38-5, but hold just a six-game advantage in games in East Lansing, 21-15-2. Since 1950, Michigan owns a seven-game advantage in the series, 39-32-2. Since 1953, the winner of the Michigan State-Michigan game has been presented the Paul Bunyan Trophy. The four-foot wooden statue was donated by then-Governor G. Mennen Williams to mark Michigan State’s acceptance into the Big Ten. Since 1953, Michigan leads the series 39-29-2. The trophy depicts the legendary giant lumberjack astride an axe with feet planted on a map of the state with flags representing the schools.

• Michigan State has defeated Michigan 22 times when the Wolverines were ranked in the AP Top 25, including 12 wins in the top 10.

• Secondary coach Harlon Barnett, who is in his 15th year overall on the Spartan coaching staff, was named acting head coach by MSU Vice President/Director of Athletics Alan Haller on Sunday, Sept. 10. Barnett came back to East Lansing in 2020 after spending two seasons (2018-19) as the defensive coordinator at Florida State. He previously spent 11 seasons (2007-17) as the secondary coach at Michigan State, including three seasons as the co-defensive coordinator (2015-17) and one as the associate head coach (2017), before departing for FSU. Barnett has coached in four New Year’s Six/BCS bowl games with the Spartans (2014 Rose, 2014 Cotton, 2015 CFP Semifinal, 2021 Peach) and has been on staff for three Big Ten Championship teams (2010, 2013, 2015).

• Barnett has been a part of 11 wins over Michigan in his Spartan playing and coaching career (player: 1987; coach: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2021).

• MSU Vice President/Director of Athletics Alan Haller announced on Sept. 10 that former MSU head coach Mark Dantonio, the winningest head coach in school history, will return to the Spartan staff as an associate head coach. Dantonio will serve as an advisor to Barnett and the coaching staff on game days and throughout the week at practice and in meetings. After a storied 13 seasons as head coach of the Michigan State football program, Dantonio announced his retirement on Feb. 4, 2020. He finished his career with a record of 114-57 in East Lansing, 132-74 in 16 seasons overall. During his time at the helm of the Spartan program, Dantonio compiled an impressive list of accomplishments including three Big Ten Championships, two victories in the Big Ten Championship Game, victories in the 2014 Rose Bowl and the 2015 Cotton Bowl, and an appearance in the 2015 College Football Playoff, finishing his career as the winningest football coach in Michigan State history. Dantonio posted an 8-5 record in his career against the Wolverines.

OFFENSE

• Redshirt sophomore running back Nathan Carter ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 29th in the FBS averaging 88.2 rushing yards per game. Carter also leads the team in rushing touchdowns (4), carries (113) and all purpose yards (584; 97.3 ypg). The UConn transfer has rushed for 100 yards in three of his first six games as a Spartan, including a season-high 113 yards on 18 carries in his debut against Central Michigan in Week 1. He had 111 yards on 19 carries vs. Richmond in Week 2 and ran for 108 yards on a season-high 20 carries at Iowa in Week 5. Carter became the first Spartan since Jehuu Caulcrick in 2007 to score three touchdowns in a single quarter after running for three scores (2 yards, 44 yards, 6 yards) in the third quarter of the 45-14 win over Richmond in Week 2. According to PFF, Carter has rushed for 304 yards after contact, which ranks sixth most in the Big Ten.

• Graduate senior Tre Mosley led Michigan State with six catches for 36 yards at Rutgers and moved into 18th place all-time at MSU with 121 career receptions. His 1,404 receiving yards also rank 32nd in school history. Mosley, who has caught a pass in 23 consecutive games, ranks second on the team with 23 catches for 228 yards and two touchdowns. One of the most active members on the team in the community, Mosley has been nominated for both the AFCA Good Works Team and the Wuerffel Trophy for his work off the field.

DEFENSE

• Redshirt junior linebacker Cal Haladay recorded the 250th tackle of his Spartan career on an 11-yard sack in the first half against Rutgers. Haladay finished the game with eight tackles and leads the Spartans once again this season with 41 stops, including four tackles for loss (14 yards). He led the Big Ten in tackles per game last season (10.0 avg.; 120 total). During the third quarter at Iowa, Haladay tied a school record with the third defensive touchdown of his career as he returned a fumble 42 yards for a scoop-and-score in the third quarter against the Hawkeyes. He had two interception returns for touchdowns in 2021 (30 yards vs. Indiana and 78 yards vs. Pitt in Chick-fi l-A Peach Bowl). Haladay is the fourth Spartan in school history to score three defensive touchdowns, joining RJ Williamson (2012-15), Shilique Calhoun (2012-15) and T.J. Turner (1997-2000). Haladay was named to preseason watch lists for the Butkus Award, the Bednarik Award and the Nagurski Trophy.

• MSU snared multiple interceptions in a game for the first time this season with freshman cornerback Chance Rucker and sophomore safety Jaden Mangham snaring interceptions. It was the Spartan defense’s first game with two interceptions since Oct. 16, 2021, vs. Indiana.

• It was Michigan State’s fourth straight game with an interception and the Spartans have snared at least one oskie in five of the six games this season . . . Mangham started the streak with an interception vs. Washington (9/16), then senior defensive back Angelo Grose had an interception in back-to-back weeks vs. Maryland (9/23) and at Iowa (9/30), before Rucker and Mangham’s oskies on Saturday.

• Rucker caught his first career interception with the second-quarter oskie . . . Rucker now has three passes defended on the season with two pass break-ups . . . Rucker added three tackles.

• Mangham picked off his second pass of the season and he now has three passes defended this season, adding one pass break-up . . . Mangham also added five tackles.

• Redshirt junior linebacker Cal Haladay’s first tackle of the game came on a sack in the second quarter, which was his 250th career tackle . . . Haladay finished with a team-high and game-best tying eight tackles, marking back-to-back games with eight stops and fifth outing with five or more stops in the six games, including fourth with seven or more stops . . . now up to 257 career tackles, Haladay moves up to No. 37 on Michigan State’s career tackles list.

• Grose had a pass break-up, marking his team-leading sixth pass defended this season, with at least one in the last three games and five of the six games,

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Graduate senior placekicker Jonathan Kim made a 37-yard field goal in the waning seconds of the second quarter and Kim now has at least one field goal in five of the six games, part of 7-of-9 for the season . . . he is 4-of-4 on field goals of 30-39 yards . . . Kim added three PATs to finish with six points, his fourth game of six or more points . . . the three PATs is tied for his second-highest of the season, behind the career-high four vs. Richmond (9/9) and matching three vs. Central Michigan (9/1)

According to Accuweather, it will be a bit of a rainy day in East Lansing, with showers throughout the day, adding up to a little over a tenth of an inch of rain. It is going to get cold as the day progresses, with a temperatures around 47 degrees at kickoff and a low of 38 degrees tonight. To add on top of that, there will be considerable wind throughout, with winds expected to be sustained around 15 miles per hour and gusts up to 27 miles per hour. If you're heading to the game, be sure to bundle up, it's going to be a chilly October night.

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