After picking up a big win last week against Iowa, the Michigan State University football team has a big test ahead of them this week. The entire State of Michigan’s eyes will be on Ann Arbor as the Spartans take on Michigan.
Michigan State has rolled out numerous different uniforms against Michigan over the years, from the beloved green-and-bronze “Pro Combats” in 2011, to alternate helmet decals in 2021 and 2022, and also the black “Shadows” alternates in 2023.
The Spartans announced on Wednesday afternoon that they are keeping it simple this year, unveiling a green helmet, white jersey and white pants combo for this Saturday’s game. The helmet features the white Greek key stripe and a white traditional Spartan logo.
This combination is reminiscent of the same combo that MSU has worn many times in Ann Arbor, and for a few signature wins for the Spartans. The most notable that comes to mind is the 2015 “Trouble With The Snap” game, along with Mark Dantonio’s first Michigan win in 2008, and the Covid-era Halloween day victory in 2020. This is the first time this combo has been worn against Michigan since that 2020 game.
Coincidentally, Jonathan Smith is the third MSU head coach in a row to coach their first game against Michigan on the road, and all three games were played with this uniform combination. The announcement was met with almost universal praise on social media, which I would say is the most well-received uniform announcement this year.
While initially disappointed with the mundane choice, I have since changed my tone. I am happy with the classic, business-like uniform, as I think this is a game that MSU needs to keep in simple, go into the Big House, and get it done. As Coach Smith says, low ego, high output.
For those curious, Smith confirmed in a press conference this week that the uniform choices are solely up to him, saying “I’ve got the title, I make the call.” This quote implies things differ from the previous coaching staff, where uniforms had been pre-planned for the entire season.
This is the first time the Spartans have worn this combination this year. In their previous three road games, they wore identical all-white combos. This is the first “true” green-white-white grouping that has featured the white Spartan head logo since 2021, when MSU won at Miami.
Michigan has yet to announce their uniform for this week. For most of this season, they have been announcing their uniforms with a graphic on Friday evenings. If I took an educated guess, I would say they will wear their winged helmet, blue jerseys and blue pants, a combo their fanbase has been calling “Big Game Blues.” The matchup on Saturday should look like classic Michigan State-Michigan.
Hopefully for Spartan fans, come late Saturday night, the green-white-white will have delivered another signature win for Michigan State at the Big House.
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