Michigan State Beats Michigan 15-6, Reclaims the Paul Bunyan Trophy in Ann Arbor
Michigan State 15, Michigan 6. Few people gave Michigan State a chance. The Spartans came to Ann Arbor at 2-6 on a six-game losing streak and as two-touchdown underdogs. They left with a dominant defensive win and the Paul Bunyan Trophy, which heads back to East Lansing for the first time since 2021.
Quick answer: Michigan State vs Michigan score
- Final: Michigan State 15, Michigan 6
- Where: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor (Saturday night, Nov. 7, 2026)
- Records now: Michigan State 3-6 (1-5 Big Ten), Michigan 5-4 (3-3 Big Ten)
- Hero: MSU kicker Liam Boyd, 5-for-5 on field goals, all 15 points
How Michigan State won
This was a game won in the trenches and on the scoreboard by the leg of Liam Boyd. His 21-yard field goal broke a scoreless tie in the second quarter, and a 37-yarder with five seconds left before halftime made it 6-0. In the third quarter, a grinding 17-play, 79-yard drive ended with another Boyd kick, from 38 yards, for a 9-0 lead. He added two more field goals to finish a perfect night.
Head coach Pat Fitzgerald, in his first season in East Lansing, leaned on a run-first approach behind quarterback Alessio Milivojevic and backs Brandon Tullis and Kenneth Williams, keeping the ball away from Michigan.
A defensive masterclass
The bigger story was the Spartans’ defense. A unit that ranked near the bottom of FBS in takeaways forced four turnovers: interceptions by Devin Vaught and NiJhay Burt and two fumble recoveries. MSU also sacked Michigan’s quarterbacks five times.
Michigan’s offense, led by freshman quarterback Tommy Carr in just his third career start, never found a rhythm. The Wolverines managed only 78 yards in the first half and finished with 134 total yards.
Key numbers
| Stat | Michigan State | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 15 | 6 |
| Turnovers forced | 4 | 0 |
| Sacks | 5 | — |
| Michigan total yards | — | 134 |
Rivalry history
The win snapped Michigan State’s four-game losing streak against Michigan, its longest skid in the series since 2002-07. The Paul Bunyan Trophy was introduced in 1953 by then-Michigan Gov. G. Mennen Williams, and Michigan State won that first trophy game 14-6.
Why it was trending
An in-state rivalry, a huge upset and a trophy changing hands made “Michigan State vs Michigan” and “Michigan football” two of the biggest US searches Saturday night, topping 500,000 searches on Google Trends.
More college football from Week 11
- Notre Dame beats No. 1 Miami 31-24
- Oregon stuns Ohio State 41-28 in Columbus
- Alabama beats LSU 31-13 in Death Valley
Sources
- Heavy: Michigan State reclaims Paul Bunyan Trophy with 15-6 win
- ClickOnDetroit (WDIV): Spartans reclaim Paul Bunyan Trophy
- ESPN box score
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