Under the lights and under a monsoon, the 2017 Michigan football team had its most embarrassing performance of the season and one of the worst losses in the Jim Harbaugh-era as the Wolverines dropped an ugly one to in-state rival, Michigan State, 14-10, to move UM to 4-1 on the season.
Ugly is the easiest way to describe this game. After a nice little start, Michigan looked to have early control of the game before Ty Isaac’s untimely fumble completely swayed the momentum. Michigan State was able to capitalize with a touchdown on a Brian Lewerke scramble and then took a 14-3 lead later on in the first half with a screen pass to Madre London. But that was all the MSU offense could muster up.
After giving up two first half touchdowns thanks to poor field positioning, the Michigan defense locked things down to give the offense a chance to make a comeback. However, Michigan’s offense continued to struggle (like it has all season) as John O’Korn threw three interceptions and Sean McKeon added a fumble to the mix. All of which came at horrible times, costing Michigan great field positioning and killing drives.
Though a touchdown run by Khalid Hill in the 3rd quarter looked to sway momentum back towards the Wolverines, O’Korn and the offense couldn’t get things together. The Michigan defense only allowed Michigan State to gain 34 yards total in the 2nd half but MSU’s defense, poor execution, and some questionable play calling were too much to overcome. O’Korn’s hail mary at the end of the game was batted down in the end-zone and the Paul Bunyan trophy changed hands again.
Standouts
- DT Maurice Hurst
- Hurst proved once again that he’s the top player on this defense and the most dominant interior defensive lineman in the Big Ten. His quick twitch and get-off helped him get into the backfield all game long, causing mayhem for the Spartans. If he keeps this up, like he has, all signs point to another first round NFL draft pick for the Wolverines.
- CB Lavert Hill
- Hill was a recruit that Michigan State fans wanted badly and thought they were actually going to land at one point. However, he chose Michigan and had the best game of his young career against the Spartans. Three pass breakups and plenty of lock down coverage made him an easy choice as one of the game’s standouts.
- RB Karan Higdon
- The offense was hideous but Higdon was a bit of a bright spot. Ripping off 65 yards on 12 carries, he showed once again that he’s the best option on the roster to get the in-between the tackle yards. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the staff start to lean on him more as the season goes on, especially with the struggles with the offensive line.
Check out the highlights and the post game interviews from the 2017 Michigan vs. Michigan State game:
What was your biggest takeaway from Michigan’s 14-10 loss against Michigan State? Should John O’Korn still be the guy moving forward? Is the defense and special teams the only hope? Let us know in the comment section below!
Photo Credit: Bryan Fuller/MGoBlog
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