The Michigan Wolverines simply embarrassed the Spartans 49-3 Saturday in Ann Arbor.
The blowout victory was MSU’s worst in the rivalry since Sept. 27, 1947, when the Spartans lost 55-0 in Ann Arbor.
“Embarrassing, whooped, ass-kicked, whatever you want to call it,” junior wide receiver Charles Rogers said.
MSU (3-6 overall, 1-4 Big Ten) scored first on a 39-yard field goal by sophomore place-kicker David Rayner. But U-M (7-2, 4-1) refused to allow the Spartans any more as they rattled off 49 unanswered points.
Following Rayner’s field goal, U-M scored on its next three possessions. The first two came on the ground, while the third came on a 38-yard bomb from quarterback John Navarre to wide receiver Ronald Bellamy.
Navarre finished the game 16-of-27 for 229 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran the ball five times for three yards and one touchdown.
“We got the running game going, that helps a lot,” Navarre said. “It opens up the passing game and as the quarterback that is good to see.
“We knew if we controlled the line of scrimmage and got the running game going we were going to have a great chance to win.”
Tailback B.J. Askew shouldered a career-high 32 carries and rushed for a career-high 149 yards and two touchdowns.
Saturday’s game marked U-M’s first 100-plus yard rushing performance of the season, as the Wolverines rushed for a total of 188 yards.
For the game, U-M totaled 441 yards compared to MSU’s 237 total yards.
“We couldn’t stop them and we couldn’t do anything on offense,” Spartan head coach Bobby Williams said. “It’s pretty hard to explain right now.”
The 21-3 score carried into halftime, but little changed in the second half.
“They were beating us to everything. They were beating us to the play, beating us to the ball,” Rogers said. “They knew where the play was going before we even got there.
“Lloyd Carr had them boys ready to play.”
In the third quarter, Navarre continued the Wolverines aerial assault with 12- and 38-yard touchdown passes. Then in the fourth, U-M punched two more in on the ground.
Rogers wouldn’t say if Saturday’s game proved the Spartans’ offense is too predictable, but he did say the season is too far gone to save.
“You can’t turn this around,” Rogers said. “We’ll be lucky if we win another game the way things are going right now.”
The Spartans have lost four straight and the postgame locker room scene has been heated. But Rogers said not much was said this week.
“Nobody’s got any words, answers or nothing,” he said. “It’s too late for all that. If they’re going to play, they’re going to come out and play hard from day one.
“That’s not my job anyway. That’s the coach’s job. You can only say so much to a player. They’ll listen to a coach more than they’ll listen to me.”
But even Williams didn’t have any answers. After the game he was asked if he’s lost control of the football team, and he simply replied, “I don’t know.”
Williams said this is the lowest point he’s ever been. He said all he told his players after the loss was to never forget it.
“It won’t be easy coming into Michigan and getting beat like this my last year,” senior strong safety Thomas Wright said. “That’s something I’ll always remember.”
Sophomore free safety Jason Harmon didn’t start for the second straight week with a sprained ankle.
Senior cornerback Cedric Henry sat out for the second straight week with a groin pull.
In the first quarter, junior center Brian Ottney limped off with a sprained knee. He was joined by left tackle Ulish Booker (sprained knee) and sophomore defensive end Clifford Dukes (sprained shoulder) on the sidelines.
Senior cornerback Broderick Nelson left the game with a neck injury. X-rays were negative.
Junior defensive end Greg Taplin is expected to return to the line up next week after missing the U-M game with a suspension.
Eric McKinney can be reached mckinn54@msu.edu.
