The Michigan-Michigan State rivalry has captivated sports fans for decades, divided the state and for the 104th time, No. 23 MSU will take on the No. 11 Wolverines on Saturday at Spartan Stadium. As Cousins experienced, most people raised in Michigan have an alliance to one of the two Big Ten schools and only stand for Blue or Green, MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said.

The rivalry has seen everything from devastating blowouts — such as in 1902 when U-M won, 119-0 — to unusual ties — seen in 1930 and ‘31 when the teams tied at zero — and treacherous victories — particularly when MSU edged the Wolverines in overtime to win, 26-20, in 2009.

The anticipation, excitement and adrenaline surrounding the rivalry matchup set the annual game apart from anything else.

“It was one of the best and biggest rivalries in the country,” former MSU head coach George Perles (1983-94) said of his coaching days. “I don’t think there’s anything bigger. There are some that are comparable — maybe Oklahoma and Texas and some of those games — but Michigan-Michigan State is as big of a game as there is in the country.”

Notable memories
The intensity of the in-state rivalry has grown during the years because of the heartbreaking games that come down to the last play.

Winning the last three years — and subsequently keeping the Paul Bunyan Trophy in East Lansing — MSU is looking to tie the school record by reaching a four-game winning streak. The Spartans previously had four-year runs from 1934-37, 1950-53 and 1959-62. From 1950 to 1969 under former MSU head coaches Clarence “Biggie” Munn (1947-53) and Hugh Duffy Daugherty (1954-72), the Spartans earned a 14-4-2 record against U-M. As MSU improved the quality of its program, the animosity between the Wolverines and the “other” school in Michigan grew, said former MSU end Joe Carruthers, who also was MSU’s offensive line coach from 1969-72.

“They just can’t realize that we can play as well as they have in the past and can stay on the same level,” Carruthers said. “We’ve had national championships, and we’ve had Big Ten Championships and undefeated seasons in a row.”

More recently in 1990, MSU came out on top against the No. 1 Wolverines in a game U-M fans called “No. One vs. No One.” The Spartans gave up a last-minute touchdown to make the score 28-27, but when U-M attempted a two-point conversion, the play failed, and the clock ran out.

In the 2001 “Clockgate” game, MSU quarterback Jeff Smoker threw a touchdown pass to running back T.J. Duckett to give the Spartans a 26-24 victory — a game Perles said truly stands out. It was argued that the clock ran out of time before the snap, but the play was deemed fair, leaving U-M fans bitter.

The 2004 game sent the teams into triple overtime before U-M won, 45-37, and the 2007 28-24 loss remains clear in Spartan fans’ minds after U-M running back Mike Hart first called MSU “little brother.”

“The rivalry is a tremendous rivalry because of the passion for both schools people have,” U-M head coach Brady Hoke said. “The alums, people within the state — you draw a line that you’re a Spartan fan or you’re a Wolverine fan, and that’s what makes college football.”

Unforgettable
When a football game is as momentous as the Michigan-Michigan State game, it will stick in both players’ and fans’ minds forever.

Former MSU free safety Mike Iaquaniello was able to recall which years the team beat U-M while he was playing — 1987 and 1990 — without a moment’s hesitation. The wins — and the losses — have stuck with him.

“It was 1990. I was a senior,” Iaquaniello said. “I knew it was the last time I was going to play them. They were ranked number one in the nation, and we had to go to their stadium. We weren’t expected to beat them. We did.”

Iaquaniello played in some major games during his football career. In addition to winning the Rose Bowl in 1988, MSU won the Big Ten in 1987 and 1990, all under Perles’ coaching. He also played for the Miami Dolphins after college, yet the former player still dubs the victory over U-M in 1990 during his senior as one of the most exciting games he played in.

“I remember I couldn’t wait to get home after that game to call all my buddies that I knew were big Michigan fans and just let them know that they were No. 1 until we came into their house,” he said.

The minor details that have stuck with the former player speak volumes about the weight this game carries.

For Spartan players, the rivalry game is everything they work toward. Every reel of film, the sweat-drenched practices and endless hours in the weight room — it all leads up to one kickoff.

“I think people come with a mindset to this game,” Dantonio said. “It’s not just any other game. This is a special game, not just to the players but to families, for friends, for a lot of different people in this state.”

Iaquaniello recalled dedicating the entire week leading up to the game to gain any possible advantages over U-M.

“Because that week, every minute you were watching film, getting prepared in the weight room and on the field and doing everything you could do to get an edge on Michigan,” he said.

The rivalry runs true and deep in the hearts of players past and present and refuses to fade as years pass. In fact, it might be growing. The game was intense when Iaquaniello played, but he believes with age has come a deeper understanding of the battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy.

“It’s hard to believe, but the older you get you understand this rivalry even more,” he said.

“There’s so many people that care about this game. … It’s just a lot of pride in being a Spartan. Everywhere you go this week there’s a coworker, a friend, a neighbor — everyone has something to say about this game.”

Keeping it personal
Throughout the years, the rivalry has fueled both teams to be out for blood the second they step on the field.

Although coaches, family and friends place a lot of emphasis on the game, Carruthers said before his U-M matchups, added emphasis and enthusiasm was appreciated but never needed when it was “Cow College” against “The University.”

“It was just a natural thing inside of you,” he said. “You had more enthusiasm, more emotion, more giddy-up-and-go for that game because … you didn’t want to be on the team that lost to Michigan.”

“It was just the attitude that they were better than us (that) just poured gasoline onto the competition between the two schools.”

Today, the Spartans take as much pride as ever in the rivalry and their performances. Senior offensive guard Joel Foreman said Saturday’s game is important to the team in trying to extend its winning streak, and the rivalry is a frequent discussion topic in the offseason.

“This game is emotional for us,” Foreman said. “We’re always thinking about the school down the road. It’s something that we’re always working to get better at, and … it’s very important to us, it’s very important to this team (and) this program to go out there and be successful.”

A household divided
For Wendy and Mark Becker of Clarkston, Mich., the Michigan-Michigan State game is more than just Saturday afternoon football. It’s personal.

The Becker residence is a classic example of a house divided. Wendy Becker graduated from MSU in 1985, and Mark Becker graduated from Michigan in 1984; each still wholeheartedly supports their respective schools.

As Saturday approaches, claws are bared, and all friendly banter goes out the window; it’s game time.

“To me, (the game) means a lot,” Mark Becker said.

“I’m a huge Michigan fan, and the rights to the state really lie in that game. You can take all the other colleges in Michigan and add them together and none of them come close to the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry.”

The rivalry always was present in their relationship. The two started dating while both were attending college.

Their daughter currently is a freshman at U-M, giving Wolverine fans an edge in the household, but there still is hope for Wendy — the lone Spartan.

“(My son) is looking at MSU,” Wendy Becker said. “There’s a lot of pressure on him to kind of even up the score and make our home a little more fairly balanced.”

Dantonio acknowledged divided households at his press conference Tuesday.

“Sometimes, you’re unfortunate enough to have people in your own family that go one way or the other, which makes it interesting,” Dantonio said.

In Michigan, it isn’t only families that divide for this game ­— it’s the entire state. Fans young and old, from Western Michigan University to Central Michigan University, pick a side and defend that side until the final whistle blows. People who didn’t go to either MSU or U-M still choose a side and become a Spartan or a Wolverine, Mark Becker said.

The rivalry is an event the whole state follows. It forces Michiganders to bleed blue or green, and it draws a line straight down the Mitten — and in some cases, down households.

“(U-M and MSU) are both in the same state and are only 60 miles apart and have a lot of people and families who are divided,” Perles said. “They have some children who go to MSU and some who go to U-M. It’s a lot of good, clean fun, and it’s lasted because of the proximity.”