Senior guard and captain Joel Foreman remembers that 2007 game — the last time MSU has lost to U-M — and the reaction of that year’s seniors, who finished their careers without experiencing a win in the rivalry game.

“I don’t know if any of you remember that game,” Foreman said. “But it was real close to the end, and we almost came away with it. I could see how much it meant to them. How much it hurt them not being able to beat Michigan. It’s something that has kind of stuck with me.”

Foreman was redshirted that year, and although he was fully dressed and ready to play, the then-freshman could do nothing but watch. From that moment, Foreman and the rest of his freshman teammates, including fellow captains Trenton Robinson and Kirk Cousins, vowed to change the culture.

That mission is closer to being accomplished with each passing year as the Spartans continue to pile up victories against Michigan. The team is at three straight wins against its rival, and with Michigan sitting at No. 11 in the country coming into this contest, the Spartans are hoping make a statement Saturday.

With a win, this year’s senior class would hold a career 4-0 record over Michigan. The four-game winning streak is something that’s only happened three other times in school history (1934-37, 1950-53, and 1959-62).

“We’ve talked about … painting the state green and trying to, in our five years here, really turn the tide of the state to at least make it 50-50 or more and really put Michigan State on the map again,” said Cousins, who Saturday can become the first Spartan quarterback with three straight wins over Michigan. “I think to this point we’ve done a good job of that, but there’s still work to be done.”

Although it’s been nothing but success since Foreman, Cousins and the rest of the senior class actually took the field, it hasn’t always been easy on the senior quarterback.

Like Foreman, Cousins recalled some of his more painful stories with the Michigan-MSU rivalry.

One of those stories, Cousins said, is when he committed to MSU, a number of his high school friends wanted him to succeed but still refused to root for the Spartans. Those fans claimed to be Wolverines for life, so for Cousins, he didn’t have to wait to get to East Lansing and strap on the pads. That moment is when the rivalry became personal.

“That’s when you start to realize who’s with you and who’s not with you,” he said. “It’s like saying, ‘I’m for you but not for your wife and kids.’ The bottom line is you’re either for Michigan State and Kirk or you’re not. There’s no in between.”

A victory Saturday would put Cousins at 21 in his career, tying him with former quarterback Jeff Smoker for most career wins by a quarterback in school history.

Robinson, who also spoke with the media Tuesday afternoon, admitted he is fired up and emotional as he’s been in his career. It was evident the senior safety and leader of the Spartans No. 1 defense in the country was directing his efforts toward keeping his emotions under control until game day.

“This is a game we have to win,” Robinson said. “This is Michigan-Michigan State. This is a game for recruiting. This is a game to win over fans. This is the biggest game of the year for us, and (head coach Mark Dantonio) lets us know this is a must-win game.”