Hart’s words ignited change in East Lansing. The Spartans responded by winning eight of the next 10 matchups, marking one of MSU’s most successful stretches in the rivalry’s history.

Today, the MSU football program finds itself in an unfamiliar position — one it has not experienced since before former head coach Mark Dantonio rebuilt the Spartans into a Big Ten powerhouse. From 2007 to 2019, Dantonio made Michigan State a consistent rival to Michigan and one of the conference’s most competitive programs. Since his retirement, however, the Wolverines have regained control of the matchup while the Spartans continue to search for stability.

It has created an unfamiliar sight for a program that dominated the rivalry throughout the 2010s — barely anyone on the current roster has ever beaten Michigan. Only three players were part of the program’s last win, an unforgettable 37-33 victory in 2021: sixth-year linebacker and captain Sam Edwards, sixth-year linebacker Darius Snow and redshirt senior defensive back Khalil Majeed.

The lack of recent success against their rival, combined with constant turnover from the transfer portal, has created a disconnect in understanding how serious the rivalry is. Last year’s 24-17 loss served as a wake-up call for many of the new players and staff.

"Last year, it was way bigger than what I expected," junior quarterback Aidan Chiles said at Tuesday’s media availability. "I came from Oregon State, with a pretty big rivalry as well with Oregon, and it was way bigger than that."

Inexperience within the rivalry definitely made a difference last year in a one-score victory for Michigan — a mistake that became a point of emphasis right at the start of the 2025 season.

Starting in the summer, several alumni returned to stress the importance of the game. One speech that stood out most to Chiles came from former MSU strength and conditioning coach Ken Mannie, who spent 25 years in East Lansing before retiring after the 2020 season.

"He [Mannie] came in and talked to us about the entire thing, fighting, grit, and put your name on it," Chiles said. "You want to have your name on the wall. You want to be able to walk the streets and just be able to be known around here. Be unforgettable."

Unforgettable. A good word to describe the five-touchdown, 197-yard rushing performance by former MSU running back Kenneth Walker III that led the Spartans to their last victory over Michigan in 2021. The memory still lives in sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh’s mind, as he attended the game as a prospect out of River Rouge High School in Detroit.

"Seeing that game sparks a fire up for me. So anytime we got these guys [Michigan] coming up, I’m going to go home and watch that game," Marsh said. "To see East Lansing, like the atmosphere afterwards, it was wild."

An atmosphere that has not been replicated since — one Marsh hopes he can play a part in reviving, starting with bringing Paul Bunyan home.

"That’s the goal," Marsh said. "That’s the sole part of our season, man, is to get Paul Bunyan back here."

Rivalry matchups carry not just emotion, but can leave the winner with a renewed sense of motivation. The Spartans see a perfect opportunity to turn around their season starting with a win this weekend, and the team knows it.

"This game imports opportunity year in and year out because it means more," MSU head coach Jonathan Smith said at Monday’s weekly press conference. "With the tough times we’ve had the last couple of weeks, this is an awesome opportunity to change the tide."

It is a pivotal opportunity for Smith. A win over their biggest rival would not only give him his first ranked victory at MSU but also help him win back the fanbase after a disappointing 3-4 start, headlined by a homecoming blowout loss to UCLA.

The Spartans (3-4) return to Spartan Stadium to battle No. 25 Michigan (5-2) in an attempt to bring Paul Bunyan back to East Lansing. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and the game will air on NBC.