"I can still feel the bitter taste in my mouth after experiencing [last year’s loss to Michigan]," Smith said on Monday. "This game is the most meaningful on our schedule. This particular Saturday is going to be different in a messaging approach than any other Saturday we play with."

To rinse this bitter, year-long taste out of Smith’s mouth, MSU must play satisfactory football this Saturday against the Wolverines in the 118th battle for the Paul Bunyan trophy, a battle that promises grit by each side, determination and will and victory or heartbreak. 

But "MSU playing satisfactory football" has yet to be a headline in any story. Smith and his Spartan team have lost four straight games, remain winless in the Big Ten and continue to search for both footing and identity. And the kicker? They haven’t beaten Michigan in 1,456 days.

All of these negatives have the possibility of being erased on Saturday barring a Spartan victory. Yet a victory cannot be obtained by playing how the Spartans have been playing. Such a game can be won by making the necessary changes that Spartan coaches have harped on all year and last: consistency, execution, linear improvement. However, it can also be won by erupting passion and playing with knowhow – as this is what half of the Paul Bunyan rivalry encompasses. 

To find this passion within his players, Smith has brought ex-players and alumni into the facility to speak to his team in attempts to spread knowledge and history of what this game is and what this game means, while also supplying resources and tips on what to expect. 

A chance to listen and take in advice from former Spartans who have lived what this game means creates an opportunity that can transcend to the football field.

"One of the former players came in and he said that it's not really about the first punch," junior defensive lineman Jalen Thompson said. "It's about that second punch. So being able to respond."

It was not disclosed how many people spoke to the team or who these people were, but the message seems clear: this is an important game, one that’s personal, one that requires players to play with emotion but not being emotional, one that needs passion. 

In the new age of college football, where rivalries like this are a newfound experience for transfers, first-year players and even coaches, advice from those deeply rooted in the program can go a long way. For MSU, the hope is that passion runs deep enough in a game so meaningful — one against its greatest rival.

"Knowing the message and knowing the history behind the game, I think everybody really understands what they need to do, handle their business and play their role," junior quarterback Aidan Chiles said. "We want to come out with a victory and come out with that trophy. That’s what we’re playing for."

To bring the Paul Bunyan Trophy back to East Lansing, MSU must ignite both passion and execution against its unfriendly foe Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Spartan Stadium. The game will air on NBC.