The Michigan Wolverines' football team has not looked sharp today, trailing its rivalry matchup with Michigan State, 14-10, at the break in Ann Arbor.
Miss any of the first half? We've got you covered with a complete recap below, along with the official box score at the bottom.
First Quarter
It was an ugly start offensively today, with both teams going three-and-out on their opening drives.
Michigan State then drove 71 yards in four plays, cashing in on a 30-yard pass from redshirt junior quarterback Rocky Lombardi to freshman wideout Ricky White at the 10:57 mark, with the Spartans taking a 7-0 lead as a result.
Michigan answered immediately, however, with an eight-play, 60-yard drive of its own that culminated with an eight-yard touchdown run by freshman running back Blake Corum at the 7:01 mark of the first quarter.
The score knotted the game at 7-7, and was the first touchdown of Corum's career.
The two teams then traded punts, before Michigan State took over at its own eight-yard line late in the quarter.
The opening frame ended with a defensive flag-fest, all of which went against Michigan. The Wolverines concluded the stanza with four penalties, three of which were called against its secondary.
Second Quarter
Michigan State punted to kick off the second quarter, before U-M was forced to punt as well at the 11:45 mark.
The Spartans took a 14-7 lead at the 9:40 mark when Lombardi hit redshirt junior running back Connor Heyward on a short two-yard pass, putting Michigan State up 14-7.
The score capped off a six-play, 68-yard drive.
The Maize and Blue's offensive struggles continued on their ensuing possession, starting deep in their own territory at the 13-yard line before being forced to punt when redshirt sophomore quarterback Joe Milton's pass to sophomore wideout Giles Jackson was caught two yards shy of the first down marker.
The Wolverines' defense stood tall on MSU's next drive, forcing a punt at the 6:35 mark. U-M caught a bit of a break when redshirt sophomore receiver Jalen Nailor dropped a third down pass at the chains, stalling Michigan State's drive.
Michigan then drove deep into Spartan territory, but saw their drive halted when head coach Jim Harbaugh got creative. Redshirt sophomore running back Hassan Haskins threw a third down pass near the goal line to wide open tight end Carter Selzer in the end zone, but the ball was tipped and fell incomplete.
The Wolverines settled for a 23-yard field goal by fifth-year senior kicker Quinn Nordin to trim MSU's lead to 14-10 with 2:49 to go in the half.
Michigan State was forced to punt on its ensuing possession, but Michigan couldn't cash in with any points before the half.
The Spartans ran out the clock to conclude the first two quarters and took a 14-10 lead into the break as a result.
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Listen and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Sign up for our daily newsletter and breaking news alerts
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @Balas_Wolverine, @EJHolland_TW, @AustinFox42, @JB_ Wolverine, Clayton Sayfie and @DrewCHallett
• Like us on Facebook
