Michigan at Michigan State: Game Recap, Box Score

The No. 6 Michigan Wolverines and No. 8 Michigan State Spartans locked horns in battle on Saturday in East Lansing. The Wolverines suffered their first loss of the season by a score of 37-33.

Below, we've recapped how the game unfolded and the box score.

RELATED: Gameday Central: Michigan Wolverines Football At Michigan State

The Spartans opened the game on offense and went 36 yards on their first drive of the game, but momentum was stopped via an interception from freshman defensive back RJ Moten. That play would give Michigan the ball at its own two-yard line. While it looked like a curse initially, the Wolverines made the most of the opportunity.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Cade McNamara hit true freshman wide receiver Andrel Anthony in stride on a crossing route for a 93-yard touchdown. It was the first career reception for the East Lansing native.

The Wolverines' defense came up big throughout the first quarter with a punt forced on the next MSU drive. Michigan's defenders would come up big again with sophomore defensive back Daxton Hill tipping a pass in the air that was intercepted by senior defensive end Mike Morris. A Spartan penalty set Michigan up in scoring range, where a 26-yard kick from junior Jake Moody put the Wolverines up 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Spartans made it clear they were not going to lie down. Running back Kenneth Walker had been contained in the first quarter but bounced out of trouble for a 27-yard touchdown run eight seconds into the second to make it 10-7 Michigan.

The Wolverines came back with a 10-play 55-yard drive that ended in more points from Moody. A 38-yard field goal would give Michigan a 13-7 lead with 9:18 to play in the first half.

Points on the road are always nice, but field goals were not going to work on Saturday. MSU marched right back down the field with a six-play, 75-yard drive that ended in Walker's second touchdown rush of the day, this time from eight yards out. MSU got there via a 40-yard pass from quarterback Payton Thorne to wideout Jalen Nailor on fourth and one. Walker scored on the next play. The Spartans took their first lead at 14-13 with 7:16 left in the quarter.

Michigan, as it has all season, punched right back. Anthony struck again on a 17-yard reception from freshman quarterback J.J. McCarthy to help put the Wolverines back on top 20-13 with 3:45 to play in the first half. The drive went 78 yards in eight plays.

The Wolverines seemingly had MSU stopped and a strip-sack from junior David Ojabo recorded by junior Aidan Hutchinson the endzone to go up 27-14, but the officials in East Lansing overturned the call.

Michigan took over following an MSU punt and put three more points on the board at the end of the half. Spartans head coach Mel Tucker iced the kicker with all three of his timeouts, but Moody cashed in with a 35-yard field goal anyway. Michigan went into the locker room with a 23-14 lead.

The Michigan offense took the field first to start the second half. A false start on fourth and one followed by a botched punt that went short of the marker handed the Spartans the ball on their own 40-yard line. The Wolverine defense held strong and did not allow a response to the drive.

Michigan's offense took over and McNamara continued his breakout performance. The Wolverines went down the field in five plays, 54 yards and a touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Mike Sainrisitil. Michigan elected to kick the extra point and would lead 30-14 with 6:47 to play in the third quarter.

The Spartans refused to take a knockout blow in the third. They responded with an eight-play, 75-yard drive headlined by a fourth-down dart from Thorne for 28 yards and Walker's third touchdown rush of the day.

The two-point conversation attempt was good, helping the Spartans trim the deficit to 30-22 with 3:58 to go in the third quarter.

MSU was able to even the score at 30-30 on Walker's fourth touchdown of the day and two-point conversion from Thorne to wideout Jayden Reed with 12:29 to go in the game.

Michigan responded with a scoring drive of its own with nine plays for 59 yards and Moody's fourth field goal of the game, this time from 36-yards out. The Wolverines took a 33-30 lead with 9:20 remaining.

The defense would hold on the next drive, but a McCarthy fumble on a handoff gave the Spartans the ball back in Michigan territory with 7:12 to play. Walker scored his fifth touchdown of the game from 23-yards out to give MSU a 37-33 lead with over five minutes left in the game.

The Wolverines got the ball back and drove down the field in 12 plays, but turned the ball over on downs on the MSU 31-yard line with 1:42 left in the contest. Michigan's defense gave them one last chance to win the game, but McNamara threw an interception to seal the game with less than a minute to go.

FINAL: Michigan State 37, Michigan 33

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