Michigan State saw a recent stretch in which it went 7-1 against its in-state rivals from 2008-2015, but with Jim Harbaugh now at the helm in Ann Arbor, the tides appear to be turning.
Michigan snapped the Spartans’ three-game winning streak in the series with a 32-23 victory last year, but Michigan State senior linebacker Chris Frey insists Harbaugh’s arrival hasn’t changed anything in regards to the magnitude of the rivalry.
“It’s the same rivalry and it hasn’t changed a bit,” Frey said. “It’s the same two teams and we’re lining up against the same guys. It doesn’t change anything just because he’s there – I’m not worried about him.
“I’m worried about the guys on the field I have to go against. He’s not changing the way I play the game at all. I’m not worried about beating him, because he’s not across the ball from me – I’m worried about the tackle or running back across from me. He doesn’t change anything about me playing the game.”
For many of the Michigan State players, last year’s loss was the first time they had experienced defeat at the hands of the Wolverines. Spartan fifth-year senior offensive lineman Brian Allen was around for the 12-10 defeat to Michigan in 2012, and insists he wants to beat Michigan just as badly, regardless of the previous year’s result.
“Whenever you lose to those guys, you want to beat them,” Allen said. “Even if you’ve beaten them the previous year, you still want to win just as badly the next year. It’s a long ways away, but we want to win that game.
“It’s the biggest week of the year for us in the regular season. Whenever that week comes, there will be extra incentive for us to win that one.”
Fifth-year senior running back Gerald Holmes echoed Allen’s sentiment, in terms of it being the most important game on the schedule.
“It’s the biggest rivalry and one of the hypest games and hypest environments I’ve been a part of. If I had the choice of any game to play in, it’d be that one.”
Round three of Harbaugh vs. Dantonio will occur on Oct. 7, 2017, in Ann Arbor.
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