Michigan State Stun Michigan 15-6 on Five Field Goals to Take Paul Bunyan Trophy

Michigan State beat Michigan 15-6 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, November 7, 2026, to win the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Michigan State scored all of its points on five Liam Boyd field goals and did not score a touchdown. Michigan scored the only touchdown of the game with 1:35 left and then missed the two-point conversion.

Five kicks and no touchdown

Michigan State led 6-0 at halftime. The quarter scores were Michigan State 0-6-3-6 and Michigan 0-0-0-6. One Michigan State scoring drive covered 17 plays and 79 yards and took 10:41 off the clock before it ended in a Boyd field goal. That long drive showed the plan. Michigan State held the ball, moved it in short gains and asked its defense to protect a small lead.

Michigan State entered the game 2-6 and was a two-touchdown underdog. The win snapped a six-game losing streak, gave the Spartans their first Big Ten win of the season and was their first win over Michigan since 2021. Michigan State improved to 3-6 overall and 1-5 in the Big Ten. Michigan fell to 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten.

Defense decides the rivalry game

Michigan State forced four takeaways after recording only five all season before Saturday. Michigan State committed no turnovers. Michigan State outgained Michigan 298-192, held a 17-13 edge in first downs and outrushed Michigan 110-54. Michigan rushed for 54 yards at 2.1 yards per carry.

Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic completed 21 of 32 passes for 188 yards. Michigan freshman quarterback Tommy Carr completed 14 of 26 passes for 138 yards. Neither quarterback threw a touchdown pass, and the Michigan State defense kept Michigan out of the end zone until the final two minutes.

Head coach Pat Fitzgerald became the third Michigan State coach to beat Michigan in his first attempt, after Nick Saban in 1995 and Mel Tucker in 2020, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Next, Michigan State hosts Washington, and Michigan plays at Oregon.

By the numbers

The numbers explain why a team with no touchdown won by nine points. Michigan State won total yards 298-192 and first downs 17-13. It won rushing yards 110-54, and it won the turnover count 4-0. Boyd made all five of his field goals count in a game where Michigan reached the end zone once, late, and then failed on the two-point try. Michigan State scored in the second, third and fourth quarters. Michigan scored in the fourth quarter only. For a 2-6 team on a six-game losing streak, protecting the ball and taking it away four times was enough to take the trophy back to East Lansing.