Michigan vs. Michigan State: 5 Keys for Spartans to Make It Two Wins in a Row

Coming off a bye week, Michigan State Spartans are ready to take on their rivals, the Michigan Wolverines, this upcoming Saturday. They are looking to take home the Paul Bunyan Trophy for a fourth straight year and to show off their new Nike "Nike Pro Combat" uniforms.

This will be the Spartan's third year in a row facing an undefeated Wolverines team.

There are five important keys for the Spartans to extend their win to two in a row and receive their first win in their Legends division.

No Turnovers

Kirk Cousins, during the last few games, has thrown a couple of not-so-smart interceptions. He needs to watch the Wolverine’s defense as two safeties, two linebackers and a cornerback for Michigan all have caught an interception for their team this year.

Brandon Herron ran 94-yards interception back for a TD against Western Michigan. The Spartans have also created a couple turnovers in their recent games; it was one of the reasons for their loss against Notre Dame.

If the offense can keep their turnovers to a limit or none, they can be able to score efficiently.

Rush It

Le’Veon Bell and Edwin Baker are Spartans’ top leading rushers. While the Spartans have struggled all season to establish a solid rushing game, it will be difficult to find one against Michigan who are the seventh overall in rushing defense.

However, last week at Northwestern, Michigan’s rushing defense allowed three rushing TDs. While they only allowed 107 rushing yards, the Spartans should use Bell and Baker in the red zone.

Both of them combined have seven rushing TDs this season. If they are used in the game against Michigan, they will help total up some TDs for the Spartans.

Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins believes he is right where he needs to be and that he’s playing his best.

However, so far this season, Kirk Cousins has struggled to put up some big numbers. He has thrown a few missed throws and interceptions the past few weeks. He has completed 67.8 percent of his passes.

He has thrown at least one touchdown each of the past five games, showing that he is still the best quarterback for the Spartans. This is supposed to be his year to dominate and he has yet to do that.

If he can push pass the high pressure and expectations that are upon him and play the game that he knows he can play, he will be able to put up dominating numbers in the Big Ten. He is a strong leader. All he needs to do is watch his mistakes and manage his team.

If Cousins can do that, he will be a big part of the win over Michigan.

Top Defense

Michigan's quarterback, Denard Robinson, is almost like Michael Vick, he’s a running and passing quarterback. Two weeks ago, the Spartans’ defense did a good job against Ohio State in stopping their rushing game. If they can stop Michigan’s rushing, the Wolverines will be forced to pass.

The Spartan's passing defense are the second best in the country. They also have their share of defensive players with interceptions, including freshman Kurits Drummond who currently has two. Hopefully, Robinson will repeat what he did last week against Northwestern and the Spartans will get a pick or two off of him.

Michigan will have a tough game ahead of them against the team that is number one in total defense. It is a domination that the Spartans hope to have against the Wolverines.

The Paul Bunyan Trophy

Four years ago, the rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State was an unbalanced one. The Wolverines dominated over the Spartans between 1995-2007 with a record of 11-2.

They had brought home the Paul Bunyan Trophy for six straight years from 2002-2007. Currently, the Spartans have brought home the Paul Bunyan Trophy the last three years: 2008, 2009 and 2010.

A balanced rivalry has sparked between the two teams as the Michigan Wolverines are looking to bring back the trophy after three years and the Spartans are looking to keep it home for a straight fourth year.

Will the Paul Bunyan Trophy and the rivalry be enough to give the Spartans momentum to beat Michigan? 

Tune in this Saturday at noon EST to watch this epic showdown.