ANN ARBOR — As a severe thunderstorm swept across the state of Michigan Saturday night, a tempest in the Big House left seventh-ranked Michigan crestfallen.
More frightening for the Wolverines than thunderbolts of lightning was Michigan State dual-threat quarterback Brian Lewerke and an opportunistic defense, which spearheaded a shocking 14-10 victory, spoiling the fourth night game in Michigan Stadium history.
“I think the game sort of had it all,” said Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio. “It had weather. It had a lot of defense.”
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The theme of Michigan’s season was its top-ranked defense, a narrative that took a dramatic turn Saturday. The Wolverines entered the night allowing 69 rushing yards and 203 total yards per game. The Spartans had nearly surpassed both of those numbers by halftime, rushing for 112 yards and totaling 186.
Lewerke ran for a 14-yard touchdown in the first quarter on a formation that spread out the Michigan defense and them discombobulated. A screen pass to Madre London led to a 16-yard second-quarter touchdown, handing Michigan State a 14-3 lead and quieting Michigan Stadium for the better part of 30 minutes.
“I'm just very glad to get the win,” Lewerke said. “This is definitely the best win I've had in my entire life.”
Lewerke finished 11-of-22 for 94 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 61 yards and a score. London had 59 yards and caught two passes for 19 yards and a touchdown. It doesn’t look or sound impressive, but a balk of the production came at critical first-half junctures when the Spartans made an 11-point lead feel insurmountable.
Michigan State’s second-half stats were not what you’d expect when beating a top-10 team on the road: two first downs and 66 total yards. But a deluge of rain soaked the stadium, leading both offenses to lean heavily on the run game. The Spartans only attempted two passes in the second half.
As it turned out seventh-ranked Michigan, attempting to rally in a torrential downpour proved to be the wrong strategy. The Spartans limited Michigan to 61 yards in the second half.
“There was one point it was a torrential downpour, and it was tough to throw the football,” said Michigan quarterback John O’Korn. “But there are no excuses. You’ve got to do what you’re coached to do, and you’ve got to complete the passes that are called.”
Five turnovers prevented Michigan from turning the tide in the Michigan State rivalry. O’Korn threw three interceptions in his first start of the season, Ty Isaac had a fumble, and Sean McKeon lost a fumble.
“Too many turnovers,” Harbaugh said. “You can’t expect to win when you turn it over five times.”
O’Korn finished 16-of-35 for 198 yards and three interceptions.
“We had plenty of opportunities to move the ball, score touchdowns,” O’Korn said. “You can’t expect to win when you turn it over that many times. Three of them were 100 percent my fault.”
Winning the national championship never seemed like a realistic goal for the 2017 Michigan Wolverines. But another loss to Michigan State -- the eighth in 10 years -- leaves UM trying to pick up the pieces. Saturday night was supposed to be the day Michigan changed the tenor of the series, not open old wounds and create another sequence of questions.
Mike Hart’s infamous “little brother” comments following Michigan’s win in 2007 drew plenty of attention and criticism, but it was fact to that point. The Wolverines dominated the rivalry, routinely beating up on their neighbors in East Lansing.
Not anymore. The role reversal over the past 10 years turned the state of Michigan off its axis.
Suddenly, Dantonio is 8-3 against Michigan and Jim Harbaugh is 1-2. That game in late November still looms and another third-place finish in the Big Ten East — or worse — feels imminent for a program that was brimming with confidence on Saturday afternoon.
Contact Kyle Rowland at krowland@theblade.com, 419-724-6110 or on Twitter @KyleRowland.
First Published October 8, 2017, 3:32 a.m.
