Jonathan Smith answers if a win over Michigan makes a successful season

The Michigan State Spartans are set to host the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday. There, head coach Jonathan Smith is hoping to find a way to snap his team’s four-game losing streak and turn the season around.

There are, of course, some Spartans fans who only need to see the Wolverines lose to have their season turn around. Certainly, Smith knows that this is the most important game Michigan State has on its schedule and one that you circle. At the same time, he also knows it comes at a time when the Spartans just need a win.

“Look, make our season,” Jonathan Smith said. “I know it can change our season. One, no question, just winning a game, but this game, what it means in the state. No question. That’s why it’s the most meaningful game of the year.”

The Wolverines have now won three-straight games against the Spartans. That includes a 24-17 win last season in Smith’s first season with Michigan State. The last time the Spartans won came back in 2021 when the game was played in East Lansing, where it’s set to be held this year.

In recent years, the animosity in this rivalry has been palpable. Following the 2022 game, there was a fight in the tunnel at Michigan Stadium, which would lead to criminal charges for multiple Spartans players. The rivalry also featured prominently in the Michigan sign-stealing scandal, as the Spartans were the team Conor Stalions was scouting when he appeared on the sidelines at Central Michigan.

The pressure certainly is mounting on Jonathan Smith at Michigan State to figure it out and turn the season around. He’s now just 8-11 overall and 3-10 in Big Ten play in his season and a half with the program. That includes their current four-game losing streak and just one win against Power Four opponents this season. Earlier in October, Smith was even forced to address how he handles in-season calls for his job.

“Not to take a shot at you guys at all. I don’t follow a ton of it. I’ll be honest. I definitely have a greater awareness that things are out there, whether they’re talking me particularly or things around the program,” Smith said.

“We do take some deep pride in our approach and how we’re going about it. We want to be at a place [with] great energy, passion, compete at the highest level. Part of that, you want to do that, comes with the other side of things when it doesn’t go right. So, it’s not a big, big surprise to me. I’ll go back to the confidence and really steadfast, and the people in that building that we’ve got that we can right the ship here.”

Smith knows he has a chance to change that narrative this Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST.