MSU coach Jonathan Smith on Michigan: 'Most meaningful game on our schedule ... awesome opportunity to change the tide'

Michigan Wolverines football is coming to East Lansing this weekend, meaning the biggest game of the season is on deck for the Michigan State Spartans. At 3-4 overall, MSU has lost its last four games and has beaten only one Power Four team — taking down Boston College, 42-40, Sept. 6. The Eagles are 1-6 overall and 0-4 in the ACC.

It’s been a struggle for second-year head coach Jonathan Smith in year two, after missing a bowl game last season. The Spartans haven’t appeared in the postseason since 2021 and would have to win three of their next five to get there this year.

“We all know what this week is,” Smith said Monday. “Huge rivalry week, which is a great thing and one of the best things about college football.”

Michigan State is coming off a 38-13 loss at Indiana but has turned the page to Michigan.

“This game being the most meaningful game on our schedule, we did flip the switch pretty quickly yesterday as a team,” Smith explained. “Digested some of the things from the film and then moved forward.

“This game means a ton to our players, but also former players, the program, you think about alumni, all of it. It’s a very important, meaningful game, so that creates a huge opportunity for us, especially kind of where we’re at with things this season. It hasn’t gone our way, all of those things. I think it comes at a good time to galvanize this group and have a great week of work getting ready for Saturday night.”

Michigan beat the Spartans, 24-17 at The Big House, in Smith’s first taste of the series.

“Leaving the experience, the passion of the actual game — lead-up and post,” Smith said of what he learned from last year’s game. “I learned that going in. I think about the preparation, using more of that fuel, that passion for our preparation and then, obviously, playing with it within a disciplined approach. In football, it comes down to doing your job at a high, high level, so we want to foster a lot of that fuel to be able to play our best.”

Nothing “surprised” Smith, but the loss to Michigan still doesn’t sit right with him.

“I can feel — still — a bitter taste in your mouth after that one, after experiencing it,” he said. “Again, I’m talking about particularly in the 60 minutes of it. Opportunities we had, we didn’t execute — I’m not here to recap the game — being in that environment leaves a bad taste in your mouth that has not gone away.”

Michigan State is on a brutal losing streak that has gone on since the 41-24 win over Youngstown State, an FCS opponent, Sept. 13. However, the Spartans have a chance to win their biggest game, making them a potentially dangerous wounded animal.

“Make our season? I know it can change our season, no question,” Smith said of what a win would mean. “One, just winning a game. But this game, what it means in this state, no question. That’s why it’s the most meaningful game of the year.

“Where we’re at in our current season and the tough times we’ve had the last couple of weeks, all of that, this is an awesome opportunity to change the tide, let’s call it. I definitely see it that way.”

Here’s the rest of what Smith said about Michigan during his press conference:

On channeling passion but also staying true to one’s self in a rivalry situation

“Rivalries are not all the same. They’re across the country and all of those things. So, for this particular one, I’ve really felt like galvanizing that fuel, that energy, that focus, that want-to, passion behind it, boiling that into our preparation, using that in our play but not well out of bounds to where it’s hurting us. We want it to help us.”

On how to prepare Michigan State to play with passion but not make dumb mistakes or penalties

“Talk about it. That’s why this balancing act … yes, emotional game, means more this week, no question. At the same time, it still comes down to playing your best, doing what’s best for the team to help us win the game. So, that’s playing through the echo of the whistle, not well past it, keeping our focus on the job at hand, what I’m going to do contributing to a win versus holding us back from a loss and those kind of conversations.”

On how many fans have mentioned the series with Michigan to him since he’s been in East Lansing

“I struggle with a number, but being here now going into the middle of year two, by far the No. 1 topic when you’re talking and exchanging with a fan, in fundraising or an event or at the basketball, hockey games. This is by far the No. 1 topic that comes up with fans.”

On if Michigan State has spent time educating its players on the history of the series

“We did approach this thing a little bit differently this year, going back to the summer. We spent some time as a team 1) educating. I think that’s important in this environment of college football and rosters transitioning, new guys. We did spend some time this summer discussing this topic and the meaning and importance of it. We had, at that time in August, a couple of players from this state speak to the team, and we will continue that message, that really started yesterday, throughout this week.”

What a win would mean to Smith personally

“I’ve got to field these questions. What would mean to us as a program? I think of what it would mean to these players in the locker room, all of that for them. That would mean a ton for me for those guys to have success Saturday night.”

On the matchup of the run game on each side

“The matchup is huge. The line of scrimmage for both sides, whether we’re on offense or defense. They have shown to have an effective run game, and that is something that we’ve got to be able to answer to and bow up to.

“On our side of things, the line of scrimmage, they’ve affected the passer. Running the ball against them, that will be a huge part of this game.”

On the differences in Michigan’s offense from last year to this season

“There are differences. I think think there’s a different play-caller, a different quarterback. The quarterback’s skill set creates differences than last year.

“Just going off their recent last game or two, I think last week, you looked at them and they had some balance offensively, so there are some differences.”

On the value of experience in a rivalry for Aidan Chiles, versus Michigan freshman Bryce Underwood not having played in it

“I think there’s definitely value in experiencing in the rivalry, the emotions into it, all of that. And so, playing in the second time going through it, there’s, depending on how much value it is, it’s how much you learn and what you did better than you did the first time out.”