EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Amara Darboh caught eight passes for a career-high 165 yards, and De’Veon Smith ran for two touchdowns to lift No. 2 Michigan to a 32-23 win over rival Michigan State on Saturday.
The Wolverines (8-0, 5-0) scored every time they had the ball in the first half, beating the Spartans (2-6, 0-5) for only the second time in the last nine meetings. Michigan avenged last year’s loss to Michigan State, in which the Spartans scored the winning touchdown on the final play when the Wolverines botched a punt.
Michigan State went on to a Big Ten title and a national semifinal appearance after that dramatic victory, but this season it’s Michigan that’s in the national title hunt. The Wolverines were heavy favorites to win in East Lansing, and they trailed only briefly in the first quarter.
Michigan led 30-10 in the fourth before the Spartans scored a pair of touchdowns, the last of which came with only 1 second on the clock. Michigan State attempted a 2-point conversion and fumbled, and Jabrill Peppers returned it the other way for a defensive conversion that enabled the Wolverines to cap the win on a high note.
Wilton Speight threw for 244 yards for Michigan. Michigan State, meanwhile, did not complete a pass in the second or third quarter. The Spartans have lost six in a row and need to win out to become bowl eligible.