Michigan State makes 5 field goals, forces 4 turnovers and has 5 sacks in 15-6 win over Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Pat Fitzgerald's long wait is over.

Liam Boyd made five field goals on five attempts and Michigan State's defense forced four turnovers and had five sacks in a 15-6 win over Michigan on Saturday night.

The Spartans (3-6, 1-5 Big Ten) snapped a six-game losing streak and helped Fitzgerald end a 13-game Big Ten losing streak, dating to the 2022 season-opening game at Northwestern.

They snatched the Paul Bunyan Trophy that the winner of the rivalry gets to keep after the game and went around the perimeter of the field to enjoy the moment with green-and-white clad fans in the Big House that didn't have many Michigan fans in the stands for the final minutes.

“To see our fan base and celebrate with them is something I'll never, ever forget," Fitzgerald said. “We know we’re not going to Indianapolis (for the Big Ten championship game), but today was the state championship and we’re 1-0."

The Wolverines (5-4, 2-4) scored with 1:35 left on Savion Hiter's 1-yard run to avoid being shut out for the first time since 2014 and Tommy Carr was sacked on a 2-point conversion to seal the defeat.

In a matchup of two of the worst offenses in college football, points were precious.

Michigan State connected on two field goals to take a 6-0 lead at halftime.

The Spartans went ahead 9-0 late in the third quarter with another kick that capped a 17-play, 79-yard drive that started at their 1 and took nearly 11 minutes off the clock.

Michigan was held scoreless in the first half for a third straight home game. The last time the Wolverines didn't have a point by halftime three times in a season was 1979, according to Sportradar.

Michigan had a chance to score in the second quarter, but Jacob Baggett hit the left upright on a 26-yard kick for the team's fifth missed field goal in three games.

“It was kind of deflating at that point,” coach Kyle Whittingham said.

After Trey Butkowski missed four field goals in the previous two games, he lost his job to Baggett in a competition during practice.

Michigan State's Alessio Milivojevic, who missed the previous game with an injury, was 21 of 32 for 188 yards without a turnover. Milivojevic threw six passes for 92 yards to Chrishon McCray.

Brandon Tullis ran for a career-high 86 yards for the Spartans, making the most of opportunities to play with four running backs out with injuries.

Michigan's Tommy Carr was 14 of 26 for 138 yards with two interceptions. Running back Bryson Kuzdzal and receiver Andrew Marsh each lost a fumble in the second half.

The Wolverines were held to 54 yards rushing on 26 carries.

“I can’t come up with one positive offensively,” Whittingham said.

Michigan State: Fitzgerald and his players desperately needed a victory after going 0-5 in the Big Ten, following a loss to the Fighting Irish, and it will be a little sweeter that the win was the Spartans' first against their rival since 2021.

“I told you when I took this job that one game means more,” Fitzgerald said.

Michigan: Whittingham's debut season has fallen short of expectations after being ranked No. 16 in the preseason AP Top 25 with an offensively challenged team that hasn't been able to take advantage of having a strong defense.

“As disappointed as I’ve ever been as a head coach,” said Whittingham, whose debut season was in 2004 at Utah.

Michigan State hosts Washington (5-4, 2-4) on Saturday.

Michigan plays at Oregon (6-3, 4-2) on Saturday.

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Michigan quarterback Tommy Carr (14) eludes Michigan State defensive back Nikai Martinez (21) as he scrambles out of the pocket in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)

ANTALYA, Türkiye--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 8, 2026--

As world leaders prepare to gather in Antalya for COP31, 350.org is warning that the world cannot afford another decade of delay in transitioning away from fossil fuels. The UN climate conference starts amidst the largest fossil fuel crisis in history and people all over the world are facing increasingly devastating climate impacts while fossil fuel companies continue to rank obscene profits.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261107414423/en/

350.org is calling on the Turkish and Australian COP31 presidencies to build on this momentum and ensure that the summit delivers a credible pathway towards phasing out fossil fuels, backed by time bound milestones, accountability and finance. Governments must agree on concrete steps towards a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels, accelerate the expansion of renewable energy, deliver the climate finance developing countries urgently need and ensure that those responsible for the crisis pay their fair share.

Efe Baysal, Türkiye Program Manager at 350.org, said:

"Türkiye has a unique opportunity to demonstrate what climate leadership looks like. Hosting COP31 comes with a responsibility to help move the world beyond fossil fuel dependence and towards an energy system that works for people, not polluters. Communities in Türkiye and across the region are already experiencing the consequences of climate change, from extreme heat to water stress and wildfires. We cannot keep treating these impacts as a distant threat. COP31 must deliver real progress towards a just transition away from fossil fuels, with renewable energy, climate resilience and people's livelihoods at its heart."

Fenton Lutunatabua, Pacific and Caribbean Program Manager at 350.org, said:

"For Pacific communities, the climate crisis is not a future scenario being debated in negotiation rooms. It is an immediate threat to our homes, cultures, livelihoods and very existence. Our islands are on the frontline of a crisis we did little to create, while the companies most responsible continue to extract and profit. We need governments to listen to the communities already living with these consequences. COP31 must deliver action, not more delay: a rapid transition away from fossil fuels, meaningful climate finance and a commitment to protect the people and places most at risk."

Rukiya Khamis, East Africa Program Manager at 350.org, said:

"Across East Africa, people are facing the devastating impacts of a climate crisis they did not cause. From prolonged droughts to destructive floods, we are losing homes, livelihoods and access to food and water. Yet the money needed to respond to these impacts remains out of reach for many of the countries and communities most affected. It is fundamentally unjust that those least responsible are being left to carry the greatest costs. COP31 must make climate justice a reality. We can’t wait until COP32 in Ethiopia to fix what needs fixing now. By the time countries arrive in Addis Ababa next year, we should be negotiating deadlines and binding targets, not vague promises full of 'ifs' and 'maybes'."

ENDS

Photos can be found here

350.org's events, actions and spokespeople at COP31

350.org is an international climate organization working to end the age of fossil fuels and build a world of community-led renewable energy for all.

Ahead of COP31, 350 Türkiye raised a “Climate Justice, Now” banner at Antalya’s Kaleiçi Harbor, urging world leaders to commit to a just transition away from fossil fuels. Photo credit: Caner Özkan / 350.org