Photographs from the 1978 Michigan State/Michigan football game (taken by Brian Burd)

I have still been obsessing over the 1978 Michigan State victory over Michigan, and read some of the news coverage of the game in the Lansing State Journal. Here are a few great photos taken by Journal photographer Brian Burd. To the best of my knowledge, these pictures are nowhere in Google Images, so I decided to upload them here. I hope I don't get into any trouble, but I love these pics and want them to see the light of day and not trapped in obscurity. 

Brian Burd, if you are out there, I'd love to hear from you. Your photos are excellent.

This is "the other Steve Smith," i.e., the one who was not a basketball player at MSU from 1987-1991. This Steve Smith was an outstanding running back for the Spartans from 1977-1980.

A brief plea

Dear Michigan State football,

Please don't get torched by Maryland's passing game.

Sincerely,

The Spartan Attic blog guy

Michigan State beats Michigan

I really should have written this post right after the Michigan game rather than wait until the day before MSU's next game against Purdue. But since I'm a fan--and not a player or coach--I'm allowed to dwell on the game that happened six days ago.

As I've written in here previously, MSU/UM "rivalry week" (or, as some call it more accurately, "hate week") is not enjoyable for me. Absolutely the only aspect of the week I ever find enjoyable is when time expires and MSU has--if all has gone well--beaten that team down the road. 

I don't enjoy the back-and-forth trash talk between the fanbases. I don't enjoy the endless pre-game analysis. Often, I don't enjoy the games much while they are being played.

Late Saturday morning of the Michigan game, I went for a run in the neighborhood hoping it'd calm my nerves--and it seemed to have worked for the most part. I got back home at about the 11 minute mark of the first quarter, right after Anthony's 94-yard touchdown reception that put UM up 7-0.

The rest of the game was a back-and-forth heavyweight slugfest, with each team delivering haymakers. After MSU went up 37-33, the tension completely destroyed any "calm" my earlier run may have instilled. My heart rate was so high that my FitBit gave me credit for "active minutes" even though I was barely moving.

This was a great game, and one I can say I actually ENJOYED watching.

In an ideal world, both fanbases could shake hands (or at least "virtually" shake "virtual" hands) and marvel at what a great game this was, how hard both teams played, and how lucky we were to have such an important game in our state's backyard.

Unfortunately, that never happens in this rivalry. We can't have nice things in this rivalry.

Michigan fans--not all, but many--resort to their favorite post-loss pastime, complaining about officiating. This is because, as we all know, Michigan never loses games. They only have wins taken away.

It's funny hearing Michigan fans complain about the Payton Thorne non-fumble*--as if that call is essentially the main reason their team lost. Forget about blowing a 16-point second half lead or getting consistently shredded by Kenneth Walker III.

It was an exciting and joyous win, and now I must post this before the Purdue game starts.

My Spartan Memories, Volume 3: October 14, 1978

 

In the autumn of 1978, I was ten years-old. My dad had just taken a job working in the Thumb region of Michigan and was commuting every day from our house in Detroit. He'd do that for about 4 1/2 months until my parents finally moved us into our new house in Caro.

I wasn't happy about the prospect of moving from our home in Detroit to the boonies of Caro, and took little interest in much of anything that fall, including school. Compounding my disappointment about moving, my parents had enrolled me in a magnet middle school that I didn't like. Every day, I had to take the bus to and from Ludington Middle School. Some of the kids on the bus were annoying jerks, and school wasn't much better. Though I'd made some friends at school, they had as little interest in school work as I did, so we spent a lot of time screwing around, doing stuff like folding paper airplanes and ignoring the teachers.

Though I had become a Michigan State sports fan in earnest the previous year, after attending my first college football game ever (a 44-3 MSU win over Northwestern in November '77) and falling hard for Earvin "Magic" Johnson and the '77-'78 Spartan hoopsters, I wasn't paying much attention to the 1978 football team. Because of NCAA probation, they weren't on television and had gotten off to a slow start prior to the Michigan game.

My dad was--and still is--a history buff. I assume he learned of the Sanilac petroglyphs, near Cass City, when he started working in the Thumb. He decided that we would all drive up there from Detroit to see the petroglyphs the day of the MSU/UM game, possibly because he didn't think MSU had a prayer of beating the #4 and undefeated Wolverines.

We tuned in the football game on our 1975 Plymouth Valiant's radio on the way up to the petroglyphs. The Spartans got off to a good start and had a lead when we arrived, but since I literally could not remember the last time MSU had defeated UM in football (1969, when I was a toddler), I knew not to get overly excited. 

I recall the afternoon of October 14, 1978 at the petroglyphs as sunny and pleasant. The ancient stone carvings were--and I assume still are--quite fascinating. However, I was itching to know what was happening in the game. By the time we hiked back to our car for the long drive home, the game was in the 4th quarter. MSU was leading 24-7. I remember Michigan scoring a late touchdown and 2-point conversion to make it 24-15. I have a distinct memory of staring intensely at the Valiant's radio, willing the Spartans to victory. When the game ended and the Spartans had won, that was one of my happiest car rides ever, and one of my few highlights of autumn '78.

The Spartans went on to win six consecutive games and their first Big Ten football title since 1966. I don't remember anything about those games, but do recall the disappointment that the Draconian NCAA probation prevented them from representing the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl. Michigan, who tied MSU for the conference title, went instead. I doubt few were happier than I when USC beat UM in Pasadena.

I continued to largely ignore school in 1978 (and part of 1979). That school year was my absolute worst. It took me at least a year to get used to living in Caro. 

Whenever I think of that '78 MSU/UM game, I immediately remember our daytrip to the petroglyphs and that joyful ride home to Detroit--a place I've always considered my spiritual home.

This blog is back from the dead for the MSU/Michigan game

Life events, both personal and global, had made me uninterested in this blog. Also, the older I became, the less I cared about obsessing over the ups-and-downs of 18-22 year old college athletes.

Commence the "record scratch" sound effect.

So last year, in Mel Tucker's first year as MSU football head coach--flying by the seat of his pants in the bizarre COVID season--finished with a 2-5 record. The five losses ranged from embarrassing (Rutgers) to  blowouts (Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State). The Spartans' two wins were improbable victories against Michigan and Northwestern. (Northwestern was actually good last year). 

Michigan's 2020 season wasn't much better than Michigan State's. UM was 2-4 and they were only saved from a fifth loss when their game against Ohio State was cancelled due to COVID.

In 2021, Michigan State has exceeded all expectations--except maybe their own--and are 7-0. Michigan is also 7-0, but it's hard to say if they've exceeded expectations because the hype surrounding Michigan is extreme every year whether it's warranted or not.

I have no idea what will happen on Saturday. I have to assume it will be a close game, probably decided by less than ten points. As usual, I will likely have to imbibe massive quantities of alcohol to numb myself from the anxiety and agony of the game.