There is no question about it that the rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State has grown more and more heated in recent years. Tension has risen to a whole new level among the two fan bases, and that tension, as we saw on Oct. 29, has also grown stronger and stronger between the players and coaches. Unfortunately, it came to multiple Spartan players assaulting a pair of Wolverine players in the tunnel leading to the locker rooms following Michigan's dominating win over MSU. Now, according to witnesses, MSU coaches told their players to try and end Wolverines' RB Blake Corum‘s career.
What did Michigan State coaches reportedly tell their players to do Blake Corum?
In an article posted by John U. Bacon, he includes a couple of quotes from two sideline workers who were on the MSU sideline during their Oct. 29 loss to the Wolverines. As you will see, the workers claim MSU coaches and staffers encouraged the players to injure Blake Corum and J.J. McCarthy.
Here is what the two witnesses wrote, according to Bacon.
In the first, the witness writes, “While working…on the Michigan State sideline I heard many of their coaches, players, and staff yelling and encouraging [their] players to aim to tackle [Michigan running back] Blake Corum ‘at the knees and end his career.’… While I can’t identify specifically who was saying it, I know from turning around a few times after it was yelled that I saw it was a mix of players on the bench, staff in MSU clothing, and Coaches on the sideline yelling ‘aim/go for his knees,’ ‘tackle him at the knees and end his career,’ throughout the game. It was very clear the message they were trying to get across to the players: they were encouraging them to try and injure Blake’s knees.”
Via John U. Bacon
Here is what the second sideline reporter wrote:
“The MSU players and staff were by far the most hostile and undisciplined team I have ever been around. Below is a list of things I heard.”
Bacon reduced it here to a few points:
Via John U. Bacon
- “Constant complaining to the officials. During the second quarter the line judge comments to me that ‘this is not what I signed up for.’
- “There was an unprecedented amount of trash talk. JJ McCarthy was running the ball and I heard a MSU staff member yell ‘break his expletive arm.’ The MSU sideline was still using over the top vulgarity even when there was only one minute left in the game.
- “Usually after the clock hits 0.00 the referee’s sprint off the field. This game they stayed to break players up on the field. While leaving the field the head referee was confronted by a MSU staff member. The staff member then calls the referee ‘an expletive.’ I have never seen anything like that.
- “Mel Tucker spent the entire game arguing with the officials. He looked very agitated and never accepted the official’s explanation.”
:
Despite their efforts to injure Michigan's players, it was Corum and the Wolverines who got the last laugh.
The investigation has been completed and handed over
On Saturday night, Angelique Chengelis of the Detroit News released the statement from Melissa Overton, UM Deputy Chief of Police.
From Detroit News:
“In collaboration with our law enforcement partners and Michigan State University, UMPD has thoroughly investigated what occurred,” Overton said in the statement. “The case has been turned over to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
“We understand and appreciate your interest in this unfortunate and unusual incident. Consistent with our commitment to transparency and due process, we will not share further information pending the prosecutor’s office review.”
