While the final score was a blowout, there was certainly no lack of chippiness between the Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday at Michigan Stadium.
Michigan State’s Jacub Panasiuk was ejected in the fourth quarter of Michigan’s 44-10 win over their in-state rival following a late hit on quarterback Shea Patterson. The result was several Michigan players waving goodbye to the Spartans sideline, in effect telling them to get lost.
When it was all said and done, there were five unsportsmanlike conduct and two personal foul penalties called; a total of 16 penalties for 184 total yards for the game.
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“I was telling them to go home,” Michigan senior safety Josh Metellus said afterwards. “It was time for them to leave. They didn’t deserve to be in our stadium, and I was just trying to wave them goodbye because some of them wanted to stay on the field when it was our time to shine. We came out with the W, so we were telling them to go home.”
“I feel like we’re way more classy than them,” Metellus said. “They tried o take it to a level that wasn’t playing football, and we play football over here. I don’t know what they do over there, but we play football, and it showed today.”
Of course, there are two sides to every story. Spartan linebacker Tyriq Thompson thought that Michigan’s trash talking went over the line, and was far too excessive.
“I think it was just a little bit of poor classmanship on their part,” Thompson said. “Poor sportsmanship, to come over to our sideline, barking the way they were. It comes with the game, with the rivalry. It is what it is, but still, it’s just terrible.”
Patterson wasn’t phased by the late hit, and made sure to get his digs in on Michigan State afterwards as well.
“Anytime you play in a rivalry game, when stuff gets out of hand and you dominate them, that is kind of what is going to happen on the other side,” Patterson said. “We were ready for that. It didn’t really phase me.”
