Youthful defense leads Spartans to upset in the Big House
Cody TuckerANN ARBOR — It’s not clear if it was the rain or tears that made Chris Frey’s eye black run down his cheeks into his bushy brown beard Saturday night.
It doesn’t matter, either.
Frey, flanked by sophomores Kenny Willekes and Joe Bachie in his post-game press conference, spoke frankly about his team’s performance in a windy, rain-soaked 14-10 win over the Wolverines. This was the last time Frey will face Michigan. The torch is officially passed to guys like the ones on his left and right.
“My hat’s off to the guys that are on this defense and the guys who stepped up and made huge plays in this game,” said Frey, who has now won three of his four career games against U-M. “We talk about this every week, we’re a young team. A lot of guys haven’t played in this game before or played limited snaps in this game. A lot of those guys stepped up and made huge plays tonight.”
If you ask him, he is leaving the rivalry in very capable hands. And the numbers don’t lie.
The Spartans held the seventh-ranked Wolverines to 300 yards of total offense and picked off John O’Korn three times in the second half. MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said U-M ran 40 different offensive formations in the first half. Brian Lewerke and the Spartans put their defense in a tough position throughout the second half. The offense only picked up two first downs, both on the final drive of the game.
The visitors never wavered.
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Bachie said the goal heading into Michigan Stadium was to force four turnovers. They got five for good measure.
“We came down here with the mindset that we were going to win,” Bachie said. “The defense had to step up in certain situations, and I’m just excited we did that. We aren’t done yet.”
U-M running backs Karan Higdon and Chris Evans each carried the ball 12 times Saturday. Neither eclipsed the 70-yard mark. Neither found the end zone. O’Korn, who was making his first start under center in place of the injured Wilton Speight, completed 16 of 35 passes for 198 yards. He failed to throw a touchdown in the loss.
Willekes sacked O’Korn twice Saturday night. Bachie and Gerald Owens each tallied one.
All the talk leading up to the 110th meeting in this in-state series was surrounding the U-M defense and rightfully so.
Now, all the chatter is about the guys in the visitor’s locker room.
“I think it just shows, honestly, that all the things we have been through as a team and all the adversity we have faced, we have fought through that and we’ve stayed strong together and that really showed tonight,” Frey said.
Another sophomore, safety David Dowell, picked off O’Korn twice in the second half, including a one-handed grab off a deflection. Bachie snagged the other interception and forced a fumble. Justin Layne, another sophomore, also caused a fumble.
“This game is just another stepping stone,” Dowell said. “Obviously, it means a little more. Everyone on this team has confidence in each other. We talk about that: 'Trust your teammates, trust yourself, trust the defense.' You are starting to see that now and we just have to keep pushing.”
The Spartans entered the fourth-ever night game in U-M history as double-digit underdogs. They are still motivated by the “little brother” comment. They know no one gave them a chance.
Despite that, Dantonio said all 70 players on the traveling squad believed they were going to win this game.
He dared them to be confident.
“I told our football team, every player that comes here, to dream big. I’m no different,” Dantonio said. “I am going to dream big. We have been in the playoffs, won three Big Ten championships and beaten our rivals.”
That’s the reason Frey came to MSU. For moments like this.
In 2015, when Jalen Watts-Jackson shocked the world, Frey celebrated. Saturday, he did the same.
He came here to dream big. He came here to win games like this.
“I started to go celebrate, and I was like, ‘I need to go get Paul,’” he said of the traveling Paul Bunyan Trophy. “He’s back home where he is supposed to be, and we are excited to have him back.
“I gave him a kiss and said ‘welcome back.’”
Contact Cody Tucker at (517) 377-1070 or cjtucker@lsj.com and follow him on Twitter @CodyTucker_LSJ.