Pat Fitzgerald's team earned the biggest win of his young tenure in East Lansing, defeating Michigan in Ann Arbor, 15-6, and snapping a six game losing streak. After a lackluster start of the season, this could be the exact momentum boosting win the Spartans needed to continue pushing towards success in 2026.
A big part of pulling out the win on Saturday was the play of Michigan State's defense. Led by defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, the Spartans had a strong gameplan, and nearly shutout the Wolverines. Forcing four turnovers, getting five sacks and holding the Wolverines to just 192 yards, the Spartans flexed their muscle defensively.
After looking at the film, and evaluating the game, Pro Football Focus (Subscription Required) gave out their
grades for the Spartans in the game.Check out who PFF ranked as the top five defenders from the Spartans game with the Wolverines:
- DE Kenny Soares Jr.: 87.3
- CB NiJhay Burt: 85.0
- DE Anelu Lafaele: 84.6
- LB Cam Stodghill: 75.0
- DT Derrick Simmons: 72.5
Michigan State was led by their edge rushers, who were constantly getting pressure on the Michigan offense. Burt, being thrusted into a starting spot, showed up in a massive way, forcing a fumble and getting an interception, while being lockdown in coverage.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebookto follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on X @Rex_Linzy
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State's top five defenders vs. Michigan, according to PFF
