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This week’s series looks back at the football rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State. The first installment takes us back to 2006. The previous season had been a disappointment for Wolverine fans, but 2006 turned out to be a renaissance year. A big win over Notre Dame served notice that Michigan was back, setting the stage for a memorable season. 

This series has mostly been about smash-mouth football. However, every now and then, someone tries something new. Michigan State head coach John L. Smith was in his fourth season, and his teams ran a spread offense. By contrast, Michigan coach Lloyd Carr used a multiple offense. However, the Wolverines leaned heavily on a time-tested formula, relying on a stingy defense and the running of Mike Hart behind a dominant offensive line. On this day, Michigan’s reliable formula worked to perfection. As the game unfolded, Michigan used that balance to set up Chad Henne’s first touchdown pass to Adrian Arrington. This play put the Wolverines in front. In 2006, once the Michigan defense was handed a lead, the Wolverines were usually in pretty good shape.

With a 7-0 lead, Michigan continued to pound away with Hart running the ball, almost lulling the Spartans to sleep. After repeated runs, Henne found Mario Manningham wide open for a 41-yard touchdown pass, and the rout was on. 

From that pont, Michigan cruised to a 31-13 win that was most dominant than the score would indicate. The Wolverines were never seriously threatened, and this game set them on a collision course with Ohio State.