Ann Arbor, MI —
In what turned out to be a beautiful Saturday in Ann Arbor, the Maize and Blue were able to come out on top of their in-state rivals with a 31-13 win. Since, Michigan’s loss to Indiana, every game has been crucial but this game had the added dimension of a classic rivalry game.
The men needed to get as many points as possible and keep Spartan scoring to a minimum in order to keep their chase for a spot in the Big Ten title game alive. The Spartans were an athletic and physical team but they were no match for the Wolverines’ weapons on attack and defensive pressure.
In the opening minutes, Michigan played a lot of defense but was eventually able to cross into the try line by forcing a Michigan State penalty. After a good series of phase play with nice runs by the centers, Andre Cargill was able to set up a try for Captain Jeremy Reid, There were some sloppy mistakes on offense after the first try was scored but eventually the train got rolling. Notably, the team’s top try scorer and workhorse, Nick Azzopardi, was able to get another try on the day. Colin Walters used his pace to beat a few Michigan State defenders for 80 meters after a turnover ball by Nick Azzopardi was offloaded to Ron Marine and passed out wide to the speedy winger.
This week, the men will be hosting a solid Illinois side in the final home game of the season. Getting the bonus point win and keeping Illinois off the scoreboard will be vital to the chase for the Big Ten Championship but the men are prepared for the challenge. This team is hungry for victory and has been putting in the necessary work, directed by the coaches, to be successful. After Illinois, the final game of the season will be away at Ohio State.
Soiled Meat and Sand.
