Jonathan Smith changed his perspective on the rivalry after his first experience against Michigan

EAST LANSING – Jonathan Smith thought he knew what was coming.

The Michigan State coach has been a part of in-state rivalries before, but his first experience facing Michigan left a lasting impression.

“It kind of became clear for me on Saturday night,” Smith said Monday after last week’s 24-17 loss at Michigan. “Leading up to this, I knew it was important, the competition, the emotion, the going, but now, actually experiencing it for the first time, it’s something different, it’s something important, and so it’s very frustrating to feel like we could have done a few things.” things are better. … I won’t forget that thing after experiencing that sucker.

Smith was a standout quarterback at Oregon State, spending the last six seasons as the head coach of his alma mater while fighting against Oregon in what was previously called the Civil War. He also spent time on the roster in Washington as part of the Apple Cup against Washington State.

These are storied rivalries, but his experience in the 117th meeting between the Spartans and Wolverines was different. This feeling began to take shape when Michigan State buses arrived at Michigan Stadium two hours before kickoff.

“I think you get in there and there is real discontent there,” Smith said. “You could feel it from pre-match, from the crowd to the field to sharing the tunnel. Sharing this tunnel and walking past these guys non-stop is a unique thing in terms of competition.”

The annual contest for the Paul Bunyan Cup has seen recent controversy before and after matches, and on Saturday there was a new incident. After Michigan took a knee to call timeout, tight end Colston Loveland and Michigan State linebacker Anthony Jones charged at each other, leading to players and personnel swarming the field from the sidelines. Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller said Monday: He asked the Big Ten to review the incident and demanded Michigan be held to the same standard as other conference schools.

“In this particular scene, I hope this is a scene that never happens again,” Smith said.

Former Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio prioritized the rivalry against Michigan, galvanizing the fan base while winning eight of 10 games at one point. His successor and Smith’s predecessor, Mel Tucker, became the first coach in program history to win his first two games against the Wolverines.

Smith’s first game of the competition started promisingly with a dominant first quarter but the Spartans failed to capitalize on their opportunities, including a shot that tied the game late on. They fell to 4-4 on the season and 2-3 in the Big Ten with 13th-ranked Indiana (8-0, 5-0) on Saturday.

“We won’t forget Saturday night,” Smith said. “I promise you.”

Michigan has won three straight against Michigan State for the first time since 2005-07. The Spartans will have to wait until next year for their next contest against the Wolverines.

“This thing meant something when I walked into the locker room after the game, it was frustrating,” Smith said. “I actually told them it was a good thing. If I walked into the locker room and these guys were just looking at their phones or something, we would have had problems. We didn’t have that. “This event was emotional and that’s how we want to play the game.”

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