Copyright M Live Michigan
EAST LANSING — Michigan State has had its eye on reclaiming the Paul Bunyan Trophy against rival Michigan for quite a while. Quarterback Aidan Chiles experienced his first edition of the 127-year-old rivalry in 2024 with a bitter defeat in Ann Arbor. The matchup was even grander than he expected, way bigger than the Oregon-Oregon State rivalry game he witnessed as a freshman under coach Jonathan Smith in 2023. But the Spartans (3-4, 0-4 Big Ten) have been emphasizing the importance of Saturday’s 118th meeting with Michigan since fall camp for a program still trying to capture some momentum in the second year of Smith’s tenure. “It was 75 days. Now it’s five days away. They just let us know, this is a big game,” Chiles said. “This is what we wanted all year. It’s a rivalry game.” Chiles relied solely on the experiences of veteran players on the team last year to inform his perspective on the feature rivalry game that the Spartans haven’t won since 2021. But now he’s lived it. Chiles can bring his own emotion and hunger from last year’s loss and try to do what his team couldn’t at Michigan Stadium. “Knowing the message and knowing the history behind the game, I think everybody really understands what they need to go in and go do, handle their business and play their role,” Chiles said. “We want to come out with a victory and come out with that trophy. That’s what we’re playing for.” Still, Chiles got to add to his catalog of MSU-Michigan knowledge throughout fall camp and this season as the team brought in numerous alumni who played a part in the history of the game. The most memorable story for Chiles was of longtime Michigan State strength and conditioning coach Ken Mannie. He spent 25 years in his role at MSU, after originally being hired by Nick Saban in December 1994. “He came in and he talked to us about the entire thing. Just fighting with grit and putting your name on it,” Chiles said. “Like you want to have your name on the wall, you want to be able to walk the streets. I just want to be able to be known around here. Be unforgettable is really what it is.” Chiles is coming off one of his strongest performances in a Spartans jersey as he was efficient and intentional as a passer against No. 2 Indiana on the road. Despite being part of a fourth straight loss for MSU, Chiles was 27-of-33, at one point completing 20 straight passes, for 243 yards and a touchdown with 48 rushing yards. “There were some positive things from Saturday, and that was one of them, I thought Aidan had one of his better games as far as distributing the football,” MSU offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren said. “There were reps where he needed to get through. We knew it was going to be a game of getting back to his second and third progressions, and he struggled with that at times during the year and was able to do a nice job with that against a really good defense, just being efficient with it.” The Wolverines certainly come into this game with more momentum than the Spartans, owning a 5-2 record and coming off a win over a solid Washington team last week. But when it comes to this rivalry game, everyone is giving their best to not just get in the win column but become legends of one of the longest-running rivalries in college football. Chiles said it, he wants to be unforgettable. A win on Saturday would be a step toward that honor. “It’s all of the state,” Chiles said. “That’s what it is.”
