Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • D4

4D SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2018 DETROIT FREE PRESS The Blitz No. 6 Michigan 21, No. 24 Michigan State 7 EAST LANSING It was mass confusion outside Spartan Stadium after the Michigan- Michigan State football game was postponed because of severe weather. Sirens were going in the distance. The sky was changing fast.

From ugly to scary. An ambulance came rolling down the side- walk, and the MSU band was walking behind it. somebody screamed. came the reply. There were thousands of people walking one direction, and just as many walking the other way.

A man with a bullhorn and wearing a neon yellow vest stood outside Spartan Stadium. to IM he said, referring to the intramural building nearby. A woman stood next to him: they let us back somebody asked. In the parking lot, some die-hard partiers resumed tailgating, sitting on lawn chairs, like somebody sitting on a beach, watching the storm come in. Others were already seeking shelter, under an ATM machine.

Suddenly, the sky was dark gray. Wind came out of nowhere. An unseen blast and my hat blew As it started raining sideways, everybody was running, scattering toward cars and tents and trees. I watched an umbrella lift the ground and roll across the parking lot like tumbleweed. People were screaming.

A tent lost its covering. I got to my car and moved slowly. Something popped under my tire. I hoped it was a can, not a bottle. Now people were standing under tents, holding them down.

Others were in their cars. The streets were swamped. I got to the road, near the football facility, and a girl fell in front of my car. A friend helped her up and she fell again. Slipping and sliding, the streets were already covered in water.

There were countless people walking down the sidewalk, covering their faces against the pelting rain. A truck went by, the lights and sirens going I lost cell service. But a few minutes later, it feel dan- gerous. It settled into a rainstorm. As thousands of people were walking to- ward their cars, against the wind, bracing against the sideways rain, I had one thought: Why in the world did they even start this game? Everybody knew this was coming.

Contact Seidel: Follow him on Twitter Jeff Seidel Columnist Detroit Free Press USA TODAY NETWORK Inside wild weather delay at big game There were scary moments as football takes back seat EAST LANSING Michigan cornerback Lavert Hill stood in a small room within Spar- tan Stadium after the 21-7 win over Michigan State on Saturday. He had a pair of black headphones around his neck. It was those very headphones that helped fuel a pregame fracas between the Wolverines and the Spartans. And, ultimately, that fracas is what sparked defense. Nearly two hours before the noon several U-M players were on the stretch- ing as Michigan State players locked arms and took their traditional walk across the version of the ordeal is this: The Spartans clotheslined Lawrence Marshall and ripped headphones.

Words were ex- changed. Later, linebacker Devin Bush Jr. re- peatedly ran his cleats through the Spartan lo- go at an act of intentional disre- spect that quickly went viral and set the tone for a heated contest. just kept Bush said. was all in our face.

I know what their tactic was, but we pushed through the line and they ripped headphones gonna mess with (Lawrence Marshall), gonna mess with me, and what U-M spokesman Dave Ablauf said before the game that Michigan thought MSU was go- ing to make the pregame walk at 9:50 a.m. and believed the Wolverines were able to take the at 10 a.m. for pre-warmups. MSU was, per U-M, 10 minutes behind schedule. However, the Spartans say they left Kellogg Center hotel at their normal departure time of 9:45 a.m., according to an MSU tweet.

U-M players were on the warming up before 10 a.m., and the walk began at 10:02 a.m. Either way, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh called Michigan State after the game for its role in the incident. He made it clear the Wolverines fazed. guys, they Harbaugh said. come here to back down, they get intimidated by anybody.

The guys did what they had to do. Going to be a happy bus ride The defense did its part to back that up. Michigan held the Spartans to just 94 total yards of on 51 total plays. Michigan State converted 0 of 12 third downs and mus- tered just seven yards in the fourth quarter. defense was lights-out Har- baugh said.

the opponent to 91 yards of total they were 0-for-12 on third-down conversions. the kind of statistics you have in a dream. a dream defensive line won the battle at the line of scrimmage. Defensive end Chase Winovich created pressure with three quarter- back hurries, and hybrid linebacker Josh Uche had two sacks. Michigan State rushed for just 15 yards and averaged less than a yard per at- tempt.

On the back end, secondary smothered the wide receivers in press man coverage. Michigan State quarter- back Brian Lewerke, who said after the game that he had an injured right shoulder, had to throw into tight windows all game. And he ished 5-for-25 for 66 yards. That was all part of the plan, according to Hill, who said defensive backs wanted to get their hands on Michigan receivers at the line of scrimmage in order to stop them. whole defense just shut down and Hill said.

think the mes- sage we In the end, Michigan gave up more yards to penalties (99) than it did to Michigan (94). And while the last drive reached as far as the 24-yard line, it was extinguished with consecutive sacks from Bush and defensive tackle Michael On- wenu a end to what was a dominant performance. executed our scheme, executed our plan, and we fought Bush said. knew coming into this game that it was one of those games that got to in the and second half, so what we defense made it clear all week how much this game meant to it. Winovich said last loss was the worst of his career.

Other players echoed the same feeling. Hill said the coaching had placed pho- tos around facilities of Michigan State celebrating last win at Michigan Stadium. That was plenty motivation already. What happened before the game, with the headphones, the alleged clothesline and man- gled grass? It only added more fuel to the is the type of game that I wanted to be Hill said. just going to handle it on the They can do all that before the game.

That nothing. For MSU running back LJ Scott delivers a stiff-arm to Devin Bush during the half at Spartan Stadium. JUNFU FREE PRESS Harbaugh calls pregame walk U-M coach says his players fazed by incident Orion Sang Detroit Free Press USA TODAY NETWORK EAST LANSING Prior to of Michi- gan 21-7 win at Michigan State, U-M linebacker Devin Bush Jr. and a few teammates were on the while the Spartans were doing their weekly pregame walk across the stadium grass. The U-M players move.

players move. Words were exchanged. Bush Jr. tore up logo with his cleats. Both sides disagree over who was exactly at fault for what.

Michigan claimed Michigan State was 10 minutes late exiting the tunnel for its weekly walk, something that happens prior to every game, and believed it was OK to take the players saw MSU walking down the tunnel prior to and chose not to move. MSU quarterback Brian Lewerke told re- porters after the game that he was told an MSU asked players to move aside. players disagreed. Bush, meanwhile, reacted to the situation by dragging his cleats across logo. players celebrated in the same spot when the whistle blew, with the Paul Bunyan Trophy in hand.

were warming up, a couple of our play- ers and Michigan State came out, spread out the 50 yards of the and walked 100 yards while we were trying to warm Bush said afterward. told us to get the As we were warming up, they just kept walk- ing. They were in our face. I know what their tactic was, but we pushed through the line, they ripped Lavert headphones They messed with (Lawrence Marshall), they messed with me. what Bush was then asked why he decided to tear up with his cleats.

just got caught Bush said. feel like they took a shot at us and something (I did). It was pure emotion. I did what I did. I take it Jim Harbaugh defended his team after the game.

see it but (team spokesman Dave Ablauf) was out there, he saw it. Apparently they close-lined two of our guys. Came out in their helmets. Lawrence Marshall, they just went up and close-lined him. Old-fashioned (close-line).

Ripped Lavert Harbaugh said after the game. bush league. Apparently, coach (Mark) Dantonio was yards behind it all smiling. think bush league. my impres- sion of Shortly after Harbaugh made his com- ments, Dantonio was asked about the situation claim Dantonio was yards behind it all B.S.,” Dantonio said.

B.S. guys get your cameras out. on Fox. not going to go all into that. Go ahead, next not the pregame incident between these two teams in recent memory, in this building.

In 2014, former U-M linebacker Joe Bolden ran onto the before and shoved a tent stake into the Spartan Stadium grass. One day later, former U-M coach Brady Hoke issued a public apology to Dantonio and MSU for a display of poor sportsmanship. On Saturday, Harbaugh had an alternate re- action to another incident resulting in sod re- pair. There were no apologies. know my feelings on Harbaugh said.

think bush league. got really nothing else to say about Contact Nick Baumgardner: nbaum- Follow him on Twitter MICHIGAN NOTEBOOK Bush on MSU logo swipes: just got caught Wolverines have pregame altercation with Spartans Nick Baumgardner Detroit Free Press USA TODAY NETWORK.