Rivalry week came and went.

Michigan stood its ground in East Lansing and came away victorious, 31-20.

The game was close — and would’ve been even closer if the referees had called a somewhat fair game. Unfortunately, Jonathan Smith’s team was handicapped by a series of egregious calls that screamed “Look at me” to the Big Ten higher-ups. From a blown offsides that flipped the script to opening-drive penalties that put MSU in an early hole (twelve on the Spartans to Michigan’s six), the officiating felt one-sided from the jump.

Michigan State may have been outmanned by the Wolverines, but on this strange Saturday, the refs joined forces with Michigan like Bonnie and Clyde.

Through the first half, Michigan State’s defense was the anchor. Aidan Chiles struggled early — fumbling on a third-and-short and nearly throwing an interception — but the Spartans’ defense kept the game within reach. Running back Kay’Ron Frazier was one of the few bright spots, finishing the half with 86 yards and helping move the ball deep into Wolverine territory.

But things unraveled quickly after halftime. Michigan opened the third quarter with ease, though the Spartans appeared to have a game-changing strip sack — only for the refs to blow the call dead and overturn it. Instead of a turnover, Michigan kept the ball and finished a 7-play, 71-yard drive with a touchdown by Justice Haynes to go up 17–7.

Justice Haynes added another score to extend the Wolverines’ lead to 24–7. Michigan State answered with a late third-quarter drive capped by a short touchdown run after a controversial overturn on a Nick Marsh catch that appeared to cross the goal line. The Spartans missed an unorthodox two-point try, leaving the score 24–13.

Both teams traded empty drives before Michigan’s defense made the defining stop of the game — stuffing Chiles on a 4th-and-1 sneak with just under six minutes left. That stop sealed it.

While officiating was a factor, the Spartans simply weren’t ready to win this game. Michigan has the better roster and will be headed toward the playoff conversation, while Michigan State still searches for its first Big Ten victory.

Backup quarterback Alessio Milivojevic gave MSU fans a brief glimmer of hope, going 5-of-6 for 60 yards and a touchdown in the final two minutes to make the score 31–20 and hit the over.

Chiles’ performance, however, was hard to watch — 14-of-28 passing for just 130 yards and one lost fumble. For a quarterback once projected as a mid-round NFL pick, this game likely did him no favors. The offensive line also struggled to protect him, though Frazier’s 109 rushing yards on 14 carries provided a rare spark.

Nick Marsh continued his solid freshman campaign, hauling in six catches for 75 yards.

Defensively, Michigan State deserves credit for hanging tough. But the “worst offsides call known to man” — which erased a Spartan turnover and set up a Michigan score — swung the game by as much as 14 points. It’s hard to overcome that. The SEC already suspended a referee this week for poor calls, and there’s no reason the Big Ten shouldn’t be looking into the same. Right now, it feels like the conference protects its prestige programs and everyone else is filler.

Regardless of how you felt about the officiating, the Spartans were flat. Chiles hasn’t shown growth, Jonathan Smith looks increasingly frustrated, and MSU still doesn’t have a conference win to its name.