No Michigan football first-year head coach had beaten its in-state rival, MSU, in the first try since 1948. But head coach Sherrone Moore found a way, even when going into the game it felt dire, and it felt even more so early in the game.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan needed to find a way to win a game, desperately, after losing two games in a row to fall to 4-3 on the season. And given that Saturday featured rival MSU coming to town, it was a decent opportunity, but given how both teams had been playing as of late, it didn’t seem like a likely win.