The Michigan State Spartans and Michigan Wolverines are heated in-state rivals and will play the 2024 edition of their rivalry game for the Paul Bunyan Trophy game on Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on the Big Ten Network.

Some things are more important than sports, though, and while the two fan bases often don't get along, certain causes are worth coming together for to help those in need. This is why the Spartans Illustrated team has decided to partner with Blue By Ninety — a website and podcast providing coverage of the Michigan Wolverines — for Rivals for a Cause. We have chosen to do this to help raise money for pediatric cancer research through the Block Out Cancer fund at the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

David Harns, publisher of Spartans Illustrated, and his team are working closely with Justin Roh and the Blue By Ninety team to promote the cause through articles, podcasts (including Spartans Illustrated's "Red Cedar Radar" podcast and Jason Strayhorn's "This is Sparta" MSU podcast), and an in-person event hosted by both publications leading up to the Michigan State versus Michigan matchup.

Former players and special guests representing both teams are expected to participate as well (more information on that to come later). Some of the content will also include personal anecdotes, including Michigan quarterback Davis Warren's battle with acute myeloid leukemia.

An in-person event will be hosted at the Pretzel Bell in Ann Arbor on Friday, Oct. 25. It will include a happy hour, live Blue By Ninety podcast with guests from Spartans Illustrated, Michigan/Michigan State trivia, and a live DJ. The timeline of events can be found below in the information section.

How can you help? Donate directly to the cause here. There is also still a friendly competition aspect to this between Michigan State and Michigan fans, as you can choose which school you are supporting when making the donation. Additionally, $1 from every purchase of North Peak Brewing Company's Hail IPA and Sparta IPA at the Pretzel Bell in Ann Arbor and Jolly Pumpkin in East Lansing will be donated to the fund throughout the week of Sunday, Oct. 20 through Saturday, Oct. 26.

More information here:

Spartans Travel for Two B1G Contests​

QUICK STRIKES FOR THE WEEK AHEAD ...

• Michigan State returns to Big Ten play for the remainder of its regular-season schedule, and heads to New Jersey and Pennsylvania for dates with Rutgers (Friday) and No. 16 Penn State (Sunday). MSU has played the fewest Conference games of any team in the league (3), and will play its remaining five games against B1G opponents - three on the road, and two at home.

• Head coach Meredith Civico is in her 13th season at the head coach at Rutgers and has guided her team to a 4-7 record (1-4 B1G) after a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2023. The Scarlet Knights have dropped their last three games to No. 2 Northwestern, Indiana (OT) and No. 5 Michigan after opening the B1G campaign with a penalty shootout victory over Iowa. Guillermina Causarano, (6-9-21) and Paulina Niklaus (6-3-15) lead Rutgers in goals, and goalkeeper Sophia Howard has played all 11 games - she owns a .638 save percentage and 2.28 GAA.

• Penn State, like Rutgers and MSU, has dropped three straight Big Ten games. The Nittany Lions downed Ohio, 5-0, in its most recent game and will host Michigan on Friday prior to MSU coming to town for Sunday's action. Lisa Bervinchak Love is in her second season at the helm after a long tenure on staff (since 1994) as an assistant and then associate head coach for the Nittany Lions. The reigning B1G Offensive Player of the Year Sophia Gladieux leads the league with 19 goals and 43 points, while no other player on her team has more than two scores or nine points. Abby Dverka owns a 2.91 GAA and .681 save percentage.

• MSU is coming off a 1-1 week, falling to No. 6 Maryland last Friday at home before a 3-1 rebound victory on the road at Central Michigan to complete its non-conference slate. The Spartans are 7-3 against non-Big Ten opponents, with all three losses coming in overtime or in a penalty shootout.

• The Spartans have surpassed their win total from a year ago (4) and have scored 30 goals through 13 games in 2024. The 2023 offensively-challenged Spartans scored 17 goals in 16 games combined.

• With seven players boasting double-digit points, it is tied for second-most in the last 10 years - the 2015 team also had five in double figures, and the 2022 team had seven. MSU has seven players who have established new career highs in goals, assists AND points (all three categories). Five players have either four or five goals.

• Emma O'Neill had two goals in Sunday's victory at Central Michigan and has overtaken the team's scoring lead (5-10-15).

• Lilian Knorr had goals in each of MSU's games last week, and she now has a 4-2-10 scoring line. She is tied for third on the team with four goals.

• Ellie Rutherford is tied for third on the team in goals (4) and is second with 14 points. She has tied her career best in goals (she has four in each of the four seasons of her collegiate career) and surpassed her previous bests with six assists and 14 points.

• Maddie Lawlor had an assist on Lilian Knorr's goal against Maryland to push her season scoring line to 4-2-10 - also her most prolific scoring season. Lawlor missed the 2023 season with injury.

• Jillian Bonczewski assisted on O'Neill's game-winning marker at Central Michigan. With three goals and two assists (eight points), Bonczewski is also enjoying her most prolific scoring season of her career. She entered the season with just one goal in 33 career games.

• Sophomore keeper Lyra Gavino had seven saves in the game against Maryland and was forced to make just one stop in the win at Central Michigan. She owns a career-best .658 save percentage and 2.02 GAA in 12 games.

• MSU returns to Ralph Young Field for its final two regular-season home games next week. MSU will host No. 17 Iowa on Friday afternoon, and then take on No. 2 Northwestern on Sunday.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State is back at home this weekend and continues to run through the B1G gauntlet hosting No. 2-ranked Nebraska and (RV) Washington in the Breslin Students Events Center this upcoming weekend. Nebraska comes to town for a 6 p.m. match on Friday, October 18 before MSU welcomes Washington for a 1 p.m. match on Sunday, Oct. 20.

Friday night's match will be televised nationally on Big Ten Network with Emily Ehman and Chris Vosters on the call. Sunday's match with Washington will stream on B1G+. Fans can also listen in live through MSUSpartans.com or via the Michigan State Athletics app where John Kreger will call both matches in his 20th season of MSU volleyball coverage.

It's homecoming weekend at Michigan State and fans should note this year's parade begins at 6 p.m. on Friday in downtown East Lansing and the northern MSU campus.

ABOUT #2 NEBRASKA​

With a 16-1 (6-0 B1G) record Nebraska has won 13 matches in a row dating back to a loss at Southern Methodist on Sept. 3. Ten of the 13 wins have been by sweep.

The Huskers rank No. 9 nationally and third in the B1G with a team hitting percentage of .294. Nebraska is No. 11 nationally in kills/set (14.10), No. 14 in assists/set (13.05), No. 33 in blocks/set (2.64) and No. 42 in opponent hitting percentage (.171).

Outside hitter Harper Murray is leading the Huskers with 3.21 kills per set and 18 service aces while adding 2.14 digs per set. Opposite hitter Merritt Beason is averaging 2.97 kills per set for the Big Red. Lindsay Krause and Taylor Landfair have split time at NU’s other outside hitter position and have averaged 2.33 and 2.25 kills per set, respectively.

Middle blocker Andi Jackson ranks No. 3 nationally in hitting percentage (.471)averaging 2.66 kills/set. Middle blocker Rebekah Allick's 1.32 blocks/set rank No. 37 nationally.

Setter Bergen Reilly is No. 6 nationally averaging 11.10 assists/set and libero Lexi Rodriguez leads the Huskers with 3.65 digs per set.

ABOUT (RV) Washington​

Washington (13-3, 3-3 Big Ten) arrives in the state of Michigan for the first time since 1993 this weekend and will play in East Lansing for the first time on Sunday.

The Huskies rank No. 25 in opponent hitting percentage (.161), No. 41 in hitting percentage (.250), No. 44 in blocks/set (2.57), No. 49 in assists/set (12.46), No. 58 in kills/set (13.33), No. 149 in aces/set (1.54) and No. 208 in digs/set (13.85).

Middle blocker Julia Hunt ranks No. 24 nationally in hitting percentage (.403) averaging 2.84 points/set and 1.25 blocks/set. Katy Wessels is also over a block a set at 1.15. Lauren Bays leads Washington with 3.28 digs/set with three other players all averaging over 2.00 (Kierstyn Barton, Molly Wilson, Audra Wilmes).

Barton returned to the Huskies lineup last weekend and leads the team with 3.83 points/set, ahead of Madi Endsley's 3.09 points/set and Audra Wilmes' 3.02 points/set.

Washington runs a 6-2 with Molly Wilson (5.82 assists/set) and Alexis Haury (5.07 assists/set).

SERIES HISTORY
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#2 Nebraska
- Michigan State is 2-26-2 all-time against the Cornhuskers dating back to 1978. MSU and Nebraska tied two of the first three outings 1-1.
- The Spartans took two straight over Nebraska in 2012 and 2013, both in East Lansing. Nebraska has won each of the last 16 outings, with MSU earning a set victory in each of the last two.
- Last season against the Cornhuskers MSU set a new program attendance record with 8,789 fans in the Breslin Center. It marked a new record for the highest attended volleyball match in the history of the state of Michigan.
-The matchup lined up with the annual Izzone campout which provided an incredible student section atmosphere.
Washington
- Michigan State is 0-2 all-time against Washington meeting the Huskies in 2004 and 2015. MSU has never taken on Washington in East Lansing.
- MSU first took on Washington at the 2004 Green Mill Restaurant Classic in Wichita, Kansas falling 3-0 to the then No. 6-ranked Huskies.
- In 2015 Michigan State was defeated by then No. 1-ranked Washington in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 3-1. MSU took down No. 24 Arkansas State in the first round to advance.

B1G WEEK THREE​

Michigan State opened the home portion of its B1G schedule in the Breslin Center last weekend falling 3-0 to #3 Penn State and 3-2 to Illinois.
Sophomore middle blocker Zuzanna Kulig posted a career-high 12 blocks against Illinois on saturday (three solo, nine assisted).
Kulig's 12 blocks are the fourth-most single-match blocks in program history, with the last player acheiving that mark being Alexis Mathews on Nov. 24, 2010 against Michigan.
Iosia's 25 digs against Illinois last Saturday was her third time with 25 digs this season, her seventh time with 20 or more and her 12th time with 10+.
Freshman defensive specialist Mya Bolton surpassed the double-digit dig threshold for the first time against Illinois with 12.

IN THE B1G RANKINGS​

Nalani Iosia is #1 in digs/set in the B1G at 4.37 and ranks #2 in total digs with 271 behind Iowa's Joy Galles (278).
Zuzanna Kulig ranks #2 in the B1G in blocks thus far at 1.50 blocks/set, only behind Purdue's Raven Colvin (1.71).
Kulig's total blocks (87) rank second in the conference behind Colvin's 106 and her solo blocks (14) are second behind Colvin (17).

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

Michigan State has two regular-season road games remaining.​

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State men's soccer returns to the road to take on Indiana on Friday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

MSU improved to 5-5-2 overall and 4-2-0 in Big Ten action after a 2-0 win then- No. 25 Wisconsin last week. Indiana stands 6-3-5 overall this season and 4-1-2 in league contests. On Tuesday, the Hoosiers defeated No. 18 Michigan, 5-0.

Ben Haller and Cruz Martin are on the call for B1G+.

BRACING FOR OFFENSE
With his brace against No. 25 Wisconsin, senior midfielder Sean Kerrigan led the Spartans to a 2-0 win over the Badgers on Oct. 11. It was the first time this season that the Spartans had scored multiple goals in a game. Kerrigan is now second on the team in scoring with three goals. He is first on the team in shots on goal with 11.

FINDING HIS GROOVE
Junior midfielder Jonathan Stout leads the team in scoring with four goals and two assist for 10 points. He now has points in four of the Spartans' last six games. Stout has now reached double figures in scoring all three seasons that he has been at Michigan State with 12 as a freshman and 10 as a sophomore.

Sophomore forward Richie Ludwig, senior midfielder Sean Kerrigan, junior midfielder Jack Guggemos, sophomore defender Will Eby and freshman forward Mohamed Saad have also found the back of the net this season.

LOOKING AT THE HOOSIERS
Indiana holds a 6-3-5 overall record and stands 4-1-2 in the Big Ten. With 13 points, the Hoosiers are now second in the Big Ten standings just two points behind first-place Maryland. Indiana has won three-straight games, out-scoring its opponent 8-2 during that span.

Tommy Mihalic is third in the Big Ten in points scored with 17 off of eight goals and one assist. In league contests, Quinton Elliot and Samuel Sarver are tied for the team lead in scoring with seven points each. Elliot has three goals and one assist, while Sarver has one goal and five assists. All-Big Ten goalkeeper JT Harms has played all 14 games this season for Indiana. He has allowed only 17 goals in 14 games for a 1.21 GAA.

SERIES HISTORY
Indiana leads the overall series lead against Michigan State 43-17-7. In Bloomington, the Hoosiers are on top 20-17-6 In East Lansing, the IU leads the series 17-7-1. Indiana holds the edge on neutral ground, 6-3. The last time the two teams met in Bloomington on Sept. 23, 2022, where they battled to a 1-1 double overtime tie.

Last season in East Lansing, the No. 18/22 posted its first win over Indiana since 2014 with a 2-1 Victory for MSU on Sept. 22, 2023. Junior midfielder Sean Kerrigan, a native of Sligo, Ireland and with his parents visiting from Ireland in attendance, roofed a penalty kick goal in the 77th minute for a 2-1 Spartan advantage.

DID YOU KNOW?
Michigan State currently has a 4-2 Big Ten record. With one more league win, MSU will have the most conference wins since going 5-0-3 in 2017.

LAST TIME OUT
Senior midfielder Sean Kerrigan's two first-half goals helped the Michigan State men's soccer team take down No. 25 Wisconsin 2-0 Friday night DeMartin Stadium on Salute to Service Day.

The Spartans have now won three of their last four games to even out their record to 5-5-2. This is the first time since the COVID-19 shortened 2021 Spring season that MSU has won at least four Big Ten games. It is the first since 2018 that the Spartans have won four conference games during a normally played season. In 2018, Michigan State went 4-2-2 in the Big Ten and eventually advanced to the College Cup.

IN CONFERENCE ACTION
The Spartans may not be lighting up the scoreboard in Big Ten play, but they have allowed only four goals in six games. Redshirt-junior goalkeeper Zac Kelly has played all 540 minutes in league play for a 0.67 GAA, which is lowest in the conference. He has made 20 saves in B1G games. Junior midfielder Jonathan Stout is tied for fifth in the league in goals scored in B1G games with three.

UP NEXT
After taking on Indiana on the road, MSU will return home for the 25th annual Battle for the Big Bear against Michigan on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m.

Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.

No. 21 Michigan State Downs Wisconsin, 2-0​

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Playing its first home game in two weeks, No. 21 Michigan State women's soccer used a goal in each half to defeat Wisconsin, 2-0, Thursday night at DeMartin Stadium.

MSU moves to 10-1-5 (5-1-3 B1G) with the win, securing a double-digit win season for the fourth straight year, while Wisconsin drops to 7-4-4 (3-3-3 B1G). The win was MSU's first home win over the Badgers since Oct. 19, 2007.

The Spartans also clinched a spot in this year's Big Ten tournament with the win.

"We got the response (after last week) with the result," said head coach Jeff Hosler. "It's hard to really gauge how much and when people got their legs back after being in the Pacific Northwest last week. Wisconsin looks very fluid against other teams and tonight I thought we made them look one-dimensional. I'm thrilled we got the result and the shutout."

Junior defender Sofia Beerworth and sophomore midfielder Bella Najera scored goals in the victory. Beerworth also added an assist on Najera's second-half score for a three-point night. In goal, graduate goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks earned her seventh clean sheet and eighth win of the season, making 10 saves in 90 minutes between the posts.

Wisconsin held a narrow 18-17 advantage in shots, including a 10-9 edge in shots on goal. MSU led the corner kick battle, 3-2.

Graduate forward Meg Hughes got the Spartans going early, forcing a save from Wisconsin goalkeeper Drew Stover in the third minute after sending a shot to the bottom right corner of the net. Parks recorded her first save of the game minutes later after Wisconsin's Aryssa Mahrt responded with the Badgers' first on-target look of the night.

Just two minutes later, Beerworth sent a ball from the far right of the box that curved to hit the left post. The ball rattled off the post and past Stover into the back of the net, giving the Spartans a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute. The goal was Beerworth's first as a Spartan.

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Looking to equalize, Wisconsin forced back-to-back saves from Parks following the Beerworth goal. The Spartans and Badgers then traded possession back-and-forth over the next 10 minutes, registering a pair of shots each. In a physical 15 minutes that followed, Wisconsin was issued two yellow cards, while Parks and Stover each recorded another save.

Neither team was able to register a long spell of possession as the half continued. The Badgers put up two more chances in the final five minutes, but Parks and the Spartan defense held off both threats to keep MSU ahead at the break.

Hughes got off to a quick start again in the second half, forcing another shot into the gloves of Stover just 30 seconds in. In the 50th minute, the Badgers got their first corner opportunity of the game, but the Spartans blocked Wisconsin's only shot on the set-piece chance to hold the edge.

After a flurry of shots and stretches of possession from both sides, redshirt freshman forward Adelle Francis had a breakaway opportunity in the 66th minute, charging down the field towards Stover in what looked like a chance for a 2-0 lead for the Spartans. Stover was able to corral the ball in time, but less than a minute later, Beerworth found Najera, who sent a right-footed strike to the bottom left of the net for her fifth goal of the season to double the Spartan lead.

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The Badgers put up six more shots in the final 25 minutes, but MSU's defense continued to hold strong in the closing stages. Parks recorded three more saves to preserve the shutout, marking her second double-digit save outing of the season.

Up next, MSU hosts Northwestern on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. at DeMartin Stadium. The game will stream on B1G+.

Recap courtesy of MSU Athletics.

Following a bye week, Michigan State looks to get back on track with Iowa in town. Check out our predictions and let us know your thoughts on the game!