Athletics overall have strong past against Spartans
Witnessing Central Michigan defeat Michigan State in football, as a CMU student, is difficult to come by in a four-year window.
Though they have upset the Spartans three times, only one came in this millennium.
Despite being at home Saturday, the Chippewas are a 22-point underdog, according to Sportsbook Tuesday.
But CMU students should not fret.
If they want to see the Chippewas take down their interstate rival, there are places other then Kelly/Shorts or Spartan Stadium to watch it happen.
The baseball, softball, wrestling and volleyball programs all have winning records against the Spartans.
“We don’t have what other programs have, but we find ways to be successful, regardless,” Director of Athletics Dave Heeke said. "(Our success) in a lot of our sports with Big Ten opponents, and with other major BCS-conference opponents, shows what kind of athletic program we have, and the type of coaching that we have here.”
The CMU wrestling team was once 4-13 all-time against MSU, but the tide has turned. CMU won in 2002 as a result of the eighth tie-breaker criterion, setting off a 10-game winning streak, and a move above .500 against the Spartans last season.
“We’ve had pretty good athletes, mainly, over the years,” wrestling head coach Tom Borrelli said. “We’ve felt like we’ve had a better lineup than them, or a stronger team than them, almost every year.”
Borrelli said there is bigger fish to fry in the state, pointing to Michigan as their No. 1 rival, and MSU as second.
The Chippewas also have a stronghold on the diamond. The baseball team is 62-48 against MSU, and the softball team is 57-26-2.
The volleyball team is 29-21-2 against the Spartans, though they have lost their last four meetings.
Where it will be difficult to be an eyewitness to a CMU victory is where Michigan State really excels — men’s basketball. The Chippewas have been thoroughly dominated in the men’s division of the sport, losing 31 of 34 games.
The women are slightly better, sporting a 13-29 record.
Women’s soccer has the fewest number of wins against MSU with one but they have only faced off against MSU in six games, meeting in 1999 for the first time.
The field hockey team’s record is 14-34-5 against the Spartans and the record of the gymnastics team is 10-31.
