Michigan fans are feeling pretty good about the future of the football program with Jim Harbaugh now in command, as they probably should. But perhaps some Michigan fans got a little carried away with the enthusiasm last night, taking their school pride a bit too far over the line on a rival’s campus.
The bronze spartan statue on the campus of Michigan State was painted blue with a yellow “M” on the chest overnight, strongly suggesting a fan or fans of Michigan left their mark on Michigan State’s statue. Unless someone is making like MIT pulling a prank on Harvard and Yale, we can probably be safe to assume the culprits root for or represent the Wolverines. You can see the damages in this photo here...Michigan State’s Spartan statue vandalized this morning by Wolverines: (via @247Sports) pic.twitter.com/DMIJWy8wnB
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) April 16, 2015
This is hardly the first time the statue has been vandalized. In fact, the bronze statue was put in place to replace the original terra cotta statue in 2005. The former statue had also been a target for vandals from Michigan, which led to annual repairs and restoration by Michigan State.
On the football field, Michigan’s intimidation tactics blew up in their faces last season. After senior Joe Bolden drove a tent stake into the turf at Spartan Stadium, with Michigan players jumping around behind him as they stared across the field, Michigan State sent Michigan home with a 35-11 loss. Now former Michigan head coach Brady Hoke apologized for the incident, and Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio did not mince words after the game. The Spartans have won each of the previous two meetings with their big brothers from Ann Arbor, and six of the last seven games between the two in-state rivals.