Teams' Belt Records

                            Previous Belt Meetings:       None

Coach Duffy Daugherty brought his final Michigan State Spartans team with a 1-3 record to Ann Arbor to challenge for The Belt.  The revered coach of the Spartans had not defeated Michigan since 1969 & seemed unlikely to challenge Bo Schembechler’s 5^th ranked, 4-0 Michigan Wolverines.  The rivalry brought a tight, defensive struggle as the Spartans, led by All-American S Brad Van Pelt, held the Wolverines' offense led by QB Dennis Franklin to a single touchdown; a 58-yard run by WR Gil Chapman.  The Spartans' offense, which featured TE Billy Joe Dupree & All-Big Ten OG Joe DeLamielleure, was unable to make headway and Michigan led 10-0 as the clock ran out.  Michigan took a 3-0 lead on a 22-yard field goal by PK Mike Lantry in the 2^nd quarter.  It appeared the Spartans had taken the lead when QB Mark Neisen scored on a 23-yard touchdown run but the play was nullified by a clipping penalty (Michigan State’s only infraction of the game) & later in the drive Neisen was intercepted by Michigan's All-Big Ten CB Dave Brown at the Michigan 7-yard line to stop the drive.  Brown was instrumental in stopping the only other Spartans' scoring chance when his hit on Michigan State's RB David Brown near the goal-line forced a fumble that rolled out of the end zone for a Wolverines' touchback.  Amazingly, Neisen completed 0 passes in 10 attempts while being intercepted 3 times in the game.  Chapman’s run came in the 4^th quarter & gave the Wolverines more than enough breathing room.  Michigan's RB Ed Shuttlesworth rushed for 107 yards while Franklin rushed for 64 yards while throwing for 32 yards in the win.  Michigan finished the season 10-1; Big Ten Co-Champs & ranked 6^th nationally while the Spartans ended the Daugherty era with a record of 5-5-1 for the season.  Michigan State would play for The Belt again in 1978.