By Sharat Raju
Daily Sports Editor

The stores are out of green, white, maize and blue colored paint. T-shirt vendors are making a killing on profanity laden apparel. Bars are full, libraries are empty and the sheep are safe.

Must be a Michigan versus Michigan State weekend.

Everybody knows about the rivalry, 100 years of Michigan versus Michigan State. In one hundred years, this rivalry has meant a lot of things.

Tradition. Pride. Respect. And the one biggest thing - 100 years of trash talking. Both teams provided their fair share of jawing on Saturday.

"Early in the week (Michigan State wide receiver Plaxico Burress) said that it was like taking candy from a baby, talking about our defensive backs," Michigan safety DeWayne Patmon said. "We took it personally."

Trash talking has been known to backfire from time to time (see Boston, David 1997). For boasting wide receiver Burress, it did backfire.

WARREN ZINN/Daily Michigan State quarterback Bill Burke was pressured and hurried throughout Saturday's game by the Michigan defensive line.

"He was talking a lot of trash" during the game, Patmon said. "So every time he went in the middle we tried to hit him hard."

Patmon and the other members of the secondary hit him hard on several occasions. In the second quarter, Patmon and safety James Whitley converged on Burress after he made a catch and jarred the ball loose.

After a pileup and scramble, Patmon recovered fumble for the Wolverines.

"He hasn't been in this game and he doesn't know about the tradition," Patmon said. "I still yet don't know much about the tradition, but I'm learning every year."

For the most part, the Wolverines not only know about the tradition but have grown up following the rivalry. Most natives of the state of Michigan chose sides while growing up.

"For me and particularly the guys who grew up in this state, like Mark Campbell, it's the last one," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "That always means a lot, because that game, they'll always remember a long time."

One of those Michigan guys is defensive lineman Nate Miller. Miller, a fifth-year senior, filled in for an aching Rob Renes and had a breakthrough game. Miller hurried Michigan State quarterback Bill Burke on numerous occasions and sacked him twice for 16 yards.

"Nate's from Imlay City, Michigan," Renes said. "And he's an in-state guy, he knew how big the game was."

It's surprising that the series is still a big one. Having been played 91 times since 1888, the Wolverines now lead the series 60-26-5 and haven't lost since 1995. Geography remains the biggest reason for the rivalry.

For that reason, people from other states play down the significance of the game.

"I disagree that this game is more important than others," Michigan wide receiver Tai Streets said. "This win is just as important if we beat anyone else. It's the Big Ten opener, so we needed to win the game."

Streets, a product of the Chicago suburbs, was more concerned about the outcome of the Cubs game than talking about the rivalry.

Coaches also try to play down the emotions involved playing an in-state contest. All week long, Carr insisted that the timing of the game so early in the season didn't matter. But after an extremely hot day last Saturday, Carr changed his tune.

"It does seem a little bit early," Carr said. "I always liked it when the leaves are starting to turn and it gets a little bit colder. I can't remember playing a game that was this hot."

After 100 years, rivalry still burns with intense re

The turning point in the game for the Wolverines may have been this crucial fumble, forced and recovered by safety DeWayne Patmon. Here's the anatomy of a turnover:

As the game turned...

09-28-98