Michigan State football: Breaking down Jonathan Smith’s quotes on Michigan rivalry

The first Michigan vs. Michigan State football game for a new Spartan coach usually tells us a lot about how the tenure is going to go.

With Mark Dantonio, he took it seriously and had some fiery remarks regarding the “little brother” comment made by Mike Hart. With Mel Tucker, he didn’t say much but he did have some early success in the rivalry before his non-football-related issues cost him his job. And now for Jonathan Smith, it’s a bit of a mystery.

There’s a good feeling around the Michigan State program these days with the Spartans sitting at 4-4 with four winnable games left to make a bowl game, but Smith’s Spartans fell short on the road against a very beatable Michigan team this past weekend.

And that frustrated a lot of fans. It felt like the team didn’t play with that fire that we expected.

However, after hearing Smith talk to the media about the rivalry on Monday, it’s safe to say he gets it now. He understands the magnitude of the rivalry, but it shouldn’t have taken experiencing it firsthand for this to happen. Guys like Courtney Hawkins or Demetrice Martin should’ve immersed the head coach into the history of the rivalry and what it means to the Spartans. He should’ve realized that when a Big Ten title or playoff berth aren’t possible, this game is everything.

Smith knows that now.

So what did he say in his Monday presser? Let’s break down the notable rivalry quotes.

“An emotional, important game. I think, for me, it kind of crystalized Saturday night. Leading into it, knew it was important, rivalry, emotion, you're going, but now truly experiencing it for the first time, that thing is different, that thing is important. That’s why it's… pic.twitter.com/LIQagI14O1

— Jim Comparoni (@JimComparoni) October 28, 2024

While it’s OK to be frustrated with this quote, it also means that sometimes you don’t truly know about something until you experience it. Smith has been part of a heated rivalry before as a player at Oregon State. He hated Oregon and that rivalry is similar on a smaller scale. Now he knows just how important this game is for the fans, alumni, players past and present, and the coaches. Success in this game usually means the coach is going to be here for a while. Losing the first game in the rivalry as a head coach is fine (look at how Coach D fared) but he needs to make a statement in 2025.

Jonathan Smith on post-game reaction to Saturday's game:

“That locker room, when I walked in after that game, this thing means something. It was frustrating. And I actually told them, that's a good thing. If I would've walked into the locker room and these guys were just staring… pic.twitter.com/KzcdHhYjsf

— Jim Comparoni (@JimComparoni) October 28, 2024

After the loss, his team took it hard and no one was content with the loss. Even on Sunday, the team held a players only meeting which is a good sign that they took the loss seriously and don’t want to let that define the season or the program. It feels like this team gets it.

Jonathan Smith on his first experience playing Michigan:

"After experiencing that sucker, I will not forget that thing."

— Jim Comparoni (@JimComparoni) October 28, 2024

Interesting word choice, but watching the presser, it felt like his tone was much more serious when he said this. He doesn’t want to lose this “thing” moving forward and he won’t forget the feeling he had on Saturday night.

And then Smith had this to say about the rivalry after experiencing Saturday’s hostility:

Jonathan Smith: "We will not forget Saturday night, I promise you that."

— Jim Comparoni (@JimComparoni) October 28, 2024

This feels like one of those quotes we’re going to look back on for better or for worse. I liked this statement and it felt like he really meant it. There was no happy coachspeak during the presser and he emphasized that the rivalry is now something he understands.

I’d like to see these quotes translate next season in East Lansing.