Rivalry ingrained in players from families

EAST LANSING - When you hear about it your whole life, it means more to you. Keith Nichol's mother went to Michigan State and the MSU flag had a prominent place in the Nichol front yard.

Blair White's mother, Vicki LeFevre-White, was an All-American swimmer at MSU. Trevor Anderson also leaned green from childhood on thanks to a family member.

"Actually it was my uncle, he's always been a Spartan fan," Anderson said. "So me wanting to be like him so much, I was like, 'I hate Michigan too.'"

MSU-Michigan week is a time when in-state backgrounds can provide a little extra oomph to players on both sides of the rivalry. Anderson talked Tuesday about the "sickening" lack of respect he feels the Wolverines show the Spartans.

Despite the fact that several of White's family members attended and attend MSU, he still took guff from within.

"My uncle was a real big Michigan fan, and even a couple of my brothers were Michigan fans unfortunately, until I went here," he said. "There was always that bitter rivalry there, and they'd talk a lot and all those things."

MSU coach Mark Dantonio has emphasized the rivalry and has cited it as one of several reasons to focus on in-state recruiting. Both teams' official rosters list 57 players from within the state.

"You're either going to walk the streets or walk the alleys," Dantonio said of in-state bragging rights. "It's a year-to-year thing."

MSU is going for consecutive wins in the series for the first time since it won three straight from 1965-67. The 1-3 Spartans aren't meeting expectations this season, while the 4-0 Wolverines are exceeding them.

U-M is looking to restore order after a 2008 season that saw the Wolverines go 3-9, the Spartans go 9-4 and a lot of people say MSU is poised to carve into the Wolverines' long-standing dominance.

"We hear all that talk," U-M cornerback Donovan Warren told ESPN.com. "That's just fueling our fire this week in practice just for us to stay focused and put all that to rest - that we are still Michigan and this is our state."

Said White: "There's always going to be the talk, and I heard they're doing a little bit of talking over there already. We're just going to stick to our game plan and we'll be ready for them."

DOCTOR WHITE: Speaking of White, he is still considering attending U-M's dental school next fall, although he said Tuesday that the University of Detroit is more likely. Of course, drills may have to take a temporary back seat to pro football.

White shrugged off a question about being a "Wolverine killer" after last year's game, in which he burned U-M for 143 receiving yards. Included was a play that will long be remembered at MSU, a 61-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown on the game's first series.

White enters Saturday fourth in the Big Ten in receptions (23) and fourth in yards (350). He is tied for the lead with four touchdown grabs.

"Blair is a phenomenal athlete, don't get me wrong, but there are more athletic guys out there who aren't leading the Big Ten in receiving," MSU quarterback Kirk Cousins said of White. "So when you pay attention to detail, do little things right, work harder than the guy next to you, work harder than anybody around, good things happen."

QUOTABLES: Dantonio, on why media access was limited to seven players at the podium this week: "I think right now we don't need a lot of outside things that are going to just confuse the issue for us."

Dantonio on U-M coach Rich Rodriguez: "Coach Rodriguez has done an outstanding job here in the past year and a half. He's got it turned. They're playing very, very well, and he needs to be complimented for that."