One year after tunnel incident, Michigan defensive back gets revenge vs. MSU

EAST LANSING – Michigan defensive back Mike Sainristil had a few more things he wanted to say in his postgame interview with NBC after the team’s 49-0 victory over Michigan State on Saturday at Spartan Stadium.

Sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen appeared to be wrapping up with Sainristil, but the fifth-year captain spontaneously pulled redshirt sophomore cornerback Ja’Den McBurrows into the camera shot.

McBurrows was one of two Wolverines assaulted inside the Michigan Stadium tunnel after the Wolverines’ 29-7 victory over the Spartans in 2022. He never appeared in a game last season after suffering a torn ACL in 2021, but he took advantage of his opportunity for revenge Saturday.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder recorded his first career interception in the fourth quarter and had three tackles, including one for loss.

“The adversity he went through, with what happened last year in that tunnel, to come out and have a game like he did tonight?” Sainristil said in his interview with Tappen while pointing at McBurrows. “An interception and three or four tackles? Ja’Den McBurrows: stay tuned!”

Sainristil continued to heap praise on McBurrows after the game. He had only four tackles in eight career games entering Saturday but played a career-high in snaps against MSU.

McBurrows had been in and out of the lineup this season because of injury, but has emerged as the team’s No. 2 nickelback, according to head coach Jim Harbaugh. With Michigan building a big lead in the first half, McBurrows saw a healthy dose of playing time in the second half.

“That’s my guy,” Sainristil said at the postgame newsconference. “I was so happy to see him go out there. The interception, I saw his facial expression. It looked like he wanted to cry tears of joy, but he held it in. But when you see that look in his eyes, I knew how he felt. I was so happy for him all week. He was talking about different things. He mentioned what happened last year a couple different times, but coaches and us as players, we told him, ‘When you get your chance, go out there and make the plays. Don’t make no moment too big.’

“I’m so happy about how he played. That’s like my little brother right there.”

Earlier in the fourth quarter with the Spartans driving in Michigan territory, McBurrows anticipated the MSU read option handoff to Nate Carter and jumped up from the nickel spot and tripped up Carter for a 2-yard loss. Two plays later, MSU turned the ball over on downs.

He intercepted MSU quarterback Sam Leavitt, who replaced starter Katin Houser in the fourth quarter, on the Spartans’ next possession and was immediately swarmed by teammates eager to congratulate him on the Michigan sideline.

“The whole sideline erupted,” Harbaugh said. “Everyone was loving on him. He made three or four great tackles in the game as well. A wall run-saving tackle up the middle. He made a great hit on the perimeter. When he got the tip and got the interception that, was like, ‘phew, what an amazing thing.’”