When former Michigan running back Mike Hart found himself in the heat of the moment after a come-from-behind victory, and referenced Michigan State as the Wolverines' "little brother," he never knew people would still be talking about it eight years later.
"They got excited. It's good," Hart said in that moment. "Sometimes you get your little brother excited when you're playing basketball and you let him get the lead. Then you come back and take it from him."
A grin was plastered on his face, but fans of Michigan State quickly jumped on him for the comment, and many still haven't forgotten to this day.
According to the Detroit News, Hart attributes that slip of the tongue to his age, as well as his excitement over the win.
"I was 21," Hart told the News. "That was eight years ago. A long time ago. You grow, you learn."
He went on to say that whatever people said about him, he probably deserved every bit of it.
Hart is Michigan's all-time leading rusher, with 5,040 yards off a school-record 1,015 carries. He also finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2006.
That so-called little brother, Michigan State, has won six of the last seven matchups against Michigan since that game. And although they are the higher-ranked team (No. 7) heading into this week's game (Michigan is No. 12), the Wolverines are actually favored by 7.5 points, according to the latest odds on vegasinsider.com. The line opened as a three-point favorite, which is often the margin given to the home team in a toss-up game. But the line quickly moved in favor of Michigan after people began betting.
The Wolverines have a 68-34-5 record against Michigan State through the 2014 season. And although they hold the edge in the series all-time, Michigan State has never taken kindly to the "little brother" tag thrown on them by Hart in 2007.
"They want to mock us all they want," Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio said after that 2007 game. "I'm telling them it's not over. It will never be over. It's just starting."
We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.
Michigan's Mike Hart Says He's Grown, Learned After 'Little Brother' Comments
/ CBS Detroit
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
When former Michigan running back Mike Hart found himself in the heat of the moment after a come-from-behind victory, and referenced Michigan State as the Wolverines' "little brother," he never knew people would still be talking about it eight years later.
"They got excited. It's good," Hart said in that moment. "Sometimes you get your little brother excited when you're playing basketball and you let him get the lead. Then you come back and take it from him."
A grin was plastered on his face, but fans of Michigan State quickly jumped on him for the comment, and many still haven't forgotten to this day.
According to the Detroit News, Hart attributes that slip of the tongue to his age, as well as his excitement over the win.
"I was 21," Hart told the News. "That was eight years ago. A long time ago. You grow, you learn."
He went on to say that whatever people said about him, he probably deserved every bit of it.
Hart is Michigan's all-time leading rusher, with 5,040 yards off a school-record 1,015 carries. He also finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2006.
That so-called little brother, Michigan State, has won six of the last seven matchups against Michigan since that game. And although they are the higher-ranked team (No. 7) heading into this week's game (Michigan is No. 12), the Wolverines are actually favored by 7.5 points, according to the latest odds on vegasinsider.com. The line opened as a three-point favorite, which is often the margin given to the home team in a toss-up game. But the line quickly moved in favor of Michigan after people began betting.
The Wolverines have a 68-34-5 record against Michigan State through the 2014 season. And although they hold the edge in the series all-time, Michigan State has never taken kindly to the "little brother" tag thrown on them by Hart in 2007.
"They want to mock us all they want," Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio said after that 2007 game. "I'm telling them it's not over. It will never be over. It's just starting."
In:- Mark Dantonio
- Michigan State
- Michigan
More from CBS News