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Michigan State Football: 5 most memorable games vs. Michigan
Oct 17, 2015; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans defensive back Jalen Watts-Jackson (20) dives into the end zone for a game winning touchdown as the clock runs out in the fourth quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Michigan State 27-23. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
What tops the list of the bets Michigan State football games in the rivalry series against Michigan?
It’s finally that week again. It’s rivalry week. This is the one time of the year where it’s acceptable to talk insane amounts of trash with your friends, but in the end, there’s a mutual respect because of what Michigan State football has been able to accomplish over the past decade.
Michigan is on the rise under head coach Jim Harbaugh, and that was to be expected. The hire of the former Michigan quarterback and San Francisco 49ers head coach has proven to be a home run as he is 17-3 in Ann Arbor in one and a half seasons.
The Spartans, on the other hand, are suffering through a tough season. Michigan State is not having the year it was expecting and the ‘Back2Back’ mantra has gone by the wayside after a 2-5 start. Sure, this is a disappointing season, but there is still a chance to salvage it, at least a little bit.
Beating Michigan on Saturday in Spartan Stadium would go down as one of the biggest upsets in the rivalry’s history, but it’s not out of the question. The Spartans aren’t void of talent, but it seems to be a leadership issue this season. Still, winning in seven of the past eight years is something to be proud of.
With that, let’s take a look at the five most memorable Michigan vs. Michigan State games in rivalry history.
5. Larry Caper game-winning TD (2009)
While 2008 was the year fans started to believe in Mark Dantonio as the head coach of the program with a big road win over Michigan, the Spartans came back to East Lansing to host the Wolverines in 2009.
A host of freshman running backs led the way for Michigan State as Edwin Baker and Larry Caper looked to make it two straight victories over Michigan in the series. Things were looking good for Michigan State against September Heisman winner Tate Forcier, but they came back to force overtime after trailing by two scores late.
Chris L. Rucker picked off a Forcier pass in the end zone on the first possession of overtime, meaning the Spartans only needed a field goal to win. However, Caper took a Brian Hoyer handoff and scampered toward the end zone for a big score, bringing down the house against favored Michigan.
4. The -48 game (2013)
One of the most dominating defensive performances in the history of the rivalry, Michigan State’s 2013 squad held Brady Hoke and the Wolverines in check. This was another instance of Michigan being the team favored to win, at least on paper.
In fact, the Wolverines were 6-1 and ranked No. 21 in the country while the Spartans were 7-1 and ranked No. 22. It was one of those games where the winner would prove superiority, but it could have gone either way.
The weather was rainy and cold and the fans were as loud as ever. People were hungry for a rebound win after losing 12-10 to the Wolverines on a last-second field goal the year before. Mark Dantonio’s guys didn’t forget the loss and it was obvious this Michigan State team was far better than advertised.
Michigan State dismantled Michigan in all aspects of the game and the Spartans ended up winning 29-6 while holding the Wolverines to -48 yards on the ground. Devin Gardner was sacked more times than you can count on one hand and the Spartan defense was smothering against the pass as well.
Spartan fans in attendance remember this as one of the most satisfying wins in rivalry history.
3. No. 1 vs No One (1990)
No, I wasn’t alive for this game, but I have been told all about it by family members and fans who remember this fondly. The game was expected to be a major blowout, much like it is this season, and Michigan came in as the No. 1 ranked team in the country.
Michigan State, and quarterback Dan Enos, was struggling, posting a 1-2-1 record through four games and the Spartans posed basically no threat to the Wolverines, or so they thought.
The “No. 1 vs. No One” distinction came about because Michigan fans looked at this rivalry game as an easy win in which the in-state rival Spartans would be shellacked. This was the game people began to realize that you should just throw records out the window when these two teams meet up.
Heading into hostile territory in front of 100,000 fans expecting a Michigan blowout, the Spartans actually held their ground and took a 28-21 lead and Michigan scored late to pull within a point. The Wolverines decided to go for two and the win, but failed when Desmond Howard dropped the ball in the end zone.
This has to be the defining game in the upset category of the rivalry. What did we learn from this? Never overlook on another.
2. Jeff Smoker to TJ Duckett (2001)
This is one of my first real memories of the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry. The Spartans were expected to lose to Michigan, yet again, and then-head coach Bobby Williams was in his first season after taking over for Nick Saban.
It was dubbed ‘Clockgate’ by many diehard Wolverine fans, but many have since admitted that the clock situation wasn’t as controversial as it seemed at the time.
In case you don’t remember, Jeff Smoker converted a fourth down with under 25 seconds left to TJ Duckett and the Spartans were inside Michigan’s 10-yard-line down 24-20. The clock stopped to move the chains and he spiked the ball with 17 seconds left.
Smoker’s next play was a scramble to his right, but he couldn’t find anyone open and he tried to tuck and run with time dwindling down. He was stuffed short of the goal line and the clock continued to run.
The ref spotted the ball with about 4 seconds left, he hurried the Spartans up and spiked it with one second remaining. The next play was another ugly one where he scrambled to the right and couldn’t find anyone open. He threw to his left to a wide open TJ Duckett in the end zone with no time left.
Craziness ensued.
1. “Whoa, he has trouble with the snap” (2015)
The game. The best memory of the entire rivalry for Michigan State fans happened just one season ago in Ann Arbor. Michigan State, the No. 7 team in the nation at the time, traveled to the Big House to face the 12th-ranked Wolverines. Another game in the series that was considered a toss-up because of the success of the two teams to that point, the Spartans looked down and out with 10 seconds left.
Michigan was ready to celebrate its first win in the series since 2012 and just the third victory against Dantonio ever. Blake O’Neill came in to punt the ball and just keeping it in play would run out the clock since the Spartans were rushing 11 guys.
What happened next was one of the greatest plays in Michigan State history as O’Neill botched the snap and tried to pick it back up and punt it. He was hit at the same time and the ball flung into Jalen Watts-Jackson’s arms as he scampered 38 yards for the game-winning touchdown with no time left.
Another even better version of the play has to be the Big Ten Network The Journey version with George Blaha’s radio call.
Likely the most shocking play in the history of college football, Michigan State come out on top, 27-23.
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