We sat in disbelief as the Spartans squandered a 14 point, 4th quarter lead. But as a good friend of mine always says, "we have them right where we want them". Wow was he right! We sat there as MSU's 5th year senior quarterback fumbled on first down as he attempted to get them into field goal range to beat the mighty Wisconsin Badgers. Luckily an offensive lineman fell on the ball and restored order for a few moments. 2 pass plays later, the stage was set. The greatest finish in Michigan State history was about to take place.
Mark Dantonio said the play is called rocket and they have practiced it numerous times. Whether or not the play actually has worked in practice doesn't matter. It worked when it mattered most. Cousins took the shotgun snap and rolled to his right. He then hoisted to ball high into the darkness not knowing the outcome of its destination. Unexpectedly, it hit B.J. Cunningham in the face-mask and fell right into the waiting hands of Keith Nichol. The transfer from Oklahoma snatched it out of the air and battled with everything he had to get every precious inch, not knowing if he made it into the end-zone or not. Then, the official marked the ball just short of the goal line. WHAT!! There is no way he didn't make it in! Thank goodness for instant replay. They took it to the booth and, low and behold, pandemonium broke out in Spartan Stadium and in tailgating lots everywhere (ours included).
I have seen some great finishes regarding MSU before. The Overtime finish against Notre Dame last season on the "Little Giants" fake field goal. The last second defeat of Michigan in the infamous clock game. The Kory Luscious buzzer beater in the NCAA tournament to beat General Greavis and Maryland. However, personally, this game was the most satisfying for me. I didn't go crazy. I didn't get loud and obnoxious. It was as if there was never any doubt that State would win. So next time you lose confidence and think your team can't get the job done. Wait until the clock says 0:00. You may just be surprised.
