Michigan State Upends Michigan

Michigan State has its first two-game winning streak against Michigan for the first time since 1967, but the Spartans did not make it easy on themselves. Blowing a 20-6 lead with less than five minutes left in the game and needing overtime to get the win.

Michigan State's defense finally looked like a legitimate defense for most of the game. They completely held Tate Forcier and the Michigan offense in check for most of the game. While the Michigan State offense struggled at times in the first half, they began to wear down the Wolverine defense with a balanced attack along with some big miscues by Michigan. Especially a fourth-and-inches at the Michigan 16, where a fake punt failed badly.

By early in the fourth quarter, the Spartans had built a 14-point lead. At that point, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio let loose his inner-Tressel, focusing on just trying to run out the clock. Predictably, the Spartans went three-and-out on three of the next four possessions.

Given that many chances in the fourth quarter, Michigan capitalized. They scored two touchdowns inside the final five minutes to force overtime. Michigan's freshman quarterback, Forcier, was outstanding in the final scores. He passed for 95 yards and ran for 27 more.

Forcier, though, could not complete the tremendous comeback, instead throwing a pick in the endzone off of a deflected pass on the first drive of overtime. Michigan State scored on its possession to avoid the choke job.

While it was a tremendous comeback by Michigan, and Michigan State still got the win, it should not have been that dramatic for the Spartans. The Michigan State defense had played well most of the game, but the first four games of the season clearly showed a defense that should not have been put in the position of having to keep making stops. Dantonio went conservative on the offense way too early in the fourth quarter. The Spartans predictably ran on the first two downs of three straight possessions, all to try and run the clock down, starting with more than nine minutes left in the game.

This is not the NFL. Teams should never take their foot off the gas when the game is that close.