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Michigan v. Michigan State Football: The Greatest Games

By Colton Wesley

Oct 17, 2015; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back Delton Williams (22) attempts to run the ball as Michigan Wolverines linebacker Desmond Morgan (3) moves in to tackle in the first quarter at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 17, 2015; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back Delton Williams (22) attempts to run the ball as Michigan Wolverines linebacker Desmond Morgan (3) moves in to tackle in the first quarter at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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2004 – “It’s caught by Edwards! He’s in the endzone!”

The Wolverines were ranked #12 in the country and had lost only to Notre Dame when they hosted the Spartans. Michigan State came in 4-3 and was a heavy underdog.

DeAndre Cobb’s 72-yard touchdown run put the Spartans ahead on their first drive, but a seven-yard run by Mike Hart, who would run for 224 yards on 33 carries in the game, tied the score at seven. Michigan State pulled ahead late in the first quarter on a Drew Stanton touchdown run and went to halftime with a 17-10 lead after the two teams traded field goals. A Michigan State field goal and Cobb’s second long touchdown run of the game, 62 yards, put the Spartans ahead 27-10 midway through the fourth.

Michigan’s offense came to life late in the fourth, rattling off 17 unanswered points in four minutes, including two touchdown passes from Chad Henne to Braylon Edwards, to tie the game at 27 with under three minutes left. Michigan State’s last-second 52-yard field goal attempt was no good, and the game went to overtime.

The teams traded field goals in the first overtime, and in the second overtime, Jason Teague scored from two yards out to give the Spartans a 37-30 lead. Michigan responded with a six-yard touchdown pass from Henne to Jason Avant to tie the score again and force a third overtime.

On the first possession of overtime number three, Henne found Edwards for a touchdown for the third time, a 24-yard yard catch-and-run to give the Wolverines the 43-37 lead. Henne’s two-point conversion pass to Tim Massaquoi upped the lead to 45-37. Damon Dowdell, filling for Stanton after Stanton separated his right shoulder in the first half, could not get another score out of the Spartans offense, and his fourth-down pass fell incomplete in the endzone, sealing the win for the Wolverines.

Michigan would climb to #7 in the polls before losing to Ohio State in the regular season finale, finishing 9-2 before losing to #6 Texas 38-37 in the Rose Bowl. The Spartans lost three of their last four, finished 5-7 and did not receive a bowl invite.

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