Michigan State Football: 10 most memorable plays of Mark Dantonio era
2. Kirk Cousins-Keith Nichol Hail Mary
Overtime would have been just fine with the Spartans after playing a hard-fought game against the No. 6-ranked Wisconsin Badgers in East Lansing, but why not just take a shot at the end zone with four seconds left in the game and nothing really to lose, right?
Kirk Cousins knew that it would take an absolute miracle for his 44-yard heave to make it into the hands of a player in green. He scrambled around, allowed his guys to make it to the goal-line and tossed up a prayer, hoping that the unthinkable would happen — and it did.
Spartan fans were probably thinking it was going to be yet another overtime contest for Dantonio, and that was a safe bet. Heck, you can’t be mad at an overtime contest in primetime against the No. 6 team in the country at home. Michigan State has had a long history of good luck in those type of extra-period games.
As the ball soared through the air toward the end zone, Wisconsin receiver Jared Abbrederis was placed on defense to make a play, he whiffed on the ball and it ended up hitting B.J. Cunningham right in the helmet — and Spartan fans everywhere probably thought, “Of course, it had to hit him in the face in what would have been the game-winning score.”
Luckily, Keith Nichol was in the perfect spot, snagging the ball off the facemask of his teammate and fighting to get it over the white line. He did it, and the crowd had to wait for a confirmation from upstairs to really go crazy.
Next: 1. Miracle at Michigan