Michigan State Football: Top 10 games of the Mark Dantonio Era

Dec 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State players celebrate after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes during in the Big Ten Conference football championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

4. Iowa (2015 Big Ten Championship)

Coming off this game just a week ago, there’s still plenty of excitement around the program. This was a huge win and it was well-earned by the entire team which played a whale of a game against the Hawkeyes for the Big Ten title — Michigan State’s second in three years.

Unlike the conference title game against Ohio State just two years before, the Spartans vs. Hawkeyes game was decided in the final minute by a clutch one-yard LJ Scott run in which he broke three tackles and reach the ball over the goal-line in the process.

If there was one defensive battle in Mark Dantonio’s tenure that looked about as even as any, this was definitely it.

Iowa played Michigan State so close and made the Spartans earn every last yard. Michigan State had trouble with the pass game because it seemed like Connor Cook was ailing, but the rushing attack picked up 174 yards, led by Scott’s 73 and a touchdown — most of which came on the last drive.

Down 13-9 with the ball at their own 18-yard-line and just over nine and a half minutes to go, Cook and the Spartans needed a miracle to try and move the ball down the field and score a touchdown which would have been their first of the game.

Now known as ‘The Drive’, Michigan State’s possession lasted 22 plays and took 9:04 off the clock, leaving just 27 seconds for the Hawkeyes to try and score.

The Spartans snuck out a victory in heart-stopping fashion.

Next: 3. Baylor (2015)