Michigan State Football: Top 30 games in school history
16. MSU vs. Notre Dame (2000)
As a kid, this was one of the first games I could ever remember going to and it’s what really got me to love the game of football. Walking down the ramp to “beat traffic” despite being down 21-20 with just under two minutes left, my dad, brother and I stopped to look through the stands and onto the field through the fence to watch the 4th-and-10 play which would decide the game.
Jeff Smoker and the Spartans looked to be toast against a tough Notre Dame team that had played just as well as the Spartans all game long.
On their own 32-yard-line, it looked to be over as Smoker dropped back, but Herb Haygood found a soft spot in the defense and the quarterback fired a bullet right over the middle. As he crossed midfield, it was clear that he would be finding the end zone and the Spartans would have the lead late.
The crowd absolutely erupted as Haygood pumped his fist before running into the end zone for the eventual winning score as he couldn’t even contain the excitement.
In the year following the departure of Nick Saban, this is exactly the kind of win the Spartans needed to gain their confidence back. What a game to watch live and the excitement is still there when watching the play again.
Next: 15. MSU vs. USC (1987)