Michigan State Football: 10 most painful losses of Mark Dantonio era

SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 21: Darqueze Dennard #31 of the Michigan State Spartans breaks up a pass intended for DeVarius Daniels #10 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on September 21, 2013 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Michigan State 17-13. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

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MADISON, WI – SEPTEMBER 26: Members of the Michigan State Spartans wait to enter the field of play before a game against the Wisconsin Badgers on September 26, 2009 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

5. Central Michigan shocks Spartans (2009)

When you really go back and look at this loss, you could argue that it helped shape Mark Dantonio and give him that hunger to win that not many coaches have.

Central Michigan was that in-state foe that always wanted to pull off the upset of Michigan State, but it was unthinkable under Dantonio’s reign. He had the program back fighting for position in the Big Ten standings and he was building a winner in East Lansing. There was no way a team like Central Michigan would pull off an upset in East Lansing, right?

We were all apparently wrong.

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Michigan State led by just seven entering the fourth quarter which was enough for Central to come up and bit the Spartans.

Dan LeFevour and Antonio Brown came into Spartan Stadium and stole a win from Michigan State thanks to a fourth-quarter meltdown by the green and white, surrendering 16 points and scoring only seven.

A last-second field goal from 42 yards out by Central decided the game and Michigan State fans filed out of Spartan Stadium in complete shock. It’s still painful to talk about to this day.

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