Michigan State Football: Ranking the 5 best moments of the 2010s

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 05: LJ Scott #3 of the Michigan State Spartans runs for the game winning touchdown against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 5, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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EAST LANSING, MI – OCTOBER 22: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Michigan State Spartans throws a pass in the third quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Spartan Stadium on October 22, 2011 in East Lansing, Michigan. The Spartans defeated the Badgers 37-31 on the final play of the game. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/Getty Images) /

5. Hail Mary to beat Wisconsin (2011)

Ball at the 43-yard line with four seconds remaining on a third-and-1 and one timeout left, Michigan State probably could have run a quick pass play to pick up that one yard and stop the clock for a field goal try, but Mark Dantonio wanted to let Kirk Cousins give it his best shot.

Cousins dropped back, rolled to his right and launched the ball into the air. It seemed to hang in the air for an eternity, but then it came down and hit BJ Cunningham in the helmet before fluttering into the hands of a waiting Keith Nichol.

The quarterback-turned-receiver was ruled short at the 1-yard line, but after a review, it was overturned and chaos at Spartan Stadium ensued.

Although this wasn’t the biggest game of the decade, it did have major conference title game implications as the Spartans’ win over No. 6 Wisconsin helped them put together a solid enough conference season to earn a rematch with the Badgers in the Big Ten Championship — which Wisconsin won.

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