South Bend, Ind. - It was an all-too-familiar scene at Notre Dame Stadium.
Flashback to Oct. 30, 2004 when Michigan came back from a 17-point, fourth-quarter hole in less than six minutes and eventually won in triple overtime.
Saturday, the Fighting Irish charged back from a 21-point, second-half deficit, thanks to three unanswered touchdowns, to force overtime.
But this time, the Spartans didn't let the memories of that U-M game come back to haunt them. This time, MSU hung on - clung on - and finished a game it started, with a 19-yard game-clinching run to the end zone by Jason Teague.
This is a team that could've played all night if it had to. But then again, this is a team that wasn't going to lose.
"Oh my God, I have no words - this is the greatest feeling in my life," sophomore bandit Sir Darean Adams said. "This is what I came to Michigan State for: the Michigan State and Notre Dame game."
The Spartans don't need words. They made the plays when it counted, starting with Adams.
1. On the first drive of the third quarter, Adams made a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown, putting the Spartans up 31-17 with the extra point kick.
"I tipped it but then I looked and found the ball quick and I grabbed it with my right hand," he said. "And once I grabbed it, I looked forward. I didn't see anybody and I said, 'Oh yeah, let's go,' and took it to the house."
Adams finished with four tackles in the game.
2. On the following drive, the Irish returned the kickoff 22 yards to their 24-yard line and took it all the way to the Spartans' 16.
An MSU pass interference brought the Irish even closer, 15 more yards to the 1-yard line, setting up the first and goal. Notre Dame fullback Asaph Schwapp took the handoff from quarterback Brady Quinn and rushed to the 1, but MSU senior defensive tackle Domata Peko forced the fumble and junior linebacker David Herron Jr. made the recovery at the MSU 7.
"I saw the ball out and dove for it," Herron said. "It was big because we got a big turnover."
The play was reviewed to see if Schwapp broke the plane into the end zone, but the call stood, giving the MSU offense the ball once again.
3. With the ball backed up at MSU's 10-yard line in the middle of the third quarter, junior quarterback Drew Stanton found senior wide receiver Matt Trannon for 27 yards on a third-down play. Stanton found Trannon again on the next play for a 65-yard touchdown, putting the Spartans up by three scores.
4. The biggest play of all came in overtime after the Spartans defense held Notre Dame to a field goal.
With the ball inside the 20- yard line, Stanton optioned the ball off to Teague for a 19-yard game-winning touchdown run.
After sitting out last week because of a suspension issued by MSU head coach John L. Smith, the senior running back returned to the lineup Saturday to rush for 72 yards and that all-important touchdown.
"It happened so quick," Teague said. "Once I caught it, there was nothing but daylight. I'm happy we won."
Smith said one of the keys emphasized in the offseason was the task of finishing a game, a task that cost the Spartans last season.
"(The team's) motto, along with a few other things, has been to finish and learn to finish," Smith said.
"In the winter workouts, we started that, they started that. Trying to believe in each other, give to each other, force each other to do a little bit more and finish where we couldn't finish a year ago."
