And when Hoyer was celebrating with his teammates and the fans, it was a victory that reminded him of something.

“At that point, we know we control our destiny,” Hoyer said.

In a season where the team lost five games by seven or fewer points, that could have been easy to forget. At times, it seemed their fate was already decided. It seemed possible they were doomed to the fate of the “Same Old Spartans.”

Five games where they came so close, only to come up short.

After this season, junior running back Javon Ringer can’t stand playing in close games anymore.

“I hate close games,” Ringer said. “I hate ‘em. I hate ‘em!

“Something always happens where we don’t get the win, and in this game there’s another dogfight to the end.”

At first, it didn’t look like it would even be close.

Hoyer’s two first-half interceptions helped Penn State build a 17-7 lead at halftime, then a faked field goal run in for a touchdown extended their lead to 24-7 at the beginning of the third quarter.

Then Hoyer turned it on, and the rest of the game consisted of a highlight reel of bombs to junior wide receiver Devin Thomas.

The Spartans finished the game on a 28-7 run.

When asked why this team did not give up when the past Spartans would have, Hoyer answered: “Because it’s not the same people, it’s not. We’ve changed the attitude, the mindset has changed, everybody associated with our football program has changed.

“We’ll never give up. We’ll never surrender.”

After a rocky first half, Hoyer bounced back and ended the game completing 16-of-21 passes for 257 yards and four touchdowns.

Having gone four weeks without a touchdown catch, Hoyer said Thomas had been telling him all week, “I’ve got to make some plays.”

He responded with seven catches for 139 yards and a career-high three touchdown receptions.

Senior running back Jehuu Caulcrick played like a man possessed, leading the ground attack for the Spartans and finishing with 99 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries.

“Every time I looked into his eyes — I just saw a guy that was going to do whatever he had to do to win this football game,” head coach Mark Dantonio said.

Senior linebacker Kaleb Thornhill gave his teammates some extra incentive to win Saturday and secure an invitation for the Spartans to a bowl game.

Before MSU defeated Purdue last week, he told them he needed to go somewhere for Christmas. He didn’t care where, he just wanted company in what is a difficult time of the year for him.

“The death of my father happened around Christmas time, so it’s not a good time for me,” Thornhill said. “So it gives me an opportunity for me to be around some family that cares about me, along with my mom and my brother.”

Now the team gets to stay together another month, practicing and preparing for either the Motor City Bowl in December or the Insight Bowl in Tempe, Ariz.

Thornhill said it feels “unbelievable” to walk off Spartan Stadium’s field for the last time as a winner.

“It means everything to me,” he said. “To win in the fashion we did is going to leave a mark on the rest of my life.”

After the game, Ringer had a message for whomever the Spartans end up playing in a bowl game – and every other team in college football.

“Any team that comes to play us, they’re going to be in for a fight,” he said. “Spartans fight all the time, so that’s just what we’re going to do every single game.”