“We’ll wait and see what it looks like on film, but it’s disappointing. It’s an unforced error and you lose football games like that. It’s a lack of discipline and I’m the head coach, so I’ll take responsibility for that.”

The final minute of Saturday’s game could’ve been ripped straight from a horror movie. Central Michigan culminated a 15-play, 71-yard drive that included four third-down conversions with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Dan LeFevour to Paris Cotton with 32 seconds left.

The Chippewas decided to go for the two-point conversion and the win, but LeFevour overthrew his receiver and MSU kept a slim 27-26 lead.

Central Michigan went for an onside kick, which typically has a low success rate, and converted as the ball slipped through an MSU player’s hands, right into the arms of Chippewa receiver Bryan Anderson.

“All we have to do is get on the ball and it’s over,” Dantonio said.

LeFevour again drove his team down the field, completing three straight passes to get Central Michigan to the MSU 30-yard line, setting up kicker Andrew Aguila for a 47-yard try. Aguila’s attempt was partially blocked, but the play was whistled down as junior defensive end Colin Neely jumped offside, moving the try five yards closer. Aguila made no mistake, knocking it through to give Central Michigan a 29-27 lead with three seconds left.

The subsequent kickoff was kicked to an MSU upback and downed as time expired.

“We didn’t play good enough. Period,” defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said. “I didn’t coach good enough, the kids didn’t play good enough and we will coach their tails off this week and we’ll be ready for next week for Notre Dame.”

In the third quarter, junior safety Marcus Hyde was whistled for a 15-yard personal foul for going headfirst into LeFevour as LeFevour lay on top of an MSU defender. The penalty jump-started a Central Michigan touchdown drive that would prove to be costly.

“We had some penalties that really cost us,” sophomore quarterback Kirk Cousins said.

“And that’s what we pride (ourselves) on; our program’s prided on being disciplined. We can’t expect to win a lot of football games if we’re not disciplined. Like I said, we’ll get this corrected.”

Senior defensive end Trevor Anderson said he was disappointed in the lack of discipline, adding that he loves having disciplined players around him.

“On that offsides, we blocked the field goal, the game was won,” Anderson said.

“But we jumped offside. Little things like that at the most inopportune times — It hurts and we’re going to pay for it during the week, some extra sprints or something like that — nothing crucial — but we’re going to come back next week and take care of business. We’re going to be more disciplined in what we do. We had the game won. ”