The loud chorus of boos that could be heard from the stands when Purdue scored to take a 28-13 lead midway through the third quarter turned to thunderous celebration as the Spartans recorded big play after big play to outscore Purdue 22-3 in the fourth quarter.

Needing a game-changing play, the Spartans (10-1 overall, 6-1 Big Ten) received major plays from countless players, whether it was senior cornerback Chris L. Rucker’s interception and 20-yard return to set up MSU’s first touchdown of the fourth quarter, redshirt freshman linebacker Denicos Allen’s blocked punt that set up the Spartans’ go-ahead touchdown, or sophomore linebacker Chris Norman’s sealing interception on Purdue’s final drive.

The Spartans have continued to shed their identity of being late-game chokers, and will have an opportunity to win at least a share of the conference championship with a win at Penn State on Saturday.

“What a day,” MSU head coach Mark Dantonio said. “We have won three games on special teams plays, special teams is critical. Denicos Allen made the play of the game on the blocked punt.”

With MSU trailing 31-28 with about five minutes to play, Allen raced in and jumped to block the kick, which he then recovered at the Purdue 3-yard line.

It was a huge play at the exact right time of the game, and is the fourth major special teams play the Spartans can point to as a reason for victory, with the “Little Giants” play against Notre Dame, the punt return by junior wide receiver Keshawn Martin for a touchdown against Wisconsin and the “Mouse Trap” pass against Northwestern being the other plays.

MSU took advantage when junior quarterback Kirk Cousins, who’s been battling a sprained ankle and sprained shoulder for three or four weeks and was removed from the game in the first quarter, ran in the three-yard score to put MSU ahead 35-31 with 4:32 remaining.

Cousins had a hand in all three fourth-quarter touchdowns, throwing for two and rushing for one, and was one of the many heroes for the Spartans on Saturday.

He’d been playing through pain and threw a first-quarter interception that was returned 35 yards by Purdue cornerback Ricardo Allen to put Purdue (4-7, 2-5) ahead, 14-7, but threw for two touchdowns and opened himself to a hit while running the third one in himself.

“There was a point in time I was close to pulling myself out of the game and not trying to be the hero because it’s about the team and not me,” Cousins said. “You just react when you’re playing football and being an athlete. You see the seam and nothing is open so I went for it.”

It appeared things were headed south on Senior Day in front of 71,000-plus fans at Spartan Stadium before seniors Chris L. Rucker and Mark Dell helped change things around.

Coming into the fourth quarter trailing, 28-13, Rucker made the first huge play of the quarter, picking off a pass at the Purdue 40-yard line and setting up Cousins’ five-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver B.J. Cunningham to make it 28-20 four minutes into the quarter.

Cunningham and senior wide receiver Mark Dell each made huge plays on the next drive, with Cunningham making a 28-yard catch after a controversial call prevented him from scoring a touchdown on the previous play. Then Dell made a nine-yard touchdown catch and an impressive two-point conversion grab to bring MSU within three.

Cousins lasered the two-point throw to him, and he made a nice catch with defenders on him.

Purdue had kicked a 52-yard field goal before that drive.

Dell’s senior day couldn’t have gone much better, as he finished with eight catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

“It feels great,” Dell said. “I took it upon myself to make plays and clean up the miscellaneous drops I had this year and I think I’ve done a good job of that so far.”

With the crowd roaring, MSU’s defense made a stand on the next drive, and Allen’s blocked punt set up the game-winning touchdown by Cousins.

Purdue drove to the MSU 20-yard line on its final drive, but the Spartans held and Norman sealed the game with his interception.

It was a total team effort, and one that continues to show that this year’s Spartans are past the failures of previous teams.

The comeback ensured that the Spartans (10-1, 6-1) will have plenty to play for next week when they visit Penn State.

“We played a really good football team,” Purdue head coach Danny Hope said. “They were three- or four-touchdown favorite and we played them right down to the wire.”

It started well on Senior Day with Dell and MSU scoring a touchdown on its opening drive and looking primed to blow out the Boilermakers.

Then, the sloppiness began.

An 80-yard touchdown run to Boilermakers’ running back Keith Carlos that allowed the Boilermakers to tie the game at the 8:04 mark.

Allen’s 35-yard interception return for a touchdown later in the quarter put Purdue ahead, and Cousins left the game, while Maxwell took over and went 2-for-3 assing.

Cousins returned on the next drive, and sophomore Edwin Baker scampered 19 yards for a touchdown run at the 11:10 mark of the second quarter, and a missed extra point made it 14-13.

He finished 28-for-37 with 276 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, while Henry was 16-for-26 with 189 yards and two touchdowns.

Baker finished with 16 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown, and Carlos carried six times for 103 yards and a touchdown for Purdue.

However, Purdue (4-7, 2-5) converted a long drive at the end of the half, finishing it with a pass from quarterback Rob Henry to wide receiver Antavian Edison as Purdue went ahead by eight with nine seconds left in the half, and scored halfway through the third quarter on a 12-yard pass from Henry to wide receiver Cortez Smith to put Purdue ahead 28-13.

However, the Spartans earned the victory and secured just their third 10-win season in school history and go 7-0 at home for the first time in school history.

The senior class also is now the winningest class in school history with 32 victories.

“So happy for our seniors, very emotional for them,” Dantonio said. “We’re a 10-win football team, 10-1. We know that we’re going to play in a major bowl, and we know we have a chance to be Big Ten champions next week.”