A number of Michigan State fans traveled to Indianapolis for the second meeting between the two teams, and despite losing a closely fought game, the feeling among Spartan fans was not one of total dejection.

“I’m still glad I came,” Mark Osentoski, a 1984 alumnus said afterwards. “Sad way to end it. I wish we would have won, because we outplayed them the whole game, but we’ll be back next year.”

However, several fans voiced displeasure with the way the final few minutes played out.

Senior wide receiver Keshawn Martin appeared to have returned a Badger punt within the five-yard line of Wisconsin’s endzone, but a running into the kicker penalty on sophomore safety Isaiah Lewis gave the Badgers an automatic first down.

Wisconsin took three straight knees to run out the clock and take home the Stagg Championship trophy.

“You can’t commit that penalty at that point in the game,” 2006 alumnus Scott Koskinen said. “You just can’t.”

While some fans blamed Lewis, or head coach Mark Dantonio’s decision to try for a block instead of the return, 2005 alumnus Joel Haitz said he wasn’t sure Lewis had touched the Wisconsin punter.

“It looked like they handed Wisconsin the Rose Bowl,” Haitz said. “To lose based on a call that could have gone either way… I should be buying tickets to Pasadena, but for an erroneous call, and that’s the reality.”

Throughout the game, Spartan fans seemed to dominate the crowd of 64,152. Stationed in Michigan State’s end zone, thousands of towels waved and voices cheered whenever the Badgers entered green and white territory.

But the Michigan State faithful could not will their team to victory, and the Spartans likely will miss out on a BCS bowl this season.

In the end, despite the final score, at least one Michigan State fan left Indianapolis with his head held high.

“What I can say is I’m a proud Spartan,” 2006 alumnus Brandon Pung said. “Whether we win or lose, I’m always a proud Spartan. We’ll be back next year, and we’ll bounce back because that’s what we do.”