The Spartans had just delivered a signature 16-13 win over Wisconsin on the Badgers’ home turf in Camp Randall Stadium on the strength of an improbable pair of drives in the final minutes of the game.

After three-and-a-half quarters of anemic offense, the Spartans found their stride, driving 75 yards for the game-tying score, then 25 in overtime to win it behind a stellar performance by junior quarterback Andrew Maxwell, who was a combined 9-of-11 passing for 81 yards and two touchdowns on the final two drives.

It was almost enough to make you forget about the drive that started at Wisconsin’s 11-yard-line and ended with a punt from the Wisconsin 34, a net loss of 23 yards that squandered MSU’s best field position all season.

Or enough to make you forget about the Spartans’ five three-and-out drives.

Or that MSU could only muster three points for the first 58 minutes and 52 seconds of the game.

Almost.

But as Dantonio pointed out, getting the win is more important than perfect play.

And while the offense had its fair share of struggles, the defense was damn near close to that distinction.

The Spartans held Wisconsin’s highly touted rushing offense to 19 yards on the ground, the Badgers’ lowest output this season.

They recorded five sacks and 12 tackles for loss, anchored by the play of juniors linebacker Max Bullough tackles, two-and-a-half for loss and two sacks) and defensive end William Gholston (five tackles, one sack and four-and-a-half tackles for loss).

For the entirety of the game, the defense battled back.

It was something that propelled the Spartans to come from behind and steal one in Madison.

“It can be easy for a team to splinter, but that’s not the kind of team we have,” Maxwell said. “We have a family here. It’s more than a team, it’s a family and to have that support from our defense just really encouraged us and kept us going.”

That support became evident between the third and fourth quarters, when the Wisconsin crowd got rowdy during the traditional playing of House of Pain’s “Jump Around.”

As the fans jumped up and got down, MSU’s players followed suit.

Wisconsin had thrown all it could at the Spartans, yet they didn’t waiver.

They fed off the energy and rode the adrenaline all the way to the finish line.

And with only three games remaining, and the Spartans needing at least one win to become bowl eligible, it’s time to see if they can continue riding that momentum or if it will sputter out inside the red zone.

Jesse O’Brien is a State News football reporter. He can be reached at obrie151@msu.edu.