Maybe it was ESPN's College GameDay’s presence Saturday morning, leading up to the big matchup against then-No. 7 ranked Maryland. Maybe it was the special, lime green uniforms the MSU players showcased, to go along with the free lime green T-shirts the Izzone received prior to the game. Maybe it was redshirt-freshman forward Kenny Goins' thunderous dunk over Maryland’s Jake Layman just more than five minutes into the first half.

Whatever the plethora of reasons for the Izzone’s resurgence of ruckus, one thing is for certain — the fans and students who lined the lower bowl Saturday night answered the call. In a mightily important conference game against a top 10 opponent, MSU’s three-game skid was halted, and a major factor behind that was the Izzone.

“They were off the hinges, it was really an incredible crowd to have — 150 of our former guys back, hopefully a bunch of football recruits —I’m sure we’ll get something but I credit Nike also for the uniforms and shirts,” Izzo said. “I just thought our crowd was sensational.”

Everything from big poster cutouts of Izzo’s face to hypnotic spirals putting free throw shooters in a trance, the Izzone was ready for the Terrapins. The players certainly did not want to lose four games in a row, especially with three of them being at home, and it was clear the Izzone didn’t want to see it either.

Last night was the type of electric Izzone atmosphere I grew up dreaming of being in

— Brenden Cabana (@brenden_cabana) January 24, 2016

MSU senior guard Bryn Forbes was in a slump, but that ended Saturday night with a 25-point outburst. He said that the crowd was a big reason he was able to rediscover his shooting stroke.

“Man, Spartan Nation is crazy,” Forbes said. “The Izzone was crazy, the fans were crazy, everything about it, it was just an amazing atmosphere for us and helped us get a win.”

Senior forward Matt Costello was estimated before the game to play 10 to 15 minutes because of an ankle injury he suffered against Nebraska. He did not practice. He did not participate in the walkthrough before the game. He did play 32 minutes and scored 15 points to go along with 12 rebounds and three blocks.

Costello’s emotion, coupled with the intensity of the Izzone, might have been the secret ingredient to MSU’s winning formula. The senior might have played his best game in an MSU uniform, but appreciated the energy he picked up from everyone.

“When I was feeling down my teammates came around me, the crowd was pumping me up, it was a good feeling,” Costello said.

Nevertheless, the Izzone was a catalyst Saturday night. The crowd of just less than 15,000 played a part in holding Maryland to 38 percent shooting from the field and less than 30 percent from behind the arc. The student section returned to their rambunctious persona and fueled the Spartans to victory. Now, they look to continue to answer the call as MSU attempts to regain ground in the Big Ten race.