Former redshirt freshman defensive back Jalen Watts-Jackson runs the ball for the game winning touchdown during the game against Michigan at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Oct. 17, 2015. The Spartans defeated the Wolverines, 27-23.
Ten seconds. That’s all it took to make history.
On Oct. 17, 2015, Michigan State stunned the college football world with a play so improbable, it's still talked about a decade later. In the prime of head coach Mark Dantonio's era, the Spartans seized on a botched Michigan punt and returned it for a game-winning touchdown as time expired.
Today marks the 10-year anniversary of that iconic moment — a play that would become known as "Trouble with the Snap" in Spartan lore and football history.
The No. 7-ranked Spartans trailed 23-21. All No. 12 Michigan had to do was cleanly execute a punt, and the game was over.
"I remember people coming out of the house saying, 'It's over, it's over. Just turn off the TV,'" MSU alumna Brailey Nudera said. "I refused to do that. I said, 'It's not over until the clock hits zero.'"
And then, there was trouble with the snap.
Facing an 11-man MSU punt block, Michigan punter Blake O'Neill mishandled a low snap. He picked it up but was quickly hit and lost the ball as multiple Spartans closed in.
"Even if it was the last play of the game, they're punting. Everyone in the band is thinking, 'I bet we can run this back for a touchdown. Dantonio, he’s going to pull something out. We're going to win this,'" Spartan Marching Band alumnus Brian Van Fossen said. "It wasn't looking good, but there was definitely still hope, at least in the band and me at that time."
The ball sprung into the hands of MSU defensive back Jalen Watts-Jackson — the first touch of his collegiate career — and the redshirt freshman sprinted down the left sideline, outrunning a cluster of Wolverines. As he reached the goal line, he was tackled from behind and crashed into the end zone, sealing a 27-23 victory for the Spartans and one of the most dramatic finishes in college football history.
"I think most of us had resigned ourselves to losing," 2015 MSU alumna Gabby Lossia said. "It was kind of going that way, and then all of a sudden, I just remember hearing people screaming from inside of the house, and all of us were like, 'What is going on?' And then people just started shouting, 'We won! We won!'"
It was the rare moment when the Spartan Marching Band wasn’t ready to perform the "Michigan State Fight Song" after a touchdown. Van Fossen remembers a 30-second delay between the score and the song, because he and his bandmates were too busy celebrating.
ESPN broadcaster Sean McDonough's now-famous call — "Whoa, he has trouble with the snap!" — became etched into college football history, his voice cracking as Watts-Jackson reached the end zone. Just as unforgettable was the image of a Michigan student frozen in the surrender cobra pose, which quickly went viral and ended up on T-shirts.
Nudera said she can quote the broadcast from memory.
The game wasn't just talked about for the rest of the week — it dominated conversations for the rest of the season, Lossia said. Even now, she said, it remains a source of pride among MSU fans.
"I'm glad to hear it’s still living on," Van Fossen said. "To know, 'Oh, the people on campus are still aware of this. People are still talking about this play.' I think people will talk about it forever."
The play was the epitome of Spartan football — not giving up and playing until the last second, Nudera said, adding that she hopes second-year head coach Jonathan Smith instills that same mindset in today's program.
For Spartan alumni, the play is a reminder of more than just a win over rival Michigan. It brings back memories of driving all night to Nebraska only to lose by one point. It recalls the 17-14 road win at Ohio State two weeks later, and the Spartans' eventual trip to the College Football Playoff.
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"Trouble with the Snap" was just one highlight of that season, one of the most memorable years for an MSU fan.
"It was such a high to go out on," Lossia said. "I really cherish that entire season and the memories that came with it. I can't believe it's been 10 years since then and out of college. It's really cool that you still have those moments that bring you back to Michigan State."
