Izzo stayed true to his promise despite the Spartans trailing 20-7 at the break. In the closing minutes of the second quarter, MSU had fallen into a 17-point deficit, and the team hadn’t gained a single first down. Fans were checked out; it seemed like another week where the Spartans let their supporters down.

Instead, MSU remarkably rebounded, and Izzo’s student section appearance resulted in a comeback. The Spartans forced overtime before ultimately failing the two-point conversion, which cost them the game, 38-37.

At Thursday’s media day, Izzo made his support for Fitzgerald even more explicit, urging fans to continue backing the football program as it works to rebuild.

“He’s a fit here. Fitz is a fit, and I mean that,” Izzo said. “I agonized through some of his losses with him. I totally think we’re headed in the right direction, and that’s why I went into the student section.”

It’s not easy to support a program that has consistently lost more games than it has won over the past five seasons, but Izzo’s team faced similar struggles in 1995, his first season leading the program. The Spartans finished former head coach Jud Heathcote’s career in 1994 with a runner-up finish in the Big Ten and a 22-6 record.

A year later, Izzo took over and finished 16-16 with one of the worst offenses in the entire country, ranking 290th out of 305 in points scored per game. Still, the fans kept showing up.

“What comes first, the chicken or the egg?” Izzo asked. “Most people say, ‘Well, if you win, we’ll be there.’ Well, I didn’t win early. They were there. They helped me win, and I think that’s what I’d like to see here.”

Izzo pointed to the advantage a home crowd can provide in one of the most understood and controversial aspects of sports: gambling. Point spreads change based on the environment and fan impact, which quantifies how much of an advantage teams have playing at home in front of their fans.

“If you’re a plus-five at home, you’re usually a minus-five on the road — that’s a 10-point swing,” Izzo said. “It’s not because of the baskets; they’re the same size. And it ain’t because of the beds in the hotel because the beds are the same, too. So it’s got to do with the people, and the people are very, very, very important.”

Rallying fan support means so much to Izzo that he made clear his appearance might not just be a one-time gesture. He left open the idea of returning to the student section later in the season and even bringing some guests with him.

Fitzgerald made several appearances in the Izzone last season, hyping up the crowd and energizing Breslin Center with his passionate personality. Izzo looks to be returning the favor and doing it for more than just the football team.

“I might go in the student section again,” Izzo said. “I might get my team over in the student (section). I might do anything I can do for our football team, but believe it or not, for our students, and that’s where I think it’s misunderstood.”

Izzo isn’t the only one trying to keep fans in the stands. What began as a one-time promotion offering students half-off concession items after halftime has been extended through the remainder of the season as another encouraging message for fans to stay through the final whistle.

Izzo recognizes his role in building excitement, but he can only do so much. It’s up to the fans to stick around and see the game through. Once again, Izzo raised the chicken-or-the-egg question, challenging students to support the team before it returns to its previous level of success.

“So I guess what I’m asking here is, chicken or the egg?” Izzo asked. “Maybe the egg comes first. I guess that’s the finished product. The students have got to help us create a great winning atmosphere in our state.”

Izzo closed his media day press conference with a direct message to MSU fans, specifically students, insisting that people remain patient and trust the direction of the Spartan football program.

“I’ll bet you this football program is going somewhere in the very near future,” Izzo said. “And I hope you’ll hang with them like I’m gonna and believe in them like I do, because I believe in the man leading us, and that’s what’s important.”