The Forc-Ier Was Not with Wolverines in Second-Straight Loss to Spartans

It was a raucous atmosphere last Saturday at Spartan Stadium, one in which a 1-3 Michigan State team faced off against freshman phenom Tate Forcier and the undefeated Michigan Wolverines.

The Spartans, fresh off a beating at the hands of Wisconsin, were trying to beat their in-state rival and salvage their season. Michigan, on the other hand, was flying high under its new quarterback and revitalized team chemistry. However, the Wolverines had not done one thing before Saturday’s showdown: played a game away from home.

Yes, it was Big Blue’s first game away from the Big House. Questions surrounded Forcier and how he would react in his first collegiate game in a hostile environment, and the scene at Spartan Stadium was quite volatile. There were shades of maize and blue scattered around the crowd, but the majority of fans were clad in green and white.

With the sun spottily shining through the hazy clouds, the Spartans were on the attack from the very beginning – especially on defense. Pat Narduzzi’s much-maligned defensive group came to play, stuffing the run and stumping Forcier on many occasions. On offense, the Spartans continued their two-quarterback system features Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol, while also running the ball with duel backs.

The Spartans came out as the more desperate team because, basically, they were. They had attained an identity as a passing team in their first four games, something proven with the team’s offensive statistics in association to the best in the Big Ten. Forcier had been a one-man wrecking crew, leading his team to a big win over Notre Dame and showing off some late heroics once more against Indiana.

While something had to give, it never really did – at least not until the end.

With Michigan State enjoying a comfy 20-6 lead, conservative play-calling coupled with not achieving first downs stalled the Spartans’ scoring efforts. Meanwhile, Forcier began to lead his team up field while rain was swirling around the stadium. A deep touchdown pass and a defensive stop gave Forcier a chance to cement his legacy even more as a big-time Michigan freshman. He scrambled for big runs, threw for first downs and put his team in a position to tie the game. With less than 10 seconds remaining, Forcier ran out of the pocket, eyed an open receiver and slung the football.

Touchdown. Just like that, Michigan had tied the game with a valiant 4th-quarter rally, making Spartan fans wonder whether the “same old Spartans” were reappearing in East Lansing. Overtime was looming, Michigan had the momentum and the Spartans were left trying to regroup.

The Spartans won the coin toss, deciding to go on defense first and letting Forcier try to win the game for the opposition. After two downs with little to show for them, Forcier was pressured on third down and chucked a pass into the endzone. The pass was tipped by a Spartan defender, the ball was floating in the air like slow-motion and a diving Chris Rucker caught the ball. Rucker, by the way, is on Michigan State’s roster.

Forcier sat down on the turf, understanding he may have made the biggest mistake of the game. Michigan State had the ball with an opportunity to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Nichol goes under center.

First play: a toss to the running back, who fumbles the slippery ball and loses considerable yardage. Second play: Nichol gets the yards back and then some with an out route to the receiver. On third down, the Spartans were surely just going to run the ball up the middle and get ready to kick a winning field goal.

And they did. But a funny thing happened on the way to running a safe play – the back, Larry Caper, shed a couple tackles and took it to the house.

The game was over, as was Forcier’s near-miraculous comeback. Michigan State proudly raised the Paul Bunyan trophy, flaunting it towards all of their fans. It was a party in Spartyland and a possible rebirth of the Spartans’ season.

All the while, Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez obtained his second straight loss to the dreaded Spartans. It may have been just another game on each team’s schedule, but it may have more long-term ramifications than many people think.