Box Score | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | OT1 | Final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Michigan State | 0 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 38 |
Notre Dame | 3 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 41 |
Spartans Lose Heartbreaker to Irish in OT
In what will go down as one of the best games of 2007, the Michigan State Spartans (3-0) and Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-3) took the game into OT, after the craziest final two minutes you can imagine.
It all started when Notre Dame picked up a first down with two minutes left, up by seven. Instead of running out the clock, QB Evan Sharpley threw a pass down the right sideline, which was picked off and returned 47 yards for the game tying touchdown by CB Ross Weaver.
Notre Dame then got into "robo QB" mode, where Sharpley connected on all of his passes for a quick 50 second touchdown pass to WR DJ Hord. Unfortunately, the Irish left too much time on the clock.
In their own "robo QB" mode, QB Brian Hoyer was able to execute a scoring drive in 32 seconds, that ended with a 32 yard touchdown pass to WR Carl Grimes. Let's recap:
Two minutes remaining, Notre Dame leads 31-24. Two minutes later, we're heading to overtime tied at 38.
In OT, Michigan State was able to stop Notre Dame and force a completed field goal. Michigan State got the ball, and marched inside the 10 yardline. On 3rd and goal from the five, Hoyer made a bad read and threw the ball right into the hands of Safety Tom Zbikowski, ending the game and giving the Irish the win the "Megaphone Trophy".
The Spartans defense had only one answer for Sharpley, who threw for 431 yards and three touchdowns. That answer was CB Ross Weaver, who had 10 tackles, three picks, and a touchdown. Brian Hoyer threw for 315 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 picks in the loss.
Players of the Game
Game Statistics | ||
---|---|---|
Category | Michigan State | Notre Dame |
First Downs | 16 | 28 |
Total Offense | 364 | 566 |
Rushes-YDS | 19-49 | 30-135 |
Passing YDS | 315 | 431 |
Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
Total Yards | 536 | 728 |
T.O.P. | 12:14 | 15:51 |