'Trouble with the snap': Looking back at Michigan State's stunner over Michigan

While the sports world is on hold, theScore will fill the void with a weekly examination of one of college football's most memorable plays over the last 20 years. After previously covering the "kick-6" from the 2013 Iron Bowl featuring Alabama and Auburn, today's post reflects on the ending of the 2015 rivalry game between Michigan and Michigan State.

Buildup

Despite Michigan holding a major advantage with an all-time 68-34-5 record in the series, it was "little brother" Michigan State that entered the 2015 affair brimming with confidence. The Spartans had won the Paul Bunyan Trophy in six of their last seven meetings with the Wolverines - including 35-11 and 29-6 victories over the previous two years - their best stretch in the rivalry since the 1960s.

The Spartans didn't slow down in 2015, with head coach Mark Dantonio leading the team into the rivalry contest with a perfect 6-0 record and the No. 7 ranking in the nation.

The Wolverines had only posted double-digit wins once since 2006, and they failed to reach a bowl game in 2014 for just the third time in 40 years. A negative vibe would have been cast over virtually any program, but there was hope in Ann Arbor following the return of former star Jim Harbaugh as head coach.

Fresh off a wildly successful stint with the San Francisco 49ers, Harbaugh immediately guided Michigan to a 5-1 record and the No. 12 ranking heading into the Michigan State game. The Wolverines were winning again, and doing it in dominant fashion. Harbaugh's defense hadn't allowed a point in three straight games prior to the Michigan State clash.

Game story

The game fell into the expected defensive struggle, beginning with a scoreless first quarter. The Wolverines took a 7-0 lead early in the second with a Sione Houma two-yard plunge before Michigan State evened the contest on a 30-yard Macgarrett Kings Jr. touchdown grab. The Spartans' score produced the first points Michigan had allowed in 13 quarters of football.

A fairly even second quarter saw Michigan take a 10-7 lead at the break through a Kenny Allen 38-yard field goal. More of the same came in the second half until the Wolverines stretched their lead to nine early in the final frame. The Spartans battled back to within two points, but their comeback appeared to be finished after turning the ball over on downs with 1:47 left in the contest.

Not wanting to give his opponent a potential Hail Mary opportunity, Harbaugh elected to call for a punt with 10 seconds left to send the ball deep into Michigan State territory. In theory, it was the right decision, but nobody could have predicted what unfolded next.

The play

Aftermath

Pandemonium broke loose in the Michigan end zone as the Spartans rushed the field to celebrate the incredible ending. Triumph quickly turned into injury for hero Jalen Watts-Jackson, with the game-winning touchdown scorer suffering a dislocated hip in the celebration.

The television cameras also created a new media star that day, as the image of Wolverines fan Chris Baldwin, staring at the field in utter disbelief, instantly became one the most popular sports memes on the internet.

This wasn't Michigan State's only dramatic late-game win in 2015, as the Spartans made the impossible look routine over the remainder of their schedule.

They earned a stunning victory over Ohio State later that campaign on a last-second field goal. That helped send them to the Big Ten championship, when LJ Scott handed Mighigan State the conference title by scoring a game-winning touchdown with under 30 seconds left versus Iowa.

Michigan State's reward for the Big Ten crown was Alabama drubbing the Spartans 38-0 in the College Football Playoff semifinal.

As for Michigan, the Wolverines rebounded to finish with a 10-3 record in Harbaugh's first season with the program as head coach. While he's undoubtedly helped to bring Michigan football back to its place among the top schools in the conference, a playoff berth continues to elude him.

Michigan State fans can always hold that blemish over Harbaugh thanks to the magic of 2015.