Fourth Quarter
Michigan State's chances of completing the comeback appeared to be finished early in the fourth quarter, when backup quarterback Brian Hoyer had his 6th pass of the drive intercepted by the Wildcats a minute into the period. However, after being unable to convert a short third down at midfield, the Wildcats had their punt blocked by Devin Thomas and returned for a touchdown by Ashton Henderson. This play is generally credited as the definitive momentum swinger.
The next two Northwestern drives would end in punts, and each ensuing Spartan drive would result in a touchdown. With the score tied at 38, the Wildcats had the ball on their own 15 yard line with 3:32 remaining in regulation. On the first play of the series, Bacher was intercepted by the Spartans' Travis Key at the Northwestern 40. The interception was returned for 10 yards to the 30 yard line. The Spartans ran the ball for the duration of the drive, advancing the ball to the Northwestern 11 yard line with 18 seconds left on the clock. MSU kicker Swenson would convert a 28 yard field goal to give the Spartans the lead.
The Wildcats would get the ball one more time, returning the ensuing kickoff to their own 37 yard line. Following an offsides penalty which moved the ball to the 42 yard line, Northwestern's final play for the end zone was unsuccessful and the Spartans finished the game as the winners, 41-38.
Read more about this topic: 2006 Michigan State Vs. Northwestern Football Game
Famous quotes containing the words fourth and/or quarter:
“The British are a self-distrustful, diffident people, agreeing with alacrity that they are neither successful nor clever, and only modestly claiming that they have a keener sense of humour, more robust common sense, and greater staying power as a nation than all the rest of the world put together.”
—Quoted in Fourth Leaders from the Times (1950)
“The most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for poisoning three little children for their insurance-money, and the most repellent man of my acquaintance is a philanthropist who has spent nearly a quarter of a million upon the London poor.”
—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930)