Watch: Michigan State Purposefully Takes Safety on Punt vs. Ohio State
Michigan State punted seven times in the first three quarters against Ohio State on Saturday, often backed-up deep in its own territory. But instead of punting for an eighth time while pinned at its one-yard line with 42 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio had a different plan.
Dantonio opted to go with an intentional safety, calling on his center to snap the ball out of Michigan State's end zone. While the free two points put Ohio State up 9-6, it did get the Spartans' backs off the wall.
Watch Michigan State's intentional safety below:
Dantonio's field-position solution quickly backfired. The Spartans shanked their ensuing kickoff out of bounds, giving Ohio State the ball at midfield. A stalled drive by the Buckeyes resulted in another punt, this time pinning the Spartans at their own two. Michigan State was once again backed-up to their own goal line.
The ensuing possession resulted in more points for the Buckeyes. Spartans QB Rocky Lombardi fumbled in the end zone, recovered by Ohio State to give the Buckeyes a 16-6 lead early in the fourth quarter. Dantonio's call was bold, but in hindsight, it wasn't exactly bright.
