How Tom Izzo Played Tiny Part in MSU Football's Win over Michigan
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EAST LANSING -- Tom Izzo has never been shy about his support for Michigan State's football program, and he hasn't been shy about his support for Pat Fitzgerald.
Izzo patrolled the sidelines during warmups prior to the Spartans' stunning 15-6 victory over Michigan in Ann Arbor this past Saturday. It was at least the second road game Izzo has been to this season, alongside the team's Week 3 game at Notre Dame. This time, he saw a win, and he also had a small hand in it.
Izzo's Friday Speech
Izzo himself got involved in the football team's preparation for the annual rivalry game. "Memory-making moments" are things Izzo constantly tries to generate, whether it be non-conference games on aircraft carriers or other team-bonding activities. That seems central to what he said in the video shared by MSU football's official accounts.
"Just share this moment together," Izzo said. "Because in those three hours of work, over the thousands of hours you've done, you're going to make a memory for a lot of people. You're going to make a memory that's going to last you 70 years."
"When you're dying, you're laying on that bed, you're going to say, 'You know what? I started the tradition at Michigan State. We got it (Paul Bunyan) back. My class got it back. We're going to start kicking ass and taking names.'"
Memories that’ll last a lifetime pic.twitter.com/jRbGmQfLcF
— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) November 8, 2026
Michigan State football players and its fans sure got a memory on Saturday. The victory over Michigan snapped the team's six-game losing streak and was the first win in the rivalry since Kenneth Walker III ran for five touchdowns in 2021.
Izzo's Reaction on Monday
"I've seen wins down there (in Ann Arbor); I've seen losses," Izzo said about his speech. "I've seen wins here (at Spartan Stadium); I've seen losses. I just wanted to try to get across to them that rivalries still are important, even though our world is screwed up right now. They still are important."
Izzo has been around for more than his fair share of Michigan State-Michigan games. This one is certainly among the most shocking, in terms of where things stood, expectations-wise, before the game.
"There's been a lot of good things happening," Izzo said about MSU athletics as a whole. "None bigger than that football game, and the way we won the game, I thought, was really impressive."
There were signs that a performance like Saturday's could be coming, though. Izzo quietly observed things in the corner of the Spartans' locker room following the team's emotionally crushing losses to Illinois and Northwestern. He liked what he saw during the toughest possible moments.
"His (Fitzgerald's) speech was short and sweet both games," Izzo said. "I watched how immediately each position coach took their group -- receivers here, you know... and just a little three-minute conversation there. And then I watched the most fun thing to watch: how are the players going to respond?"
"Is somebody going to throw his helmet on the thing and say, 'This is BS?' Is someone going to do this? Is someone going to do that? I saw some of the coolest things I haven't seen in many, many years. I saw tears. I saw hugs. I saw people rallying together, and I went and told my team that. A couple days later at practice, I said, 'I don't know when it's going to be, but they're going to win some games.'"
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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