Michigan State stuns Michigan with final-play fumble return
- 9 years ago
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The snap was flubbed, and the football went flying. Jalen Watts-Jackson grabbed it with his right hand, cradled it to his body and ran a ball into the end zone that was supposed to be punted the other way.
In the 10 seconds it took for the clock to tick down, Watts-Jackson went from total obscurity to pulling off one of the most unlikely endings in college football as No. 7 Michigan State beat No. 12 Michigan 27-23.
"That's why football is loved so much in America," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. "It's because things like this happen. Every now and then, they happen."
He could take it in for only a moment. As Watts-Jackson lay on a maize "M" in the end zone, his teammates piled above him, he dislocated his hip in the ruckus. He was later carted off the field and taken to a hospital, barely getting a glimpse of the scene he set off.
No one will soon forget it.
A fan at Michigan Stadium had a heart attack on the final play of the game. Paramedics told ESPN that they transported the man to the hospital in stable condition.
The fan was sitting in a section above the opposite corner of the end zone where Watts-Jackson scored the touchdown. Fans in the section started yelling for medical help, and someone performed CPR on the man, according to Kevin Zonca from Flint, Michigan, who was nearby.
"It was honestly a very sobering experience," Zonca said. "At the end of the day, it's a game. And I'm glad that people could come together to save a life."
Michigan spokeswoman Diane Brown says she didn't know if the fan had the heart attack before or after Watts-Jackson's return. The spokeswoman also didn't know if the fan was rooting for the Wolverines or the Spartans.
Following the loss, University of Michigan police reported several small fires burning on off-campus streets. Police said the fires were extinguished without injuries or serious damage.
The game was seemingly over when Watts-Jackson found himself in perfect position to make th
In the 10 seconds it took for the clock to tick down, Watts-Jackson went from total obscurity to pulling off one of the most unlikely endings in college football as No. 7 Michigan State beat No. 12 Michigan 27-23.
"That's why football is loved so much in America," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. "It's because things like this happen. Every now and then, they happen."
He could take it in for only a moment. As Watts-Jackson lay on a maize "M" in the end zone, his teammates piled above him, he dislocated his hip in the ruckus. He was later carted off the field and taken to a hospital, barely getting a glimpse of the scene he set off.
No one will soon forget it.
A fan at Michigan Stadium had a heart attack on the final play of the game. Paramedics told ESPN that they transported the man to the hospital in stable condition.
The fan was sitting in a section above the opposite corner of the end zone where Watts-Jackson scored the touchdown. Fans in the section started yelling for medical help, and someone performed CPR on the man, according to Kevin Zonca from Flint, Michigan, who was nearby.
"It was honestly a very sobering experience," Zonca said. "At the end of the day, it's a game. And I'm glad that people could come together to save a life."
Michigan spokeswoman Diane Brown says she didn't know if the fan had the heart attack before or after Watts-Jackson's return. The spokeswoman also didn't know if the fan was rooting for the Wolverines or the Spartans.
Following the loss, University of Michigan police reported several small fires burning on off-campus streets. Police said the fires were extinguished without injuries or serious damage.
The game was seemingly over when Watts-Jackson found himself in perfect position to make th