On This Day in Spartan Football History, Remembering 'Little Giants'

14 years ago today, the Michigan State Spartans pulled off one of the most iconic plays in program history against national powerhouse, Notre Dame. We remember 'Little Giants' and what took place that late September night in East Lansing.

Sep. 18, 2010; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans holder Aaron Bates (18) throws the ball on a fake field goal in overtime for the game winning score against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Michigan State won 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

14 years to the day, the Michigan State Spartans pulled off one of the most iconic plays in the history of the program. The play coined 'Little Giants' was heard around the college football world as the Spartans walked off Notre Dame in overtime at Spartan Stadium on a fake field goal touchdown pass.

Trailing by three and staring down a 46-yard field goal, the Spartans had an opportunity to send the game to double overtime. Head coach Mark Dantonio had other ideas, putting the ball in the hands of senior punter Aaron Bates on the final play of the game.

Happy 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 day 🙌#OTD in 2010, @MSU_Football called for the fake field goal to stun Notre Dame in OT.#B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/NMdBKCrQOa

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 18, 2024

Bates took the snap, stepped up, and delivered a strike over the top to senior tight end Charlie Gantt who walked into the end zone untouched. Freshman running back Le'Veon Bell and sophomore kicker Dan Conroy with both arms up, screaming into the end zone to meet Gantt.

The walk-off overtime winner left Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and the Irish team stunned on the sideline.

East Lansing was in a frenzy, Fighting Irish players with hands on hips asking what had just happened, and the entire Spartan team rushed the field to join Gantt in the end zone. The come-from-behind win marks one of the most memorable in school history.

"Well, we worked that all day. Had an inexperienced kicker, it was a long kick, so we said, 'Hey let's go'." Dantonio said in his on-field postgame interview with ESPN. "By the way, the name of that play is 'Little Giants.'"

As the madness ensued, the Irish head coach met at mid-field with Dantonio to congratulate and offer him some positive words after the win.

"He said 'gutsy call'," Dantonio said with a grin when asked about the conversation. "We've executed all week long, so it was right time, obviously."

This play helped propel the Spartans to an eight-game winning streak to start the 2010 season and finished with a dominant 11-2 record.

'Little Giants' changed the identity of this program in years to come as the Spartans went on to record back-to-back 11-win seasons. The magical play was a prime example of the "never-quit" mentality that Dantonio and his coaching staff brought to Spartan football every single week.

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