Video: Iowa WR Marvin McNutt; Hook-and-ladder nearly sinks Iowa

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State Coach Mark Dantonio had the guts to call a trick play that rarely works in flag football, let alone the end of a Big Ten football game.

Facing third-and-18 from their 32, the Spartans launched a hook-and-ladder play designed to penetrate Iowa's zone defense. Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins passed an 11-yard curl route to tight end Brian Linthicum, who promptly pitched the ball to wide receiver Blair White. White then raced 27 yards down the right sideline before he was pushed out at the Iowa 30 by safety Tyler Sash. 

"I just felt it was the right time in the game to do that because I knew they would be playing soft on third and 18," Dantonio said. "They were good enough ... they were going to allow us to catch an 8-yard pass and that's what had to happen and we had to have some room to catch an 8-yard pass and then get it out cleanly. So I thought that was an opportune time to do it. So I made the call to do it and it worked."

Michigan State Offensive Coordinator Don Treadwell said the Spartans had practiced that play.

"I give all the credit to Coach Dantonio," Treadwell said. "We had it all practiced, but he felt that was the right time to call itand obviously he knew what he was doing.

"The good thing is we had practiced it enough that it looked like it had a chance to be well-executed like it did. Give all the credit to Coach D on that."

 Michigan State scored two plays later to take a 13-9 lead.