Hoosiers defeat Spartans

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The defeated Michigan State Spartans had silently filed off the field. The MSU coaches and cheerleaders were long gone, and the Spartan Marching Band was doing its post-game show.\nBut the Hoosier football team was not stepping off the field until it got what it wanted: the Old Brass Spittoon. It's a trophy that has been awarded to the winner of the MSU-IU game since 1950, and IU wanted what it rightfully earned on the field.\n"This is a tradition," senior quarterback Antwaan Randle El said after the game, holding the Spittoon. "When you win, you get the Spittoon. That's what we've been talking about all week. We said we wouldn't leave until we got it, but we got it and now we can go home."\nThe Hoosiers (3-5, 3-3) traveled back to IU after beating the Spartans 37-28 in a game marked by crucial plays made by both the offense and defense.\nBoth MSU (5-3, 3-3) and IU came into the game after emotional upsets last week, but it was the Hoosier offense that wore down the State defense and the IU defense that came up with important stops at critical times.\n"I don't know how you win in this league or any league anymore without making big plays in critical situations," coach Cam Cameron said. "There's too many good players on these teams and it's nice we have a couple of those guys. We've got some guys making some big plays on offense and now some guys making some big plays against pretty good players on defense."\nRandle El, who became the NCAA's career leader in rushing yards by a quarterback Saturday with 3,645, set the tone for the day when he ran 57 yards for a touchdown to give the Hoosiers the opening score.\nBut unlike the Wisconsin and Northwestern victories, the game wasn't an offense-dominated contest. The defense was called upon several times to step up and make stops. \nIt did not disappoint.\n"It boosts our confidence," freshman linebacker Herana-Daze Jones said. "We know if we play hard and give it our best effort, we could be a good defense. We just got to keep playing and keep playing and something good will happen."\nFor Jones, that good came in the form of an interception after Randle El mishandled a pitch to senior Levron Williams with just over five minutes to play in the fourth quarter and IU leading by only a field goal. \nBut with the ball on the IU 46-yard line, Jones picked off Spartan quarterback Jeff Smoker. IU scored the final touchdown when it took over.\n"When Herana-Daze picked that ball off, I tried to find him as quick as I could and give him a hug," Randle El said.\nThe IU defense, which has managed at least one interception for the last four games, came up with two Saturday. Jones' interception and the one by senior linebacker Justin Smith, who intercepted the ball with just more than a minute left, sealed the victory for the Hoosiers.\nThe week prior to the game, the players stressed the importance of being focused against MSU. The success of the goal was prominent when sophomore cornerback Michael Hanley snatched a ball tipped in the air by a Spartan player after Randle El punted.\n"I was laughing," Jones said. "(The MSU player) just threw his hand up and I was laughing. I was happy that we got the ball back. I'm glad he made that play."\nWilliams, who rushed for 251 yards to give him more than 1,000 rushing yards for the season, remembers just looking up and seeing that IU had possession again. He scored five plays later.\n"You just play and play and play for 60 minutes," Cameron said. "That's the story in my mind. Everything doesn't always work out like you script it. The bottom line is you have to score one more point than the opponent or hold them to one less. We don't care which it is"