INDIANAPOLIS - Michigan State entered the 2015 football season with a simple, two-word philosophy: Reach higher.
The Spartans will have that opportunity after running back LJ Scott broke three tackles and fought his way into the end zone from a yard out with 27 seconds remaining Saturday night, lifting fifth-ranked Michigan State to a 16-13 victory against fourth-ranked and previously unbeaten Iowa in the Big Ten Conference championship game.
The Spartans (12-1) drove 82 yards in 22 plays for the winning touchdown. The drive consumed 9:04 and included key completions from quarterback Connor Cook, the game MVP, to tight end Josiah Price for 13 yards and to wide receiver Aaron Burbridge for 16 yards, moving Michigan State into position to win the game.
Now Michigan State likely is headed to the four-team College Football Playoff. This team's three most impressive victories - Michigan, Ohio State and now Iowa - were achieved on the final play, the final play and with 27 seconds remaining, respectively.
"This is a resilient team that knows how to win," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said after the game. "That was a great job by our offense to drive the length of the field in over nine minutes. We showed great mental toughness, and it was a great job by our quarterback and our offensive line."
Cook, who completed 16 of 32 passes for 191 yards, ran 2 yards for a first down on a fourth-down play from inside the Iowa 5 to keep the game-winning drive alive.
"This is why our seniors came back this season," Cook said of the Big Ten championship and the likely opportunity to participate in the playoffs. "On the final drive (18 rushes and four passes), our offensive line did a great job. All of us knew it was score or go home. We were focused the entire time and knew we were going to get it."
C.J. Beathard's 85-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Tevaun Smith on the first play of the fourth quarter had given Iowa (12-1) a 13-9 lead.
A 10-yard holding penalty put Iowa in a second-and-20 situation at its 15-yard line when Beathard found Smith on a post pattern for the go-ahead score. Until the 85-yard completion, Michigan State had outgained the Hawkeyes 258-155.
Michigan State's Michael Geiger kicked field goals of 29 and 47 during the third quarter to push the Spartans into a 9-6 lead before Beathard's bomb to Smith.
The Spartans ran 79 plays for 365 yards while the Hawkeyes ran 51 plays for 268 yards. A key was the difference in rushing yards. Michigan State rushed 46 times for 174 yards, including Scott's 22 carries for 73 yards. Iowa rushed 24 times for only 52 yards.
"It's a very disappointing result," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "We had a great week of preparation, and we played with great effort tonight. Michigan State played a great game. We have been here in these kinds of games before and won them. Tonight, it was that close."
Iowa safety Jordan Lomax said Cook was impressive during the final drive.
"We gave it all that we had," Lomax said. "We had opportunities to make plays. Then Cook made a great play to keep their last drive going."
Beathard, who completed 18 of 26 passes for 216 yards, said watching the 9:04 drive was difficult.
"Credit Michigan State," Beathard said. "it's tough when the offense doesn't have the ball. This night is especially tough, because we went all season without a loss and then we lose tonight."
The Hawkeyes took a 6-3 halftime lead on Marshall Koehn's 43-yard field goal with 13:28 remaining, capping a nine-play, 42-yard drive that included a crucial 15-yard hands-to-the-face penalty that advanced the ball to the Michigan State 26.
Koehn's 24-yard field goal with 5:08 left in the first quarter tied the game at 3. Iowa linebacker Josey Jewell's interception of a Cook pass at the Michigan State 20-yard line set up the game-tying field goal.
Michigan State grabbed an early 3-0 lead on Michael Geiger's 23-yard field goal with 11:11 left in the first quarter - just after linebacker Riley Bullough forced a fumble from Iowa tight end Henry Krieger-Coble at the Hawkeyes' 27-yard line on the game's first possession.
The Spartans missed two other golden scoring opportunities before halftime, each chance failing when Geiger missed two 52-yard field goal attempts.
Iowa threatened to take a double-digit, second-quarter lead, but Beathard was intercepted in the end zone by Michigan State safety Demetrious Cox, who snagged the ball in midair after it bounced off a teammate's back.
NOTES: Iowa RB Jordan Canzeri left the game with 2:17 remaining in the first quarter after suffering a right leg injury. ... Canzeri carried only twice for 12 yards before being injured. ... Despite the loss, Iowa leads the series 23-21-2. ... The teams had not met since Oct. 5, 2013, a game the Spartans won, 26-14. ... This was Michigan State's third Big Ten title game appearance in five years, beating Ohio State 34-24 in 2013 after losing to Wisconsin 42-39 on 2011. ... This was Iowa's first Big Ten championship game appearance.
