Was honorary coach of the green team. Apparently he called for a fake punk that failed and led to a White team score.
The story:
Failed fake punt is water under bridge for honorary coach Tom Izzo
BY SHANNON SHELTON • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • April 20, 2008
EAST LANSING -- On fourth-and-one early in the fourth quarter of Michigan State's spring football game Saturday, the Green coaching staff decided to try a
fake punt at its 39-yard line.
The effort failed, and Roderick Jenrette tackled ballcarrier Otis Wiley for a loss of three yards. White got the ball on Green's 36 and finished the drive
with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Brian Hoyer to Chris D. Rucker to take a 21-17 lead.
Who called that play? Some signs pointed to the honorary coach for the Green team -- MSU hoops coach Tom Izzo.
"The only plays I called were the ones that worked," Izzo said. "Everyone else made the other calls. The fake punt, we thought it would work. I
kind of agreed with the call, though. I liked it."
Not so, said Green coach Dan Roushar, MSU's offensive line coach.
"Izzo wanted to run the fake punt," Roushar said.
In the end, it all worked out for Green, which won, 23-21. Players doused Roushar with Gatorade and Izzo got a water bath -- and both coaches get to eat steak.
"I've never been doused as a basketball coach before," Izzo said.
