[3] The game is infamous for the last play, in which punter Blake O'Neill fumbled the ball, which was picked up by Michigan State for a walk-off touchdown.
Due to the TV call by Sean McDonough, the game has earned the nickname "Trouble With the Snap".
[5] After a disappointing 5–7 record in the previous season, the Wolverines fired Brady Hoke as head coach and replaced him with Jim Harbaugh.
[6] Harbaugh, a former Michigan quarterback under coach Bo Schembechler, had held head coaching gigs for the San Diego Toreros, Stanford Cardinal and the San Francisco 49ers; the latter of which produced three straight NFC championship appearances and one Super Bowl appearance (a 34-31 loss to brother John's Baltimore Ravens at Super Bowl XLVII).
[8] The Spartans came off a 10–2 season that saw them second in the Big Ten Conference, behind eventual CFP champion Ohio State.
They reached the Wolverines' 28 yard line on 4th & 8 and failed to convert and turned the ball over on downs.
Both teams then traded 3 and outs, before the Spartans' were awarded good field position on their own 46 yard line.
The drive culminated in a 11-yard rushing touchdown to end the Wolverines' 212 minute shutout streak.
After three drives stalled out going into the fourth quarter, the Wolverines were poised to score when a punt return brought them to the Spartans' 28 yard line.
However, they failed to convert a first down and settled for a 38-yard field goal, which was made to put the Wolverines up 23–14.
The Wolverines began running out the clock, but were unable to convert a first down to put the game away.
Long snapper Scott Sypniewski was prepared to snap the ball to punter Blake O'Neill, and the Spartans eschewed a punt returner in order to send an extra player after the kicker.
As he attempted to punt it over his head, O'Neill was hit by defenders and the ball fell to sophomore safety Jalen Watts-Jackson.
Aided by blockers in front, Watts-Jackson was able to rush 38 yards to the end zone and score the walk-off touchdown as he was dragged down after crossing the goal line.
Television station WZZM in Grand Rapids had begun their post-game report before the ending of the game, declaring Michigan the winner.
McDonough's infamous catchphrase "trouble with the snap" was mentioned in the closing minutes of one of the College Football Playoff semifinal games at the end of the 2022–23 season, the Fiesta Bowl, which also involved the Wolverines in their 51–45 loss to the TCU Horned Frogs.