When Iowa and Michigan State met in the Big Ten Championship a few years ago head coach Kirk Ferentz had a tough decision to make.

Iowa was up 13-9 and had to punt the ball back to MSU with just over nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter. The Spartans, led by quarterback Connor Cook and running back LJ Scott, then went on to put together an epic game-winning drive. Epic, as in, 22 plays and 82 yards and just over nine minutes, effectively winning the game and ending the game with a Scott touchdown on third-and-goal from the Iowa one yard-line.

It was a master course in killing the clock while from behind from Mark Dantonio and the Spartans, and it left Ferentz and the Hawkeyes with little option besides stopping MSU, which Iowa’s stout defense just couldn’t do at that point.

MSU imposed its will on Iowa and took away any time for the Hawkeyes to attempt a drive on their own. MSU was so dominant, in fact, that years later it has come out that Ferentz and Iowa actually considered letting the Spartans score in order to at the very least get the ball back with a chance.

Here’s Scott Dochterman relaying the story:

Josey Jewell was, of course, Iowa’s all-everything middle linebacker who was tough as nails and clearly the Hawkeyes best player at the time.

Though Iowa did end up losing, the Hawks were always known for playing gritty, never-give-up football.  And yes, there is a strategy that suggests letting the other team score, but apparently Ferentz would not be able to face his players in that situation — and he certainly wouldn’t have been able to take a punch from Jewell.

Michigan State won the 2015 Big Ten championship over Iowa, 16-13, and advanced to the College Football Playoff.