Ann Arbor — Tom Izzo called a timeout with 42 seconds left on the clock and his team trailing its archrival by nearly 30 points Tuesday night.
Most of Michigan State’s starters were still in the game at that point, and they weren’t coming out just yet.
No, this timeout was simply an excuse, an opportunity for Izzo to let it all sink in with his young, freshman-dominated team. What was left of the Crisler Center crowd at that point — mostly the Maize Rage student section — was on its feet cheering, and jeering, as they celebrated a rout that ended up matching the most lopsided loss to Michigan in Izzo’s 22-year tenure as a head coach.