LaVert Hill made the ultimate power move on MSU interception

The Wolverines CB could have scored on his INT, he admitted, but had an amazingly petty reason why he didn’t.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It was the fourth quarter in the big rivalry game, and MSU didn’t stand a chance that late in the game. But the Spartans were going to attempt to mount what seemed to be an insurmountable comeback, down 34-10 early in the final quarter of the game.

After all, Michigan State held a 31-10 lead in the fourth quarter over Illinois the previous week and managed to let that game slip away. Why couldn’t the similar happen to the Wolverines?

But then, the dagger. Michigan cornerback and Detroit native LaVert Hill stepped in front of a Brian Lewerke pass intended for Walled Lake (MI) Western standout Cody White. And like that, it was all but over.

The celebration on the sideline for the maize and blue irked the visiting Spartans, and a bit of a scrum ensued before being broken up.

An already chippy game was getting chippier. Something bound to happen when you have a lot of native sons battling it out for intrastate supremacy.

“Yeah, it was real personal,” Hill said. “I know some of the people on the team. Just to be the champion of the state this year, it feels pretty good.”

So, why did the sideline become suddenly crowded, the Spartans’ ire drawn? Well, because it wasn’t just an interception by Hill.

After Hill got the ball in his hands, he started inwards with lots of room and blockers in front of him. But he took a step back, casually went out of bounds and flexed on White.

Even Hill admitted on Tuesday that he could have taken the INT all the way to the house. But with a big rivalry comes petty season, and Hill was intent to let the MSU wideout know who had the better of him on that play.

“I could have scored if I wouldn’t have did what I had to do, but that play is in the past right now!” Hill said. “Oh yeah – I coulda did more, but it is what it is!

“I wasn’t even thinking. Emotions out there, just having fun. That was it.”

Assuredly, petty season will continue in a week and a half, when the Wolverines host rival Ohio State for the regular season finale on Nov. 30. But first, Michigan travels to Bloomington to take on Indiana this Saturday.

Kickoff for the latter is slated for 3:30PM EST.

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