Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

If you've read a newspaper or turned on the TV in the last year, you know it hasn't been a good year for the state of Michigan. The nation's economic crisis has hit Michigan hard, especially where it hurts most, the auto industry.

Michigan State's men's basketball team became a state symbol for hope this spring as it made a run to the national title game in Detroit. Now the Spartans football squad is reaching out.

MSU players will wear a "Silver Lining" decal on the back of their helmets this season. The decal is actually a silver outline of the state of Michigan.

Former Iowa coach Hayden Fry did something similar in the 1980s when Hawkeyes players wore an America Needs Farmers (ANF) sticker on their helmets during a rough time for agriculture in the country. Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio and athletic director Mark Hollis came up with the idea for the silver decal.

"Given the challenging economic conditions that we face in the state of Michigan, we wanted to show support for the residents and businesses in our home state and encourage everyone to unite for our common good," Dantonio said.