Insider: Which Michigan State players Notre Dame needs to watch for

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Michigan State enters Saturday night’s matchup with Notre Dame at 2-0 in Pat Fitzgerald’s first season, but Locked On Spartans host Matt Sheehan believes the Spartans still face major unanswered questions against a significant jump in competition.

In an interview with Fighting Irish Wire, Sheehan said, “The fun things we have learned start with Cam Edwards at running back, he is a pure playmaker and the best that Michigan State has, by far.”

Edwards leads the Big Ten with 250 rushing yards on 48 carries through two games. Sheehan pointed to Michigan State’s run defense, linebacker corps and the early emergence of Maine transfer safety Devin Vaught as additional strengths. Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic also has provided steady play.

The offensive line remains an uncertainty, however. Sheehan said its pass protection has been solid, while the run game has been inconsistent. Saturday will offer a major test against what he called perhaps the best defense Michigan State will face all season.

For the Spartans to keep the game competitive, Sheehan said stopping Notre Dame’s ground attack is paramount. He noted the Irish entered the week outside the top 100 nationally in yards per carry and explosive runs, though he acknowledged the small two-game sample size.

“With your team as 29.5-point underdogs, you have to squint hard to see a path anywhere,” Sheehan said. “For me, it’s keeping Notre Dame’s run game at bay in a rainy night and having your special teams keep on succeeding in every facet.”

Beyond Edwards, Sheehan identified redshirt freshman tight end Jayden Savoury as an early offensive bright spot and linebacker Brady Pretzlaff as an emerging defender to watch.

Fitzgerald’s most noticeable impact, Sheehan said, has been cultural rather than schematic. He credited the former Northwestern coach with bringing energy and familiarity with the Big Ten to East Lansing.

“He just gets it here in East Lansing,” Sheehan said.

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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Insider: Which Michigan State players Notre Dame needs to watch for

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