Michigan State vs. Notre Dame Game Preview

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After Saturday’s 35-7 win over Eastern Michigan, it’s probably safe to say that the football season is meeting expectations thus far for Michigan State.  The Spartans had a rough third quarter against Toledo but responded for a 30-20 win.  Then, it was a rough second quarter against Eastern before halftime adjustments – perhaps more executional than schematical – produced a convincing win.  

Now, however, in just Pat Fitzgerald’s third game of Michigan State’s “rebirth”, the Spartans must travel to South Bend, IN to face a Notre Dame team with legitimate national title expectations.  Kickoff is set for 7:30 PM Saturday on NBC.

Fitzgerald would never say this but one has to wonder if Michigan State would be better off facing an unranked Power Four team this week instead of going from two MAC opponents to the Fighting Irish.  But that’s not an option.  So let’s take a closer look at Notre Dame and the massive challenge they will present to the Spartans.

How they got here

Notre Dame is coming off a 10-2 season in 2025.  The Irish lost their first two games by a combined four points to Miami and Texas A&M but then reeled off 10 straight wins.  It looked like that would be enough to get Notre Dame into the College Football Playoff but, despite neither team playing a game the previous week, the selection committee moved Miami ahead of Notre Dame in the final CFP rankings.  This decision placed the Hurricanes in the playoff field and denied the Irish.  Notre Dame responded by declining a bowl bid and ended their season with the 10-game win streak.  

This year, Notre Dame is off to a 2-0 start and is ranked #3 in both the Coaches and AP polls.  

The Irish got 2026 started by defeating Wisconsin 41-13 at Lambeau Field as part of their Shamrock Series – designated Irish home games played in neutral sites like NFL or MLB stadiums.  The Badgers were in it at halftime, down just 13-10, but consecutive Notre Dame touchdowns in the third quarter put Wisconsin away.  

Wisconsin’s offense wasn’t able to do much at all against Notre Dame.  The Badgers got their only touchdown in the second quarter on a 28 yard pass from Colton Joseph to Malachi Coleman but that was about it.  The Badgers simply could not run it against Notre Dame, producing just 67 yards on 31 carries (2.2 yards per carry).  Losing the turnover battle 2-0 certainly didn’t help Wisconsin either.  

After dispatching Wisconsin, Notre Dame faced Rice in their home opener and absolutely destroyed the Owls.  In a 52-0 win, the Irish outgained Rice 478 yards to 128 and forced four turnovers.    

Notre Dame Coaching

Marcus Freeman is in his fifth season as head coach at Notre Dame.  Interestingly, this is the only head coaching role he has held.  Freeman took over in South Bend at the end of the 2021 season and coached the team in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl after Brian Kelly left for LSU.  This turn of events has worked out better for Freeman and Notre Dame than it has for Kelly, who never met the extraordinarily high expectations in Baton Rouge.  

Freeman’s team lost the Fiesta Bowl in his debut and then went a combined 19-7 in 2022 and 2023 with wins in the Gator and Sun Bowls.  Notre Dame broke through in 2024 though, making it to the national championship game before falling to Ohio State.  This was followed by last year’s 10-2 season and the 2-0 start to 2026.  Overall, Freeman is 45-12 as Notre Dame’s head coach.

Freeman was Kelly’s defensive coordinator at Notre Dame in 2021 before getting the promotion to head coach.  Prior to Notre Dame, Freeman was Cincinnati’s DC from 2017-2020.  Before that, he coached linebackers at Kent State and Purdue.  Freeman began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Ohio State, in 2010.  

Freeman played at Ohio State from 2004-2008 and was a starting linebacker for the Buckeyes from 2006-2008.  He was selected in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears.  Freeman was cut by the Bears at the end of training camp but spent time on the Bills’ and Texans’ practice squads in 2009.  Freeman’s NFL career was short-lived though.  He was forced to retire after 2009 after being diagnosed with an enlarged heart condition.

Chris Ash is in his second season as Freeman’s defensive coordinator.  Ash has had multiple stops in his coaching career and was the head coach at Rutgers from 2016-2018.  He was fired four games into the 2019 season after going 8-32.  Prior to Rutgers, Ash was a co-defensive coordinator on Ohio State’s 2014 national championship team.  

Under Ash’s direction, Notre Dame’s defense yielded just 17 points per game in 2025.  After surrendering 41 points in a week two loss to Texas A&M and 30 to Purdue in week three, the Irish didn’t allow more than 24 points to a team the rest of the way.  Six of Notre Dame’s opponents in 2025 were held to 10 points or less.  

Mike Denbrock is a 37-year coaching veteran and is in his second year as Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator.  Denbrock started his career as a GA at Grand Valley State, where he went to school and played as a tight end, and was a GA on Michigan State’s staff in 1988 and 1989.  Debrock held various offensive roles at Notre Dame from 2010-2016 before serving as Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator from 2017-2021.  Denbrock went to LSU with Kelly in 2022 before returning to Notre Dame in 2024, where he was part of the Irish’s run to the national championship game.

Notre Dame’s 2024 offense scored 49 or more points six times and, in 2025, the Irish averaged 42 points per game.  Under Denbrock, Notre Dame has been extremely balanced, excelled on third down, and taken care of the ball.  

In 2024, Notre Dame threw for 198 yards per game and ran for 200, on 5.7 yards per carry.  They converted 41% of their third down chances in addition to going 22-30 on fourth down.  The Irish turned it over 15 times over their 16-game 2024 season.

In their 12 games in 2025, Notre Dame got more out of their pass game with 255 yards per game while still getting 5.7 yards per carry and 203 yards per game on the ground.  Third down conversions improved to 48% and the Irish gave it away only 10 times.

Notre Dame Offense

The Irish offense is led by Heisman candidate quarterback CJ Carr who, through two games this year, has completed 71% of his passes for 492 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions.  Carr is averaging a first down every time Carr throws it, with 10 yards per pass attempt and he’s been sacked just one time this season.  

Carr’s top target is senior wide receiver Jordan Faison, with eight catches for 135 yards and two TDs.  Faison is only 5-11 and 185 pounds but he gets the job done for Notre Dame.  He’s been a regular contributor for the Irish since 2023 and is coming off a 2025 season where he had 49 catches for 640 yards.  

After Faison, receiver Micah Gilbert and running back Nolan James Jr. each have five catches.  

Perhaps surprisingly, Notre Dame hasn’t been quite as good on the ground through two games this year.  The Irish have run for 229 yards against Wisconsin and Rice and are averaging 3.6 yards per carry.  Aneyas Williams is the leader with 29 carries and 119 yards (4.1 ypc).

Wisconsin held Notre Dame to 111 rushing yards on 32 attempts (3.5 ypc).  Williams did almost all of the damage against the Badgers with 90 yards on 20 carries.  

Notre Dame has continued their success on third down in 2026, going 10-21 through two games and has yet to commit a turnover this season.

Notre Dame Defense

The offense has been effective with Carr but Notre Dame’s defense has been excellent.  Neither Wisconsin nor Rice had any success on the ground against Notre Dame.  Joseph completed 19 of 30 passes for 217 yards for Wisconsin but that’s really been the extent of the damage against the Notre Dame D so far, and this effort yielded just 13 points.  

Senior linebackers Jaiden Ausberry (6-1, 226) and Drayk Bowen (6-2, 234) lead the team in tackles with 12 and 11, respectively.  Safety Adon Shuler has Notre Dame’s only interception this year but the team forced and recovered four fumbles against Rice.  

Shuler and and Bowen are just two players on Notre Dame’s defense who are expected to hear their name called in the 2027 NFL draft. Junior cornerback Leonard Moore (6-2, 197) is expected to be a round one pick. Junior linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (6-3, 234) may also go in the first round. Safety Tae Johnson (JR, 6-2, 200) and edge rusher (SR, 6-5, 253) are projected to go in rounds two or three while Shuler and Bowen could get selected in round four or later.

Under Ash, Notre Dame has played mostly a 4-2-5 alignment but switched to a 4-3 in short yardage situations.

Does MSU have a chance?

With the proper attitude and motivation, there is always a chance (warning – unedited version with some four-letter words):

This may also provide some hope:

Before falling to Ohio State in the national championship game, Notre Dame’s only loss of the 2024 season was a 16-14 shocker to Northern Illinois.  In South Bend, early in the season.  

In their 2024 win, the Huskies had the ball for 35 minutes, ran for 190 yards, and won the turnover battle 2-0.  

How was NIU able to do this?  And is the formula repeatable for the Spartans?

Northern Illinois stacked the box and dared Notre Dame to throw it.  It worked. The Irish managed just 163 passing yards and threw two interceptions.  But Carr wasn’t under center for Notre Dame in 2024.  

The NIU defensive line also won the battle against Notre Dame’s offensive line but, again, it’s not the same situation with this position group now compared to 2024.  The 2024 Irish offensive line was generally young and inexperienced.  This team returns several multi-year players, including some who were on the field for that 2024 loss.  

On offense, NIU got the ball into open space using slants and wheel routes.  Also, after Notre Dame scored on their first possession, Northern Illinois came right back with an 83-yard catch and run touchdown to gain momentum.  

Finally, on special teams, NIU blocked two Notre Dame field goal attempts while converting three of their own, including a game-winning 35 yarder with 35 seconds remaining.  

So what does MSU need to do?

It’s not the same situation as 2024 so I’m not sure the Spartans can just cut and paste NIU’s blueprint.  Michigan State may be able to focus on limiting damage from Notre Dame’s so far pedestrian running game but Carr is going to make plays in the air.  

Offensively, the Spartans are striving for a physical, pounding, ground-based ball control offense.  But that may be very tough sledding this week.  The game plan has to go beyond just give the ball to Cam Edwards and hope for the best.  Nick Sheridan is going to need to come up with ways to get the ball out of Alessio Milivojevic’s hands quickly with slants and throws to the edge.  Can the Spartans execute enough of these to stay in the game?  

I would not be surprised to see another series or two with Cam Fancher, who came in against Eastern Michigan and completed all six of his short passes en route to an MSU TD.  It gave the Spartans a different look offensively but will using two quarterbacks be wise in this game and will it keep Notre Dame on their heels?  

If the Spartans can keep it close, maybe a big play or two on special teams can make the difference.  

Additionally, there can’t be any turnovers, MSU probably needs to find a way to get a turnover or two, and they need to keep the penalties low.  Finally, the Spartans can’t afford a bad quarter against Notre Dame.  If there was ever a time to put a complete game together, this is it.

What do you think, TOC?  What have I missed and is there anything Michigan State needs to do to hang with Notre Dame?

Don’t forget to vote in this week’s survey.

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