Notre Dame Football Predictions: Notre Dame vs. Michigan State
By Andrew Hall
Notre Dame kicks off against Michigan State at 8:18 pm on Fox.
Notre Dame faces Michigan State Saturday night for the 77th time. The Irish won 46 of the previous 76 matchups. However, the Spartans won last year’s meeting, 36-28. These two teams are attempting to rebound from down seasons.
The Fighting Irish enter the contest with a 2-1 record. Michigan State won both of their matchups so. Notre Dame defeated Temple and Boston College while dropping a close game to Georgia. The Spartans rolled over Group of 5 schools, Bowling Green and Western Michigan.
Notre Dame Offense vs. Michigan State Defense
For Notre Dame to have success on the ground, Quarterback Brandon Wimbush will need to improve his passing game. The Spartan defense, known for its aggressive nature. most likely loads the box against the run. By daring the Irish to throw, Michigan State should stuff the run. Several one-on-one opportunities open up for Notre Dame including Equanimeous St. Brown. St. Brown has been slowed after a solid first game against Temple. Wimbush needs to take advantage if the Fighting Irish hope to come out on top.
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Notre Dame Defense vs. Michigan State Offense
On the other side of the football, Notre Dame faces a dual threat Quarterback in Brian Lewerke. Along with Lewerke, L.J. Scott is their best player. Stopping him is key. The Irish demonstrated that they can slow elite running backs. Georgia Running Nick Chubb only rushed for 63 yards on the Irish. The Notre Dame gameplan will be similar to Michigan State’s. Stop the run first. Force a young Quarterback to throw.
Intangibles
Brian Kelly won 3 out of 5 games against Michigan State and Mark Dantonio. In his 2 visits to East Lansing, Kelly won 1 of the 2 games.
This Spartan team is exceptionally young. Although they have talent, the Irish are more talented and more experienced.
This is a must-win for the Notre Dame football program and Kelly. Running their record to 2-2 will not be acceptable for many folks who still have 4-8 in the back of their minds. With that said, the Irish appear on paper like the better team.