Tomorrow afternoon, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (2-1,
22nd ranked) will host one of their rivals, the Michigan State
Spartans (3-0). Not only is this a very big rivalry, this game has major
implications for both programs. For Notre Dame, a loss would practically end
any chances of reaching a BCS bowl game. With Oklahoma, Arizona State, USC, and
Stanford still remaining on the schedule, the Irish can’t afford to suffer
another defeat. For Michigan State, a win would set them up nicely for a solid
season and give them plenty of confidence before Big Ten play begins.
Offensively, the Irish will be tested by the nation’s top
scoring defense. The Spartans have been one of the more physical and better
defenses in the country for several years, and this year is no different. I
expect Notre Dame to have a very difficult time running the ball (Michigan
State is allowing just 50.3 rushing yards a game), especially between the
tackles, so points might be hard to come by for the Irish. If Notre Dame is
going to score enough points they will have to get big-chunk yardage plays. I
don’t think the Irish will be able to sustain long scoring drives, so guys like
Amir Carlisle and George Atkinson will have to try to get to the edge of the
Spartan defense and run down the sideline. If the run is completely shut down,
then the Irish will have to once again rely heavily on the passing game. The good
news is that the passing game has been a strength for the Irish (16th
ranked in yardage), but the bad news is that Michigan State owns the nation’s
top defensive passing efficiency and is allowing only 126.7 yards a game
through the air. However, it should be noted that the Spartans have not seen an
offense that is as talented as Notre Dame’s to this point. The Irish certainly have
the weapons to make big plays, the question is how many will they able to make?
Defensively, Notre Dame has an opportunity to get back on
track. For all the hype Michigan State is receiving for their defensive prowess,
their offensive issues are well known. The Spartans rank just 105th
in passing offense and 43rd in rushing offense. Those numbers aren’t
great, and they are also pretty inflated considering a bulk of their offensive success
came last week against an FCS opponent by scoring 55 points versus Youngstown
State. Based on the numbers, I think the Irish defense matches up really well
with the Spartans offense. Initially, Michigan State will try to run right at
Notre Dame, but the Irish are still pretty stout against conventional running
games. Of course, the weakness in the Irish defense is in the secondary.
Michigan State has used three different quarterbacks this season, so obviously
they aren’t comfortable with relying on one guy to run the offense. With that
being said, Notre Dame should be able to shut down the nation’s 105th
ranked passing attack. If they can’t, then it is going to be a long, long
season. The only other concern would be the mobility of quarterback Connor
Cook. Cook has been the Spartans’ main quarterback thus far, and has showed
some athleticism. Cook has carried the ball 15 times for 70 yards, including a
20-yard run. Cook shouldn’t be as elusive as Devin Gardner was, but he should
still be someone to keep contained.
This game has all the makings of a tough-low scoring
contest. I expect a close game, but in the end, Notre Dame wins because they
have more playmakers on offense.
Prediction: Notre
Dame 20, Michigan State 17
-Eric Tichelbaut
Follow me on Twitter @etichel07
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