Michigan State didn’t pull the upset against No. 3 Notre Dame, but the 27-10 loss still left plenty for Spartan Nation to latch onto.
The Spartans opened the game with a rough moment, giving up a 61-yard pass right away. Even so, they responded with a strong defensive stand that kept an almost certain touchdown to just a field goal. That tone carried through much of the first half: Michigan State’s defense kept battling, while the offense and special teams mixed in enough mistakes to keep the game from turning.
One of the loudest bright spots came on special teams, when Keshawn Williams delivered a fake punt that drew plenty of praise from fans.
What an unbelievable special teams play on the fake punt by Keshawn Williams. Most disciplined special teams play I've seen from MSU in years.
Michigan State also had a chance to do more damage offensively, only to watch a wide-open receiver drop a ball in the end zone. The Spartans still managed to come away with a field goal, but the moment became one of those snapshots fans couldn’t shake.
Dropped wide open TD…Being an MSU football fan encapsulated in one moment.
Notre Dame answered with a drive that ended in a score to make it 17-3, and that sequence stirred up plenty of frustration from the Michigan State side. The drive included rough play and penalties, and the finish drew attention because of the call at the goal line and the unsportsmanlike penalty that followed.
…refs uhhhh kinda uhhhh tearing up msu…I’m not gonna complain but im #noticing
Apparently they said ND crossed the goal line before the fumble, only thing I can think of. Because that should be a fumble at the 1 and then backed up after the celebration penalty.
Fitzgerald waved his hand in disgust at the refs. Notre Dame 17, MSU 3, 4:46 2Q.
Michigan State didn’t fold after that. The Spartans went right back down the field, helped by a big catch from Rodney Bullard Jr. and a sharp throw from Milivojevic, then finished the drive with a Cam Fancher rushing touchdown to pull back within one score. By halftime, Michigan State had trimmed it to 17-10.
The third quarter stayed tight for a while. Notre Dame eventually pushed for a field goal, but Michigan State fought to keep it from becoming seven points. The Spartans also put together a promising drive late in the period, which gave fans a reason to believe the game was still there for the taking.
There’s so many breaks that have gone Notre dames way in this game. This msu team is not far off
MSU is a couple mistakes away from being tied with these guys and have the ball. We might not win this but let’s make them sweat this out!
Then came the fourth quarter, where Michigan State lost the momentum it had been building. The game turned messy again, Notre Dame added another score, and the result started to feel out of reach. Even so, the bigger takeaway for a lot of fans wasn’t just the final score.
NFL throws by CJ Carr all day long he’s a stud.MSU will compete with the best in the B10 if they can play like this every week
Another strong sign for MSU no dumb penalties or late hits. They don’t win this game but will win a lot in the coming years.
The rest of the night was a grind, with both teams showing fatigue while still battling through the finish. Michigan State left South Bend with a loss, but also with the sense that this group has more ahead of it than the scoreboard suggested.
pat fitzgerald will be the guy for michigan state the most fun i’ve seen for a msu football game in years we move go green
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