Michigan State is walking into its biggest measuring stick yet, and the assignment is as unforgiving as it gets: survive a trip to No. 3 Notre Dame and do it by playing clean football in every phase.
The Spartans are 2-0 after handling Toledo and Eastern Michigan, but those wins also exposed the kind of cracks that can get widened fast against a top-three team. This week is less about the record and more about whether MSU can sharpen the edges before the lights get too bright in South Bend.
“The belief thing: we believe we can win every game,” Fitzgerald said at Monday’s press conference. “We believe that. I mean, if I've got to convince guys of that, then they should get out of the locker room and go somewhere else.”
Fitzgerald has made his stance clear since arriving in East Lansing, and now the talk gives way to the reality of playing Notre Dame Stadium. The setting alone can rattle an offense if the Spartans aren’t ready for it. Fitzgerald knows that stage well, though - he was part of MSU’s 43-40 overtime win there in 2014.
“It's going to take our best preparation, our best focus, our best execution to give ourselves a chance to compete,” Fitzgerald said.
The challenge is steep for a reason. Notre Dame has looked every bit the part of a powerhouse through two games, putting up 93 points while giving up just 13. Last Saturday’s 52-0 shutout of Rice only reinforced the sense that the Irish are playing with championship expectations again, chasing their first title since the undefeated 1988 season.
For MSU, the biggest issue is consistency. Fitzgerald didn’t hide from that.
“We have not yet put together four quarters of clean football,” Fitzgerald said. “We have not yet put together three phases for four quarters. And so that's what we are working relentlessly as a staff to get our guys to go.”
That has to change quickly. Notre Dame’s offense has not been a track meet so far, ranking 107th nationally in rushing at 111 yards per game, but MSU cannot let that become a comfort zone. The Spartans have had their own problems at times against the run, and that is one area they have to clean up immediately.
If they can force the Irish into a one-dimensional game, sophomore quarterback CJ Carr will be the one asked to carry the load through the air. Carr, a former Manning Passing Academy standout, has not yet had to prove he can take over and finish a game at the college level.
That’s where MSU’s pass rush comes into play. Defensive coordinator Joe Rossi has already coaxed seven sacks out of the unit through two games, and the Spartans need more of that pressure if they want to create real problems.
Offensively, MSU has to stay on schedule and finish drives. Graduate running back Cam Edwards is expected to handle most of the carries, especially if thunderstorms make this a game where the ground attack becomes the safer bet. Weather could push the matchup toward the trenches, where every possession matters a little more.
But the Spartans also need sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic to make his moments count. The Naperville native has been careful with the ball as a starter, yet this game will demand more than ball security. Against one of the nation’s top secondaries, MSU may have to take some chances to create explosive plays.
Special teams is another area that can’t be an afterthought. Field position will matter, maybe more than usual, and first-year special teams coordinator LeVar Woods has to get that unit turned around from last week.
The task is simple to say and hard to execute: hold up in all three phases and do it in front of 77,000 loud fans.
“This will be our greatest challenge to date, for sure,” offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan said. “They’re extremely well-coached and very talented. They play the game the right way, so it’ll be a tremendous challenge on all three levels.”
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Michigan State Gets Its First Real Measuring Stick At Notre Dame
Michigan States trip to Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday is shaping up as the kind of early-season test that can tell a team a lot about where it stands. The Spartans are heading into a road game against a program sitting near the top of the national conversation, with Notre Dame carrying the look of a title threat and quarterback CJ Carr already drawing preseason Heisman attention.
For Michigan State, the challenge is obvious: survive the atmosphere, settle in quickly and make the game competitive enough to matter deep into the afternoon. The expectation is still for Notre Dame to win, but not by enough to fully separate from the Spartans, which leaves this one with a little more intrigue than a typical nonconference date. [Read more 🡒]
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The Spartans also have another exhibition on the calendar against Marquette in Milwaukee later this month, before the Golden Eagles visit East Lansing later in the season. With the full league slate now in hand and the preseason details starting to take shape, theres a little more buzz around the program than usual, and the campout just became more than a tradition for students waiting out the night. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Has One Clear Path To Make This Rivalry Interesting
Michigan State heads into the Megaphone Trophy game as the clear underdog, but that is not the same as being without a path. The Spartans have been leaning on recent performance gains and a coaching reset to make this matchup feel a little less lopsided, and the formula is pretty simple from their side: shorten the game, stay on schedule, and make Notre Dame work for every yard it gets.
For Michigan State, the first test is whether it can keep its offense on the field long enough to matter. Winning third downs, controlling time of possession and creating pressure up front are the kinds of ingredients that can turn a rivalry game from routine into uncomfortable for a higher-ranked opponent, and that is where the Spartans will have to live if they want any chance at an upset. The broader challenge is obvious, though, because this one hinges on whether Michigan State can disrupt the quarterback and force Notre Dame out of its rhythm. [Read more 🡒]