Notre Dame’s 27-10 win over Michigan State had its rough edges, but the Irish still did what good teams are supposed to do: take control and keep control. Marcus Freeman will have plenty to clean up when he gets to the film, yet Notre Dame never really let the Spartans turn the game into anything more than a brief nuisance.
At 3-0, the Irish are rolling in the kind of way that keeps them right where they want to be for the College Football Playoff conversation. And in a game like this, the biggest story isn’t just the final score. It’s who helped push Notre Dame forward - and who made life harder than it needed to be.
Nolan James Jr. was the clearest winner on the night, and maybe the player who changed the most in the pecking order. He had 26 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown, with 18 of those attempts coming in the second half.
That workload matters. So does the fact that he became Notre Dame’s first 100-yard rusher of the season.
With Aneyas Williams struggling again, James looked like the back the Irish could lean on.
Micah Gilbert delivered the kind of breakout Notre Dame has been waiting for at receiver. He caught 8 passes for 170 yards, the best receiving performance by any Irish wideout this season.
It was also the first time a Notre Dame receiver had gone for 170 or more yards since Chase Claypool in 2017. Gilbert came in with a career high of 9 catches in a season and had never even reached 100 yards in a season, much less in a single game.
Luke Talich made the most of his second straight start with Brauntae Johnson still out injured. He finished with 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, and his first interception of the season. Talich was around the ball all night and gave Notre Dame a real spark on defense.
The Irish secondary kept Michigan State in check, too. Alessio Milivojevic completed just 9 of 17 passes for 123 yards and didn’t throw a touchdown.
He was picked off twice, giving him the first multi-interception game of his career. Notre Dame’s defense kept the Spartans from finding much rhythm through the air.
Not everything was sharp, though. Special teams had a shaky night.
Notre Dame tried a fake punt on 4th and 14 in the first half and only picked up 12 yards, a play that helped Michigan State hang around. Then Spencer Porath missed a field goal that would have stretched the lead to 30-10.
That was especially notable because he had been 5-for-5 on field goals entering the game.
Aneyas Williams had another difficult outing. He ran 9 times for 25 yards and did score a touchdown, but even that moment turned messy when Freeman yelled at him for his celebration, leading to a flag. Nolan James Jr. took over the bulk of the carries after halftime, and Williams’ night never really got on track.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Has One Thing To Prove Against Michigan State
Notre Dame heads into its game with Michigan State carrying the kind of expectation that comes with being a heavy favorite. It is the 78th meeting between the programs, a matchup that has long carried more meaning than a typical nonconference game, and this one arrives with the Irish on firmer footing in the standings, a clear edge in the betting market and the kind of pressure that comes from being the more established team in the moment.
Still, the challenge is about more than simply being expected to win. Between the records, the coaching situations and the history between the schools, this is the sort of game that can reveal whether Notre Dame can handle being the more complete side without letting the setting turn into a trap. The Irish have the edge on paper, but this trip through an old rivalry will say plenty about how well they can back that up. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Faces Its First Real Pressure Test Under The Lights
Notre Dames first real pressure point of the season arrives under the lights Saturday night, when Michigan State comes to Notre Dame Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. Both teams are unbeaten at 2-0, with the Irish rolling past Rice 52-0 and the Spartans following up a win over Eastern Michigan, setting up a matchup that should offer a much clearer read on where Marcus Freemans team stands early in the season.
The usual game-day details add to the significance of the night, from injury updates to the broadcast information and a weather forecast that could factor into the atmosphere. For Notre Dame, this is more than just another September tune-up, it is the kind of home spotlight game that can sharpen the conversation around a team trying to build on a dominant start while handling a more credible test. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Just Got An Early Answer On Its Offense
Saturdays win over Michigan State gave Notre Dame more than a solid early-season result. It also offered a much clearer look at what the Irish offense can be when it finds balance, with Micah Gilbert posting a career-high 170 receiving yards and Nolan James, Jr. setting a personal best with 121 on the ground. For a team trying to establish an identity, having a 100-yard receiver and a 100-yard rusher in the same game for the first time since 2020 is the kind of benchmark that stands out.
The 27-10 finish was backed by a defense that kept Michigan State under pressure all afternoon, finishing with four sacks and forcing multiple turnovers. Notre Dame still has plenty to sort out as the schedule moves on, but this was the sort of performance that can settle a locker room and sharpen the conversation around how the Irish want to play on offense going forward. [Read more 🡒]