Pre-Game Quick Hits: Michigan State @ No. 3 Notre Dame

It's been nine years since the Fighting Irish and the Spartans have gone to battle on the football field. But from 1948-2013, Notre Dame vs. Michigan State in Spartan Stadium and/or Michigan State vs. Notre Dame in Notre Dame Stadium was a fixture on the schedule.

With the exception of 1953, 1958, 1995 and 1996, it was a given that Notre Dame and Michigan State would do battle on the gridiron.

Since Notre Dame won 15 of 17 games from 1897-1949, Notre Dame has won 34 times to Michigan State's 27 with – rightfully so – just one tie despite playing decades without a tiebreaker format. That tie – 10-10 in 1966 between No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 Michigan State – is truly one of the most iconic games of the "tie era."

The Irish would go on to claim the 1966 national title under legendary Irish HC-Ara Parseghian following the classic matchup against legendary Spartan HC-Duffy Daugherty, who lifted Michigan State to the top of the heap in college football with Notre Dame in '66.

While Notre Dame holds a 20-game lead in the series for today's 80th matchup with the Megaphone Trophy given to the winner of the Irish vs. the Spartans since 1949, the series has been known more for the knockdown, drag out battles through the years. From 2000-06, each of the seven games were decided by one score with the Irish winning three times.

From 1986-2002 – 15 games – at least one of Notre Dame and Michigan State was ranked at the time of the game. Most often, it was Notre Dame as HC-Lou Holtz – after losing his first clash with the Spartans with the Irish in '86 – won each of the last eight games his squad took on Michigan State.

With his touchdown receptions of 25 and 11 yards in the first quarter against Rice last week, senior WR-Jordan Faison became the first Irish player to catch two touchdown passes in the first 15 minutes of a game since Chase Claypool against Navy on Nov. 19, 2019.

DE-Boubacar Traore's 24-yard fumble return for a touchdown 16 seconds into the Rice game last week was the eighth-quickest score in Notre Dame football history. It's the fastest since S-Brandon Joseph's 29-yard interception return for a touchdown seven seconds into Notre Dame's 41-24 win at Syracuse on Oct. 29, 2022.

When LB-Jaiden Ausberry recovered a first-quarter fumble by Rice – the third of his career – it marked the first time in 26 seasons that Notre Dame recovered a fumble on an opponent's first two possessions. Notre Dame did it on Oct. 14, 2000 against Navy.

With its 52-0 victory over Rice, it marked the 12th consecutive double-digit victory by Notre Dame. It's the longest current streak of 10-points-or-more victories since the 1921-22 teams under Knute Rockne strung together 12 in a row. As more than a four-touchdown favorite Saturday night, the expectation is for Marcus Freeman's squad to set the mark of 13 in a row.

S-Adon Shuler, who forced the fumble that Traore returned for a touchdown against the Owls, has 24 career third-down stops, the most among Irish defenders. Shuler's third-down stops include 14 tackles, five passes broken up, two interceptions and three quarterback hurries from 2024 through two games in 2026.

LB-Jaylen Sneed is expected to play in his 48th game for Notre Dame tonight. That's the most on the team. The school-record was set by LB-Jack Kiser in 2024. Kiser played in 70 games in six years at Notre Dame.

When OL-Anthonie Knapp started the first game of the 2024 season at Texas A&M, he became just the third Irish offensive lineman to start his first career game (as a freshman). Sam Young (2006) and Blake Fisher (2021) started at tackle for the Irish, as did Knapp two seasons ago. Knapp has moved to guard this season. He's started 29 of the 30 games played by Notre Dame since his arrival. He missed the national title game from the 2024 season with an ankle injury.

TE-Cooper Flanagan has caught eight passes in three seasons at Notre Dame. Four have gone for touchdowns after his two-yarder for Notre Dame's seventh and final touchdown against Rice last weekend. His first career touchdown came as a freshman at Purdue on a 28-yard scoring toss from Steve Angeli.

Notre Dame's 52-0 victory over Rice was the 45th of his career at Notre Dame. Since losing the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma State and then the first two games of the 2022 season at Ohio State and versus Marshall, the Irish under Freeman have won 45 of 54 games (.833). Since falling to the Buckeyes in '22 season-opener, Freeman is 15-6 versus ranked opponents. Of Freeman's 45 victories, 38 have been by double-digits.

In his 45 victories, Freeman's teams have out-scored their opponents by whopping 1,189 points or an average of 26.4 points per game. His largest margin of defeat was 13 points to Louisville in 2023. Freeman has lost 13 games by a total of 72 points (5.5 points per game). In one-score games, he's 7-8.

Freeman won his first game as head coach of the Irish against Cal (24-17) in Game 3 of the 2022 season. His 10th victory was in Dublin over Navy (42-3). His 20th victory was the 23-13 conquest of Texas A&M in College Station to open the '24 season.

Victories No. 30 (49-35 over USC in '24), No. 40 (49-10 over Navy in November of '25) and No. 45 (52-0 versus Rice) have come in fairly short order.

RB-Nolan James Jr. leads the Irish through two games with three third-down conversions. WR-Jordan Faison and RB-Aneyas Williams each have two. RB-Kedren Young, WR-Logan Saldate and RB-Javian Osborne each have one third-down conversion. Fourth-down conversions have been accrued by Williams and RB-Jonaz Walton.

As the Irish seek a breakout in the running game – the longest run so far this season is 16 yards by Williams against Wisconsin and 15 yards by James and Walton against Rice – the Irish have had 11 pass plays of at least 20 yards. Nine of those have been thrown by CJ Carr, including a season-best 56-yarder to Jerome Bettis Jr. against Rice.

Freshman Noah Grubbs completed a 21-yard pass to Logan Saldate. Freshman Teddy Jarrard completed a 20-yarder to Devin Fitzgerald. Jordan Faison has the most 20-plus-yard receptions from Carr, two against Wisconsin (30 and 29 yards) and one versus Rice (25 yards). Eight players have had 20-plus-yarders – Bettis, Micah Gilbert (39 yards vs. Rice), Faison, James, Jaden Greathouse (23 yards vs. Rice), Saldate, Fitzgerald and Mylan Graham (20 yards vs. Rice).

The Irish defense has allowed just three plays of at least 20 yards – 20- and 28-yard passes by Wisconsin QB-Colton Joseph and 30 yards by Rice QB-Jacurri Brown.

Despite out-scoring Wisconsin and Rice 80-3 in the last six quarters, the Irish have had just four scoring drives of at least 70 yards – 70, 75 and 88 yards against Wisconsin and 75 yards versus Rice. The Irish have taken advantage of a short field versus Wisconsin (a 13-yard TD drive) and Rice (38-, six- and 38-yard drives).

The longest scoring drive allowed by the defense is the two-play, 48-yard quick-strike by Wisconsin early in the second quarter to make it a 10-10 game before the Irish out-scored the Badgers, 31-3.

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