What do we need to be watching for during Saturday evening’s Notre Dame vs Michigan State matchup and when does it start?
Michigan State opened the season with a slightly closer than comfortable victory over FCS foe Furman, 28-13. A Week 2 bye later and the 12th-ranked Spartans are traveling to South Bend to take on a familiar foe. Notre Dame is ranked No. 18, but the Spartans are still 7.5-point underdogs, if you can believe that.
Notre Dame lost to unranked Texas in Week 1 and the defense got exposed big-time. The Fighting Irish defense has been depleted by injuries and suspensions over the past couple of weeks and it has showed. The Fighting Irish rebounded with a win over Nevada and will host Michigan State for the first time since 2013.
Here are three things to know for Saturday’s game.
1. Tyler O’Connor has been road-tested already
Sure, Tyler O’Connor is a first-year starter, replacing the departed Connor Cook in 2016, but he has made one start before and it was on the road in a hostile environment against a ranked team. O’Connor beat No. 3 Ohio State last season in Columbus when Cook was hurt, so he has been in this position before. Don’t count out the fifth-year senior just yet.
2. Notre Dame has won three straight in the series
Michigan State and Notre Dame have duked out many close contests in the past, but the past three have been in favor of the Fighting Irish. The last time these two rivals met was in 2013, surprisingly, and Michigan State fell 17-13 and felt slighted out of a win because of a few questionable pass interference calls. Can the Spartans get revenge on Notre Dame for ruining their perfect season or will the Irish make it four straight?
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3. This is the 50th anniversary of the ‘Game of the Century’
The so-called ‘Game of the Century’ took place in November of 1966 and it was a contest in which the 8-0 Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and 9-0 Michigan State Spartans finished with a 10-10 tie in East Lansing. Fifty years later, this game could end up as an instant class as well — just like many recent games in the series have.
Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s Notre Dame vs Michigan State game online:
Date: Saturday, September 17
Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Notre Dame, IN
Venue: Notre Dame Stadium
TV: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live
Can Michigan State march into South Bend and come away with a huge road victory or will the Fighting Irish prove to be too much for the Spartans to handle?