Notre Dame’s defense led the way in a win over Michigan State, 38-18.
Michigan State vs. Notre Dame was one of a handful of primetime college football games on Saturday. Neither team was ranked, but have a rich history with each other. They looked to add another chapter in East Lansing, MI.
From the start, this game was all Irish. They had a 28-7 lead at halftime, which never went away. 38-18 was the final score, which might be misleading for how Notre Dame looked.
There was plenty to take away from this game. Let’s look at the fallout for Notre Dame and Michigan State.
Notre Dame defense with, by far, their best night
The Notre Dame defense was an issue in 2016 and didn’t have its best moments through 2017. It showed upside against Georgia, but wasn’t perfect. However, this group had their best performance of the season on Saturday night.
The Fighting Irish forced three first-half turnovers, which led to multiple touchdowns and pushed the lead to three touchdowns. They took advantage of opportunities and looked like a superior team to Michigan State. That’s despite these teams looking similar heading into Saturday night.
The defensive momentum created opportunities for the offense, which they continuously fulfilled. Michigan State’s defense was praised through the first portion of the college football season, too, but couldn’t stop the running attack and one of Brandon Wimbush’s best passing games.
Brandon Wimbush can pass, too
The story of Notre Dame quarterback Brandon Wimbush’s season was his legs, and with good reason. He had over 200 yards against Boston College and another 106 against Temple. This came with subpar passing numbers, which included a completion percentage that never went above 57 percent.
Against Michigan State, Wimbush played an effective game at his position, and his best one yet. He completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown. Not flashy, but that’s not needed. The running game does enough to lead the offense, so anything the junior signal-caller can do in the air is a luxury.
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Can Wimbush produce similar passing games? It’s high-percentage passes and supplements the rushing attack. Miami-Ohio is next, so look for him to keep this up in Week 5 of the college football season.
Regression was inevitable for Michigan State
Michigan State’s first two games looked impressive. They played lockdown defense, except against Bowling Green State and Western Michigan. Notre Dame was the first real test for the side of the ball that allowed a combined 24 points through two weeks, and it had some trouble.
Granted, the MSU offense turned the ball over multiple times in the opening 30 minutes and gave Brian Kelly’s team good field position. However, with the exception of the pick-six, the defense still allowed four touchdowns. Only one of those came in the second half, so they tightened up, but the damage was done.
The previously-noted offensive issues plagued the Spartans in the first half. This was costly against a quality Irish team that made them pay every time. Brian Lewerke isn’t the quarterback that can lead a team to a powerful comeback, especially given his 50 pass attempts for just 6.7 yards per completion. He can use his legs when the team is in control, but down by multiple touchdowns, it’s about his arm.
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Michigan State will play Iowa on Saturday, Sep. 30. Notre Dame will go home to face Miami-Ohio on the same date.