Michigan State vs. Notre Dame gives the Spartans their first ranked opponent of the Pat Fitzgerald era. Notre Dame, which placed third in the AP poll this week, will be a steep upgrade in class after two MAC opponents.
Michigan State vs Notre Dame Game Info
- Matchup: Michigan State Spartans (2-0) at #3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2-0)
- Kickoff: Saturday, Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend
- Watch: NBC
- Odds: Notre Dame -29.5 at FanDuel, total 52.5
- Expectations: A multi-score loss for MSU, with the Spartans trying to fend off a blowout instead of fighting for a win.
What To Expect: MSU Faces A Potential National Champion
Notre Dame is in the top five in national championship odds according to FanDuel. The Fighting Irish are not only the Spartans’ first ranked opponent of the season, they are also the first Power Four team on the schedule. The jump in competition will be tough for a Spartan team three weeks into the Fitzgerald era.
The Fighting Irish are led by CJ Carr, who has thrown six touchdowns with zero interceptions in the first two games of the season. Carr is also seen as one of the top players in college football, sitting in the top five of FanDuel’s Heisman Trophy odds. Several other highly touted NFL prospects join him. CBS Sports’ Sept. 14 mock draft had four Fighting Irish players going in the first round of the 2027 NFL draft.
The Megaphone Rivalry Returns
A once-yearly rivalry returns for the first time since 2017. The Fighting Irish have held the Megaphone Trophy since that 2017 meeting, and the Spartans last won in South Bend in 2016. The rivalry returns in name this week, but the old animosity is unlikely to come with it. With such a long gap between games and the Spartans changing head coaches three times since, the rivalry will need rebuilding.
Pat Fitzgerald said Monday that he wished the rivalry would make a full comeback every year. While the series is guaranteed for at least a MSU home game next season, beyond that is in the air. Fitzgerald felt it stunk for both fan bases and teams to be without the storied rivalry.
Spartans Looking To Be Perfect
Despite winning the first two games, the Spartans are still hard on themselves. Fitzgerald said Monday that quarterback Alessio Milivojevic would tell you he could have played better in the 35-7 win over Eastern Michigan, a game in which Milivojevic completed 12 of 20 passes for two touchdowns.
Fitzgerald was hard on special teams as well, even though the kicking game has been nearly perfect. Liam Boyd is five for six on field goal attempts and six for six on extra points so far this season. “I don’t think we’re anywhere close to where we can be in the kick game,” Fitzgerald said Monday. “I think we’ve got a ton of work to do there.”
Our Take
For Michigan State to beat Notre Dame, they will need to play near-perfect football, which the players and Fitzgerald understand. They can’t control how Notre Dame prepares, but they can make sure they keep drilling fundamentals in practice. For the Spartans to finish with a win, they need to make few mistakes.
Our Prediction
It is unlikely for the Spartans to finish Saturday night with a win. Going from two home games against MAC opponents to a top-four team on the road is about as big a jump in opponents as MSU could have. At best, they’ll likely keep the battle close and maybe set up the rivalry for next season.
Our Pick: Notre Dame 41, Michigan State 20
