(Notre Dame Football News) – Notre Dame travels to East Lansing on Saturday evening to play the Michigan State Spartans. The 1-1 Irish are coming off a disappointing loss to Michigan last week and are determined to get back on the winning track. The last time Notre Dame lost to both the Wolverines and Spartans in the same season was during the 3-9 nightmare of 2007, which at the time was the worst Irish campaign in 44 years.

Coach Brian Kelly is confident his team will overcome the mental challenges of playing in a hostile environment. “I know how our team will respond,” Kelly said earlier this week. “There’s no question in my mind how we’ll play. We’ll play hard, we’ll play physical, we’ll play with great enthusiasm”. Quarterback Dayne Crist pronounced himself 100% fit after sitting out a portion of last week’s contest, and the defense hopes to get either Jamoris Slaughter or Dan McCarthy back at strong safety. Both may be another week away from service, but the Irish are otherwise healthy.

The Spartans will counter with their signature physical style of play. They run a traditional ground-based attack, although quarterback Kirk Cousins is not a threat to venture far outside the pocket. The defense is also a conventional 4-3 group that seeks to punish enemy ballcarriers. Notre Dame should match up well on both sides of the ball provided they are ready for the physical nature of the game and match the intensity of the hosts as Kelly predicted.

As is usually the case when these teams battle early in the season, it is difficult to gauge the relative strength of Michigan State. They are 2-0 against weak non-conference competition, and their statistics reflect an expected level of domination. The running game appears to be off to a good start despite an injury to last year’s starter Larry Caper, while Cousins’ passing has been efficient. His 58% completion rate is unremarkable, and Irish fans will recall that his errant pass to Notre Dame’s Kyle McCarthy in the waning moments of last season’s game denied the Spartans a chance at a tying field goal in a 33-30 loss.

NOTRE DAME’S OFFENSE VS. MICHIGAN STATE’S DEFENSE

The Irish clearly need to run the ball effectively this week to achieve a balance in time of possession and keep the defense fresh. All-American candidate and leading tackler Greg Jones returns at middle linebacker to lead the opposition, but the line in front of him this season is largely new and inexperienced. Jones has nine fewer tackles than at the same point last season, which may indicate that the line is not yet stout enough to keep opposing blockers from reaching the second level.

End Colin Neely is State’s best down lineman and pass rusher. Jones is bracketed by veteran Eric Gordon and talented newcomer Chris Norman to comprise a formidable trio of linebackers. The secondary has improved after a mediocre season in 2009, if only due to the added year of experience. Free safety Trenton Robinson is the best player in the group, while senior cornerback Chris Rucker will probably line up against Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd.

The Spartans may have a difficult time pressuring Crist without sending Gordon or others on a blitz, so there is opportunity for the Irish to have success through the air. Notre Dame’s offensive line should be able to handle Michigan State in both running and passing situations if they can shrug off last week’s forgettable performance and block out the crowd noise. The result, barring a rash of turnovers, will be a point total in the 30’s.

Another area to watch will be the approach taken by the Spartans to defend Michael Floyd. Irish fans are waiting for a breakout game from slot receiver Theo Riddick, and such a performance will keep defenses from focusing on Floyd as the season progresses. Kyle Rudolph and T. J. Jones have done well against single coverage, but this offense will really begin to roll if Riddick becomes a factor.

MICHIGAN STATE’S OFFENSE VS. NOTRE DAME’S DEFENSE

The Spartans will attempt to play keep-away from the Irish and achieve enough defensive stops to avoid a shootout. Coach Mark Dantonio’s preference is to run the ball until the opposing defense breaks, which is exactly what happened when Notre Dame last visited in 2008. Although incumbent Larry Caper has been hurt, running backs Edwin Baker and Le’Veon Bell have gained 150 and 95 yards per game, respectively. The two complement each other well in terms of style. Baker is a short but quick runner while Bell is a 230-pound battering ram.

Cousins will throw to favorite target Mark Dell, who leads the team in receptions, and senior tight end Charlie Gantt. Newcomer Keshawn Martin brings above-average speed to the receiving corps while veteran B.J. Cunningham and converted quarterback Keith Nichol each have one of Cousins’ two touchdown passes this year.

The key to the game for Notre Dame will be to stop a ground attack that has averaged 261 yards per game. The Spartan offensive line is competent and comparable to Purdue’s, but their running backs are more talented than the group that saw action for the Boilermakers two weeks ago. Dantonio’s plan will be to pound on the Irish defensive line, which suffers a dropoff in productivity beyond the starting group of Kapron Lewis-Moore, Ian Williams and Ethan Johnson. Coach Kelly must coax better performances out of the second teamers while his offense strives to control the ball and limit the fatigue factor for his defense.

Cousins can be pressured into mistakes if the Irish can generate a pass rush. Michigan State could take a lesson from the Wolverines and throw more frequently on first down, but they are not by nature a passing team. The Irish will strive to get ahead on the scoreboard early and force the Spartans out of their comfort zone. This was the plan against Michigan, and it may have worked had Crist not suffered an untimely injury.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The kicking specialists for Michigan State are well above average. Dan Conroy is perfect on field goals, including a 50-yarder, while punter Aaron Bates averages over 46 yards per attempt. Martin is the dual purpose return man, and he must be considered a threat to break a long run.

Notre Dame’s David Ruffer attempted only one field goal last week, much to the chagrin of Irish fans. Punter Ben Turk has been average in terms of distance and hang time, while the return teams have had one or two “almost” moments. The Spartans appear to hold a slight advantage in this area, but Notre Dame followers would love to see Cierre Wood break into the open field.

SUMMARY

The history of night games in this venue may dictate an exciting, high-scoring game. Who could forget the improbable Irish comeback during a driving rainstorm in 2006 to steal a 40-37 victory, or the Spartan romp in 1998 against Bob Davie’s team that had just thrashed defending national champion Michigan a week earlier? The outcome on Saturday may come down to whether Michigan State can keep the score close and run the ball with authority in the fourth quarter, or if Notre Dame can build a lead and force them to go to the air as was the case last year.

Time of possession will be a factor if the Irish can’t do better than the 40/60% run/pass ratio of last week. Turnovers also create a problem especially when a team is away from home, and Kelly does not want to play from behind for a second straight week. Therefore, a low risk but productive running game will be a strong indicator of Irish success in this game.

Let’s review a few questions that highlight the keys to the outcome:

Which defensive front will be able to put pressure on the passer?

Will the Irish score touchdowns once inside the 20?

Can Notre Dame’s defense hold up in the fourth quarter?

Will the Spartan linebackers get enough help up front to stuff the run?

Which special teams will win the battle of field position?

Will Crist run the ball on the read option or will Kelly limit his forays outside the pocket?

Are the Irish ready to cope with a hostile environment as Kelly promised?

PREDICTION

Other than Greg Jones, the Spartans fall short of Notre Dame’s talent level. Michigan State historically gives the Irish problems with its physical play and beefy linemen, but this year’s edition is smaller and less experienced overall. Kelly’s plan to get ahead early and force Dantonio out of his comfort zone should work this week, provided his quarterback remains upright with a clear head. The Spartans will still be able to score points, however, and the game could become a barnburner if Cousins is on target.

NOTRE DAME 34 MICHIGAN STATE 24