Micah Gilbert had eight catches for 170 yards in a breakout performance as Notre Dame defeated Michigan State by 27-10 on Saturday. Nolan James chipped in with 121 yards rushing with one touchdown. The Fighting Irish moved to 3-0 on the season with a trip to Purdue up next. Defensively, Notre Dame held MSU to 167 total yards while recording four sacks and two interceptions. The Spartans played a gritty, physical game throughout behind linebacker Jordan Hall, who had 13 tackles. Ultimately, the visitors lacked the offensive firepower to stay with the Irish. After a competitive first half, Notre Dame shut them out after intermission and pulled away.

CJ Carr opened the evening with a 61-yard bomb to Gilbert. Unfortunately, the ground game fizzled early and Notre Dame had to settle for a field goal. Michigan State’s subsequent possession ended in three plays with a sack of quarterback Alessio Milivojevic. Matt Jeffery of the Irish partially blocked the MSU punt and Notre Dame took over in plus territory. A fourth down reception by Gilbert set up a scoring run by James to make it a 10-0 game.

When Luke Talich intercepted a Milivojevic pass moments later, many thought this contest would turn into a rout. It did not. Michigan State stopped the Irish near midfield to force a punt. Notre Dame was flagged for holding on the kick and had to repeat the down. Despite being ten yards further back, Coach Marcus Freeman called for a fake. This questionable ploy was unsuccessful and the Spartans took over at midfield.

Momentum quickly shifted to the visitors. Milivojevic led the Spartans into the red zone as he shared snaps with backup Cam Fancher. Incredibly, tailback Kenneth Williams dropped a sure touchdown pass from Fancher and MSU settled for a field goal. Carr responded by leading the Irish to paydirt to retake control of the game. He hit Jordan Faison to jump start a 75-yard drive that ended with a score by Aneyas Williams. This stretched Notre Dame’s lead to 17-3 as the rain started to fall.

Regrettably, Williams celebrated in the end zone long enough to draw a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct. Michigan State accepted the gift on the kickoff and immediately showed it was not ready to roll over. Milivojevic hit Rodney Bullard with a 53-yard bomb into the red zone. The Irish defenders appeared to be in shock when Fancher scored from 15 yards out on the next play. Suddenly, Notre Dame found itself in a 17-10 bar fight as the half ended.

Chris Ash’s defense restored order in the second half as the Irish dominated. MSU’s offense could not move the ball to open the third quarter and punted it away. Notre Dame took over at its own six and embarked on a ten minute drive. This march included eight carries by James and a pair of receptions by Gilbert. A delay of game penalty derailed progress and Spencer Porath booted a field goal to make it 20-10.

Milivojevic hit a couple of passes on the ensuing series as the period ended. Notre Dame’s defense seemed to flip a switch after the break and recorded two sacks on the next series. The Spartans were forced to punt on fourth and forever, and the Irish took over at their 32. Carr and Gilbert moved quickly to put the game on ice. They connected for 28 yards and again for 39 to stun the Spartan defense. Carr then covered the final three yards himself for a 27-10 advantage with 11 minutes left.

Safety Adon Shuler quickly ended MSU’s next possession with an interception. Later, Talich came through on a blitz to sack Milivojevic at the five minute mark. James then ran out the clock for the victors.

It was not the most artistic performance by Notre Dame. It was a mixed bag of positive and negative that fell short of expectations for this team. Mistakes and unproductive running plays plagued them in the first half. They converted only four third downs in 12 attempts. The Irish knew Michigan State would not go away quietly but were able to grind them down. Carr managed the game well and did not turn over the ball. He was an efficient 18 of 24 for 234 yards. Gilbert and James emerged as true weapons that future opponents must respect. They accounted for 75% of Notre Dame’s total offensive output.

Let’s review the answers to our pregame questions:

• Which team will run the ball most effectively? Notre Dame finished with 161 yards to MSU’s 44.
• Can the Spartans stay close with Edwards and a short passing attack? Other than the long completion to Bullard, the Spartans were unable to generate much offense.
• Which Irish tailbacks will be most productive? James made a strong case to become the starter.
• Will Notre Dame continue to keep Carr’s uniform clean in the pocket? CJ had to scramble on occasion and was sacked once but he demonstrated athleticism and escapability.
• Which special teams and Australian punter will deliver a field position advantage? Rhys Dakin had one long punt for the Spartans but also had one partially blocked. The Irish gave up field position with an ill-advised fake. That gamble was not a good decision by Freeman.
• Will the Spartan offensive line hold its own against Notre Dame’s front four rotation? MSU’s line battled gamely in the first half but the Irish front ran roughshod over them later.
• Can the Irish defense score for the third consecutive week? No, but the interceptions, sacks, and a second half shutout were enough.
• Will the forecasted inclement weather have an impact on the outcome? Rain had only a minor impact on a few pelays in the second and third periods. Passes sailed and players slipped but nothing significant happened. I don’t believe the rain impacted Porath’s missed field goal in the final period.

This Irish team continues to evolve as players develop and opponents test them in various ways. They are a far cry from a finished product. Fortunately, the defense is a constant that gives the offense an opportunity to diversify and mature. Gilbert and James certainly checked those boxes tonight.