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Michigan State (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten) at No. 10 Notre Dame (2-0)
2:30 p.m. EST, NBC
South Bend, Ind. - Notre Dame Stadium
Series: Notre Dame leads 43-24-1
Last Meeting - 2004: Notre Dame 31, Michigan State 24
After two lopsided victories, Michigan State is taking its dizzying statistics on the road to face No. 10 Notre Dame. The Spartans have faced two unranked opponents on the way to raking up the nation's second-best total offense with an average of 592 yards per game. The Spartans are ready to gauge their game in the national spotlight the Irish have been soaking up this season.
Although the Irish began the year unranked, they earned top-10 status with road wins over then-No. 23 Pittsburgh and then-No. 3 Michigan. Notre Dame enters its first home game of the season against a team that hasn't lost at Notre Dame Stadium in more than a decade. Michigan State has won six of the past eight meetings overall.
Quarterback Drew Stanton leads the Spartans offense with the nation's fourth-best passing efficiency rating, and running back Jehuu Culcrick ranks 17th in the country with 114.5 rushing yards per game. Freshman running back Javon Ringer also ran for 80 yards and three touchdowns in the Spartans win against Hawaii. Their Irish counterparts, QB Brady Quinn and running back Darius Walker, return from the Notre Dame team that topped Michigan State last season. Quinn has completed 65 percent of his passes and tossed a pair of first-half touchdowns in the win against Michigan. The biggest test to the Spartan's defense will be Walker, who is averaging 102 yards per game. On the other side of the ball, the Irish defense has been ironfisted, unnerving Michigan QB Chad Henne for a 19-of-44 performance and breaking down the Wolverine offense with a decisive fumble and interception.
2:30 p.m. EST, NBC
South Bend, Ind. - Notre Dame Stadium
Series: Notre Dame leads 43-24-1
Last Meeting - 2004: Notre Dame 31, Michigan State 24
After two lopsided victories, Michigan State is taking its dizzying statistics on the road to face No. 10 Notre Dame. The Spartans have faced two unranked opponents on the way to raking up the nation's second-best total offense with an average of 592 yards per game. The Spartans are ready to gauge their game in the national spotlight the Irish have been soaking up this season.
Although the Irish began the year unranked, they earned top-10 status with road wins over then-No. 23 Pittsburgh and then-No. 3 Michigan. Notre Dame enters its first home game of the season against a team that hasn't lost at Notre Dame Stadium in more than a decade. Michigan State has won six of the past eight meetings overall.
Quarterback Drew Stanton leads the Spartans offense with the nation's fourth-best passing efficiency rating, and running back Jehuu Culcrick ranks 17th in the country with 114.5 rushing yards per game. Freshman running back Javon Ringer also ran for 80 yards and three touchdowns in the Spartans win against Hawaii. Their Irish counterparts, QB Brady Quinn and running back Darius Walker, return from the Notre Dame team that topped Michigan State last season. Quinn has completed 65 percent of his passes and tossed a pair of first-half touchdowns in the win against Michigan. The biggest test to the Spartan's defense will be Walker, who is averaging 102 yards per game. On the other side of the ball, the Irish defense has been ironfisted, unnerving Michigan QB Chad Henne for a 19-of-44 performance and breaking down the Wolverine offense with a decisive fumble and interception.
