No. 3 Notre Dame takes command in second half to beat Michigan State 27-10

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — CJ Carr threw for 234 yards and ran for a touchdown, Nolan James Jr. rushed for 121 yards and a score, and No. 3 Notre Dame took control in the second half to beat Michigan State 27-10 on Saturday night.

It was the 13th straight victory dating to last season for the Fighting Irish — all by double digits. Coach Marcus Freeman broke the Notre Dame record for consecutive double-digit victories, exceeding the 12 by Knute Rockne from 1921-22.

Micah Gilbert had eight catches for 170 yards, the most yards for a Notre Dame receiver since 2019.

Carr’s streak of 12 games with a passing touchdown ended, with the Fighting Irish (3-0) scoring all three TDs on short rushes.

Notre Dame outscored Michigan State 10-0 in the second half, limiting the Spartans (2-1) to 40 yards of offense over the final two quarters. Michigan State only had one play in Notre Dame territory in the second half, and a 9-yard sack sent the Spartans back into their own territory.

“It wasn’t perfect, as everybody saw, but it was a good victory and a hard-fought victory,” Freeman said. “Those are the type of victories that you’re going to have to win and find a way to win.”

Notre Dame punished the Spartans with four quarterback sacks, six tackles for loss and two interceptions, by Luke Talich and Adon Shuler.

“We make that a staple of our defense,” linebacker Drayk Bowen said. “We want to take the ball away. We want to be at least plus-two in every game. It’s intentional work in practice … whether it’s a punch-out or we have a chance to intercept it.”

Carr’s 3-yard run early in the fourth quarter made it 27-10. James scored on a 2-yard run in the first quarter, and Aneyas Williams ran it in from 1 yard out with 4:46 left in the second.

Williams’ TD made it 17-3, but the Spartans closed within 17-10 by halftime. Cam Fancher, who platooned with Alessio Milivojevic at quarterback, scored on a 15-yard scramble.

Milivojevic was 9 of 17 passing for 123 yards and the two picks.

Michigan State coach Pat Fitzgerald said Notre Dame’s quick start wounded the Spartans’ chances for an upset.

“We had talked to them about avoiding the first-round knockout, and obviously we didn’t do a very good job of that, spotted them 10,” Fitzgerald said. “But we responded to that. We started moving the ball. We just sputtered. Credit Notre Dame. They have a darn good football team. We couldn’t give them the things we gave them and expect to win the game.

“I think we took a step today, from a maturity standpoint, but we did not from an execution standpoint.”

Irish shut down Spartans’ run game

Notre Dame has held its last four opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing. The Fighting Irish limited Michigan State to 44 yards on the ground — none in the second half. The Spartans’ Cam Edwards entered the game leading the Big Ten in rushing and was fifth in the nation, averaging 125 yards per game. He finished with 12 carries for 38 yards.

The takeaway

Michigan State showed plenty of fight, and there should be optimism in East Lansing that the Spartans can finish with their first winning season since 2021.

Up next

Notre Dame: At Purdue next Saturday.

Michigan State: Hosts Nebraska next Saturday.

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