Free Press sports writer Chris Solari ahead to Michigan State football's first road game of 2026, visiting No. 3 Notre Dame on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Fast facts
Matchup: Michigan State (2-0) vs. No. 3 Notre Dame (2-0)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19; Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana
TV/radio: NBC, WJR-AM (760).
Line: Irish by 29½.
Michigan State football vs Notre Dame availability report
Availability reports are estimated off available information.
MSU
Questionable: LB Jordan Hall (right arm), WR KK Smith (undisclosed), DT Carlos Hazelwood (undisclosed), DB Aveon Grose (undisclosed), DE Leonard Ah You (undisclosed), OT Eli Bickel (undisclosed), DE Aidan Boehle (undisclosed), TE Joe Caudill (undisclosed). Probable: CB Tyran Chappell
(foot), S Devin Vaught (left leg).
Notre Dame
Out: DL Jason Onye (left ankle), S Brauntae Johnson (left foot), WR Quincy Porter (left knee), OL Matty Augustine (right foot), Charles Jagusah (right knee), Chris Terek (right knee), DL Christopher Burgess Jr. (left tibia), Tiki Hola (right knee), CB Chas Smith (right wrist). Probable: RT Guerby Lambert (lower body), LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (left knee).
Scouting report
When MSU has the ball: The Spartans turned Week 1 field goals into Week 2 touchdowns while finding the end zone five times in a 35-7 victory over Eastern Michigan on Saturday.
Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic went 12-for-20 for 170 yards with two TDs and spread the ball around, with 10 Spartans catching passes from the sophomore starter and senior backup Cam Fancher (6-for-6, 44 yards). MSU also got Cam Edwards going on the ground for 152 yards on 21 carries, including a pair of touchdowns, while Jaziun Patterson ran for another score.
The Spartans’ 258 rushing yards were their most since getting 260 against Akron on Sept. 10, 2022, and just their second time eclipsing 200 on the ground in the past four seasons. Through two games, MSU ranks 40th nationally at 204 rushing yards per game while the Irish are 14th in rush defense (65.5 yards per game) after wins over Wisconsin and Rice. Notre Dame has not allowed a score since the third quarter against the Badgers and ranks 13th in total defense (206.0 yards) and third in turnover margin thanks to five fumble recoveries and a pick-6 interception.
The Irish also have three sacks, while Milivojevic has been dropped five times.
When Notre Dame has the ball: The biggest question heading to South Bend will be the availability of MSU linebacker Jordan Hall, who sat last weekend with a right arm injury suffered in the first half of Week 1. Hall’s absence has led to some big holes against the run, with EMU posting 107 yards and averaging 5.6 per carry in the first half before the Spartans squelched them for minus-6 yards on seven second-half attempts Saturday. The Rockets also ripped off a 71-yard scoring run in Week 1. The secondary has yet to be tested by a quarterback the likes of Notre Dame star (and Saline product) CJ Carr, with MSU ranking 37th nationally at 157 yards passing allowed. Defensive tackle Eli Coenen has three of the Spartans’ six sacks on the season. as MSU ranks 24th in total defense (246.0 yards) and 40th against the run (89.0). However, the Spartans are allowing 33.3% of opponents' third-down conversion attempts, which is tied for 54th in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Irish are converting 47.6% of their third downs (45th) and averaging 414 yards (tied for 67th), 299.5 through the air. Their run game ranks 116th at 114.5 yards per game, but Notre Dame's 46.5 points are tied for 21st in FBS.
Know the foe
Defensive dominance: Coach Marcus Freeman was defensive coordinator at Cincinnati and Notre Dame before ascending to the top job with the Irish, and his defense continues to play aggressive, physical football with a penchant for big plays. Defensive end Boubacar Traore had a scoop-and-score touchdown to open last week’s 52-0 boiling of Rice, and cornerback DJ McKinney delivered a 55-yard interception return touchdown against the Badgers. Freeman's defense had three touchdowns last season and finished 12th against the run (100.1 yards) and 22nd overall (313.5 yards) while allowing just 17.6 points a game to rank 11th nationally.
Carr-driven: Carr has thus far lived up to his preseason All-American hype of landing on multiple award watch lists. The grandson of legendary former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound junior from Saline is 35-for-49 (71.4%) for 492 yards with six TDs and no interceptions and has been sacked only once. Senior wide receiver Jordan Faison has emerged as Carr’s top target, with the 5-11, 185-pound senior catching eight passes for 135 yards and two TDs.
Running fresh: The Irish lost a pair of first-round NFL draft pick running backs from a year ago in Jeremiyah Love (No. 3, Arizona) and Jadarian Price (No. 32, Seattle). So far, their replacements – Aneyas Williams, Nolan Jones Jr. and Jonaz Walton – have not yet been needed much, combining for 215 yards and four touchdowns on 60 attempts. WIlliams is the primary option with 119 rushing yards and two touchdowns on his 29 carries, and he also returns kickoffs. Behind Love and Price last season, Williams averaged 9.3 yards on his 24 carries for 224 yards with five touchdowns.
Chris Solari's two cents
Rivalry renewed: The longstanding series between MSU and Notre Dame went on hiatus after the 2017 Irish victory in East Lansing, and Saturday’s game will be the 80th all-time meeting (ND owns a 49-29-1 record). The eight-season lapse is the longest pause since the 17-year gap from 1921-48 and the second-longest break in the series that began in 1897.
Familiar faces: MSU has a couple links to last season’s Notre Dame team that finished 10-2 but was snubbed by the College Football Playoff after finishing as runner-up in 2024. Pat Fitzgerald hired away former MSU All-American linebacker Max Bullough in the offseason to be the Spartans’ linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator, while wide receiver KK Smith transferred to MSU in the offseason. Smith sat out last week’s win over EMU and had one catch for 10 yards in the opener against Toledo.
Prediction
Rain is expected during the game, which could alter the flow and play-calling depending on the severity. Still, expect Carr and the Irish to try and open things up against the Spartans’ untested secondary to set up their run game. And if Jordan Hall doesn't play, the breakdowns MSU had the first two weeks could turn into a runaway second half for Notre Dame. Fitzgerald needs to make a statement with his program’s toughness, though, and the Spartans keep things interesting through halftime. The pick: Notre Dame 41, MSU 14.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Who to watch in Michigan State vs Notre Dame and score prediction
