Michigan State football put up a strong fight, but ultimately didn't have enough in the tank to hang with an elite level team like Notre Dame on Saturday night.
The Spartans kept things interesting for the better part of three quarters, but in the end the Fighting Irish were too good en route to a 27-10 victory. Michigan State was down only 10 points with the ball early into the fourth quarter, but they could never get it back to within one score after that in the second half.
Notre Dame got off to a fast start, scoring on each of their first two possession to gain a 10-0 lead. Michigan State would respond with a field goal, but again Notre Dame found the endzone to make it 17-3 late in the second quarter. That's when Michigan State got two back-to-back
major plays -- first was a 58-yard completion from Alessio Milivojevic to Rodney Bullard Jr., which then setup a 15-yard score from wildcat quarterback Cam Fancher from 15 yards out. That Spartans touchdown ended up being the final score of the opening half, with Notre Dame leading 17-10 at the break.
The third quarter flew by, with both teams only completing one drive each. The lone score came on a Notre Dame field goal that capped a 17-play drive. The Fighting Irish led 20-10 heading into the fourth quarter.
Notre Dame would smother the Spartans' offensive attack in the fourth quarter as well, eventually putting the game away with some big plays from quarterback CJ Carr. He scored from three yards out after leading them down the field to make it 27-10 with roughly 10 minutes to go, effectively clinching the Notre Dame victory.
The final totals heavily favored Notre Dame, with Michigan State out gained 395-167 in total yards. The Spartans also lost the turnovers battle with two to Notre Dame's zero.
Next up for the Spartans is their first Big Ten game of the season next week. Michigan State will host Nebraska next week from Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: MSU football comes up short in second half, loses at Notre Dame
