If you're planning on attending the Michigan State-Notre Dame football game this week, be prepared to get wet...
Michigan State football hits the road for the first time this season, with a tough matchup at No. 3 Notre Dame on Saturday evening. Kickoff for this matchup is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET from Notre Dame Stadium.
As we sit right now, the weather forecast is calling for rainy conditions throughout the day on Saturday. It'll certainly be a big difference from the Spartans' first two games earlier this season.
So how bad is the weather actually looking for this week's game? Let's take a look at the forecast for Saturday.
Game day weather forecast
According to Weather.com, here are the highlights and key details for Saturday's forecast for South Bend, Indiana:
- It's going to be a chillier day for mid-september, with the high temperature being only 68 degrees and a low of 64 degrees
- Forecast calls for thunderstorms throughout the day and into the evening, with potential of "heavy rainfall"
- Officially, Weather.com gives it a 100% chance of rain during the day and 90% in the evening
- Wind speeds are expected to be low gusts ranging from 5 to 10 miles per hour in the evening during the game
Impact on Game
For the
first time this season, Michigan State will play a game that could be greatly be impacted by the weather. The forecast is calling for plenty of rain and thunderstorms that will certainly impact the game. Through a couple of games, Michigan State is having more success than Notre Dame in the rushing attack, which will be important on a rainy night. Additionally, the rain and slippery field surfaces typically lower the talent gap, which also bodes well for Michigan State since Notre Dame is widely considered the better team.
One potential positive for the Fighting Irish, though, is if there is a storm delay during the game. Being at home during a delay is definitely better than being on the road, so if we do see thunderstorms delay the start of this game or even pause it after its started, then that benefits Notre Dame.
On perfect indoor conditions, odds suggest Notre Dame would beat Michigan State by at least four scores. But on a rainy night, the chances of Michigan State pulling the upset increases. Not sure if it raises enough for that upset to actually happen, but this forecast certainly more benefits the Spartans than the Fighting Irish.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Weather forecast, impact for Michigan State-Notre Dame on Saturday
