Notre Dame football stayed undefeated on Saturday night, defeating Michigan State 27-10 in front of a wet home crowd.
The Irish, while not scoring a bunch of points, still looked like the better team and the result showed that as well. The Megaphone Trophy will stay with Notre Dame, as this rivalry game was much closer than many expected it to be.
There were some positives that we saw, and also some areas that the Irish can get better at. Here are some thoughts that I had this morning following sleeping on Notre Dame win over Michigan State.
Was this a College Football Playoff championship-type effort from Notre Dame?
The Fighting Irish are having a NIGHT!
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 20, 2026
📺 Michigan State at Notre Dame on NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/IVofARzz9p
Unfortunately, this was not one of those. Michigan State is the best opponent that the Irish
have faced so far this season, and they looked like it. This was a much closer game than many expected, as Notre Dame couldn’t ever pull away. It was still a comfortable win, but an effort like this won’t cut it against top teams. The good news is that there is plenty of time to fix some of the issues that we have seen.
How can the Notre Dame run game be fixed?
If you are just looking at the box score, you’re wondering why the complaint, but it’s due to the look of what we saw again on Saturday. Sure, Nolan James Jr. had 121-yards, but it took 26 carries with a 4.7 average-per-attempt. His long was only 17, so the explosiveness wasn’t there. Aneyas Williams might have put himself in the doghouse after an unsportsmanlike penalty after his touchdown, only having 9 carries for 25-yards. James looks like he might have jumped him for the starting spot, but there is still much more to be desired out of the run game. Not sure there is an immediate fix, maybe moving Brayden Robinson over would help.
Micah Gilbert has emerged as the top option for CJ Carr
Micah Gilbert, oh my goodness!
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 20, 2026
📺 Michigan State at Notre Dame on NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/MMN3rrGk6B
A big question was who was going to emerge as the top pass catching option for Carr this season, and it looks like Gilbert is going to be his WR1. They connected on 8 receptions for 170-yards against the Spartans, with a long of 61. Last week it was 2 for 47 with a score. Jordan Faison has had a very good year as well, but is more of a possession type receiver. If Gilbert can be the big-play option, the Notre Dame offense could be that more dangerous.
Notre Dame’s defense remains elite
Notre Dame's defense is SWARMING the Spartans in South Bend. 👀
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 20, 2026
📷 Michigan State at Notre Dame on NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/xPmV0f3DXq
Wow, there are absolutely not complaints here. That was a dominant effort, one that is championship-level. The unit allowed just 167 total yards, and the field goal Michigan State scored was on a short field. The touchdown drive wasn’t pretty, but they happen occasionally. Luke Talich looked like a star, with an interception, a sack, 1.5 tackles-for-loss and batting away a pass. Loghan Thomas, Boubacar Traore and Tionne Gray all had sacks as well. Adon Shuler got his for pick of the year as well. Incredible effort from the Notre Dame defense.
No looks to the tight ends for Notre Dame
CJ Carr scoring through the air AND on the ground. 💪
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 20, 2026
📺 Michigan State at Notre Dame on NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/HLEGciZuws
The tight ends typically play big roles in Irish offenses, and on Saturday night, they didn’t record a catch. I’m not a big fan of that strategy, as there are more than a few talented players at the position. It’s surprising that they didn’t go their way after focus turned to Gilbert. I’d think that this was just an anomaly, and we’ll see the usable tick up in the coming weeks.
Notre Dame’s special teams is close to elite
A FAKE PUNT ATTEMPT?! Leonard Moore was on the verge of a HUGE play before the Michigan State stop. 👀
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 20, 2026
📺 Notre Dame Football: Michigan State @ Notre Dame on NBC + Peacock pic.twitter.com/U8Kb4pM9LT
A Spencer Porath 39-yard field goal miss was the only real blemish on the night, as the Irish blocked a punt, and were close to others. I really liked the fake punt call, but not with 13-yards to go. That one is best for under 10, and it’s now on tape. You have to wonder if there will be variations of that play in the future. I had no problems with Notre Dame trying it in a game situation. Very good outing from the special teams against MSU.
Notre Dame’s future opponents
TYLER BROWN OH MY GOODNESS!
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) September 19, 2026
Touchdown Tigers! pic.twitter.com/EYaOtOwBnw
It was a rough week for a few of the Irish’s future 2026 opponents, as you’d like to see a better strength of schedule lined up. SMU lost a ranked battle to Louisville, North Carolina got upended by Clemson on the road, Syracuse dropped its second in-a-row, with Boston College barely beating Maine. Miami’s win wasn’t as big of a blowout as you’d expect either. Any style points are welcome for Notre Dame, and their upcoming opponents didn’t help them this weekend.
Notre Dame wasn’t perfect, and it doesn’t have to be
🗣️HERE COME THE IRISH
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 20, 2026
Goodnight, Irish Nation!#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/6quHgRDvSC
To me, a sign of a good team is when they have an off-game, they still find a way to win. That’s exactly the case for the Irish, they know they didn’t play as well as they could have, but still got a double-digit victory. Even when it looked like the Spartans were making a move, it never really seemed like they had full control of the game. Notre Dame countered their strike, and took the win. Tough contests like these will help down the stretch, as the Irish finished strong and moved to 3-0.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Day after: Final thoughts on Notre Dame escaping upset minded MSU
