Notre Dame Vs. Michigan State 2012: Waiting For The Offense To Catch Up To The Defense

Predictably, after losing 20-3 to Notre Dame Saturday, the biggest concern with the Michigan State football team is the offense. That was the major point of emphasis in the recap of what went wrong from SB Nation's Michigan State blog The Only Colors:

The running game was so-so - 80 yards on 21 carries, a 3.8 average (sacks removed). That was the good news. Andrew Maxwell spent much of the game running for his life, being sacked four times for 30 yards and barely completing half of his passes (23/45 for 187 yards). The offensive line had a terrible night pass-blocking; most of the pass plays were short dump-offs because Maxwell was going to get killed if he waited for a deep route to come open. When the ball did get out, it was often wobbly and Maxwell's intended targets often had trouble hanging on. The offense never seemed to get into any sort of rhythm and took far too long to adjust to the few things that were working.

Michigan State's defense actually performed well — Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson completed less than 50 percent of his passes and the Irish were just 1-for-12 on third-down conversions. Despite the loss, Michigan State is still among the favorites to win the Big Ten.

Stick with SB Nation Detroit for more coverage of Spartan football, and for all things MSU check out The Only Colors.

Notre Dame Vs. Michigan State Final Score: Spartans Fall To Irish 20-3

The No. 10 Michigan State Spartans never got anything going offensively on Saturday night, and they lost to the No. 20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish by a score of 20-3. Notre Dame got on the scoreboard early, as Everett Golson hit John Goodman for the game's opening score.

Everett Golson would double the lead early in the second quarter, as he added a touchdown on the ground to the one he had thrown. Dan Conroy would kick a 50-yard field goal for the Spartans before the half, and the second quarter would end 14-3.

Neither team would do much in the third quarter, but the Irish would add a pair of field goals to push the lead to 17 in the fourth.

There weren't a lot of box score heroes on Saturday, but the Notre Dame defense was phenomenal. Manti Te'o had 12 tackles and a fumble recovery in the victory.

Michigan State will be hosting Eastern Michigan next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET. The Fighting Irish will be back against a Michigan team, as they have a 7:30 p.m. ET date with the Wolverines on Sept 22.

Stick with SB Nation Detroit for more coverage of Spartan football, and for all things MSU check out The Only Colors.

Michigan State Vs. Notre Dame: Third Quarter Ends With Spartans Trailing

Three quarters have been played in East Lansing, and the Spartans will have some work to do in the fourth if they want to remain in the top ten.

Michigan State started the second half with the ball, but they'd immediately go three and out. Notre Dame and the Spartans would take turns punting the ball back and forth, with neither team doing much on offense through the early portion of the third.

MSU would start to establish some possession, going on a seven play drive before putting the ball on the ground. The Irish would recover, and they'd run off eight plays of their own before punting it back to the Spartans.

Michigan State has the ball as the fourth quarter gets underway, and they'll need to get going if they want to beat the Irish. Notre Dame could be looking at a big jump in the rankings if they hold on for the victory.

Stick with SB Nation Detroit for more coverage of Spartan football, and for all things MSU check out The Only Colors.

Michigan State Vs. Notre Dame: Irish Lead 14-3 At The Half

The Michigan State Spartans started the second quarter trailing the No. 20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish by seven, and they had the ball as the quarter got underway. They stalled immediately, going three and out before giving the ball back to Notre Dame. Notre Dame would add to the lead, marching down the field before Everett Golson ran it in from six yards out.

After falling behind 14-0, Michigan State would look for some sustained possession as they looked to right the ship. They'd get on the board ten plays later as Dan Conroy booted a 50-yard field goal. That would be all of the scoring in the second quarter, as Notre Dame has taken a 14-3 lead into the half.

Le'Veon Bell has been leading the Spartans attack, as the back has gained 64 yards on 15 first-half carries. The Spartans will need more out of the passing game though, as they look to come back from an 11-point halftime deficit.

Notre Dame started the game with the ball, so Michigan State will receive to start the second half.

Stick with SB Nation Detroit for more coverage of Spartan football, and for all things MSU check out The Only Colors.

Michigan State Vs. Notre Dame: Irish Strike First, Lead By 7 After The First

The first quarter of Saturday's matchup between No. 20 Notre Dame and No. 10 Michigan State is in the books, and the Irish are leading 7-0. The Irish received the opening kickoff, but didn't do much with the ball, MSU would go three and out on the next possession, and the Irish would strike on the fourth play of their second possession.

Everett Golson would hit John Goodman for the 36-yard score. The Spartans would be flagged for pass interference on the play, but Notre Dame would take the result of the play and the seven point lead. Here's the score in gif form:

The Spartans would show signs of life on their next possession, driving 49 yards in ten plays before missing a 44-yard field goal attempt.

As the second quarter gets underway, the Spartans have the ball at their own 27-yard line.

Stick with SB Nation Detroit for more coverage of Spartan football, and for all things MSU check out The Only Colors.

Notre Dame Vs. Michigan State 2012: Game Time, TV Schedule, Spread And More

The Michigan State-Notre Dame rivalry is super-charged this week with the Fighting Irish visiting East Lansing with both teams ranked.

The Spartans are No. 10 and have already been tested this season with a close win over Boise State. Defensively they've allowed just 10 points a game, but offense is where Michigan State can take advantage. Quarterback Andrew Maxwell has thrown for 523 yards and two scores in two wins, and monstrous running back Le'Veon Bell, a junior, has already carried the ball 62 times for 280 yards.

The Irish handed the offense to young quarterback Everett Golson, and he has guided the team to two victories with efficient play. Golson has hit 11 different receivers this season and has two touchdown passes.

Notre Dame's defense is led by linebacker Manti Te'o, who is off to a strong start to his season.

Notre Dame leads the series 46-28-1, but the Spartans have won 10 of the last 15 games and the past two in East Lansing.

Notre Dame has not fared well against ranked teams on the road, having lost six straight. The Spartans have won four straight against top-25 teams at home.

TV: ABC

Time: 8 p.m. ET.

Odds: Michigan State -6

Stick with SB Nation Detroit for more coverage of Spartan football, and for all things MSU check out The Only Colors.

Michigan State Vs. Notre Dame: Manti Te'o Will Play For Fighting Irish

The Michigan State Spartans are set to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday night, and ND head coach Brian Kelly has confirmed that All-America senior linebacker Manti Te'o will play for the Irish. Te'o is dealing with two tragedies: the passing of his grandmother and the loss of his girlfriend after her long fight with leukemia.

Here is what Kelly told the media regarding the status of his star LB (via the South Bend Tribune):

"He lost some people very close to him. and it's obviously taken a toll on him," Kelly said. "Our players have been there for him. There has been great support. He wants to be with his teammates. He wants to be with his people that care about him. He's a strong man, and he's going through a tough time, but he'll rise to the occasion."

"We've got a bye week coming up (after Michigan), but we'll see how things go," Kelly said. "We know he's going to be with us for Saturday."

Stick with SB Nation Detroit for more coverage of Spartan football, and for all things MSU check out The Only Colors.

Kirk Cousins Isn't Surprised By Andrew Maxwell's Early Success

Michigan State quarterback Andrew Maxwell has already thrown more passes in his two starts this season than he did in mop-up duty the previous two seasons combined behind then-starter Kirk Cousins.

After struggling in his first start against Boise State, Maxwell bounced back with a solid effort in Michigan State's 41-7 win over Central Michigan when he threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Now Maxwell prepares for another big game under the big lights when No. 20 Notre Dame visits Spartan Stadium on Saturday night.

Maxwell has waited three years for this moment to play Notre Dame and Cousins is confident his former teammate is ready for the challenge of not only competing against the Fighting Irish but also competing for a Big Ten title and National Championship.

''I knew we wouldn't miss a beat with Andrew when I left,'' said Cousins, who is now backing up Robert Griffin III with the Washington Redskins.

''He's a pickup truck kind of guy,'' Cousins said. ''He's the kind of guy you want running your program. He's mature, articulate, guys respond to him and he's tough.''

Stick with SB Nation Detroit for more coverage of Spartan football, and for all things MSU check out The Only Colors.

Michigan State Vs. Notre Dame: Everett Golson To Start For Fighting Irish

Everett Golson will be keeping his starting job for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Tommy Rees led them to a victory in the final minutes after Golson went down with an injury, but it wasn't enough to earn him the starting role back.