Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 26, 2026 21 In ways Freeman will likely find un- comfortably similar to Week 1, Notre Dame was its own worst enemy too of- ten in the first half. Its most notable mistake was an unsportsmanlike-con- duct penalty for excessive celebration on junior running back Aneyas Williams after a 1-yard touchdown run, for which he received a stern talking-to from his head coach. The penalty set Michigan State up with good field position at its own 32- yard line on its next possession, and three plays later, the Spartans were in the end zone after Notre Dame's other- wise airtight defense allowed back-to- back explosive plays. "They were doing a dance or what- ever and the ref threw the flag," Free- man said. "Do that on the sideline. It's uncalled for. We've got to be smarter than that." Before that, a fake punt designed for freshman wide receiver Brayden Robin- son likely would have succeeded if Rob- inson had continued his path toward the sideline. Freeman said in hindsight, while he loved the play design, punting was the way to go. "That play probably started some negative plays for our team, and I put that on myself, like be smart in that sit- uation," Freeman said. "Punt the ball; your defense is playing great." In other words, as Freeman put it after defeating Michigan State and on many other occasions, Notre Dame was beat- ing Notre Dame. But much like they did in Week 1 against Wisconsin, the Irish tightened up their operation and played a relatively clean second half on their way to a 17-point win. The game might have remained un- comfortably close without junior wide receiver Micah Gilbert's breakout per- formance. He hauled in 8 receptions for 170 yards. Carr found him deep down- field for a 61-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage, and he continued looking his way to beat Michigan State over the top. The run game continued its up-and- down start to the season, but Notre Dame seemed to find something in James. He finished with 26 carries for 121 yards (4.7 yards per rush), includ- ing 8 carries for 42 yards on the final drive of the game as the Irish wore down the Spartans. Williams did not record a second-half carry after his penalty, and he averaged 2.8 yards per carry. Not to be outdone, Carr completed 18 of 24 passes for 234 yards. He proved once again that he's the engine of Notre Dame's offense, and the Irish will go as far as he can take them. Timely inter- ceptions from senior safeties Luke Tal- ich and Adon Shuler helped as well, and the defense smothered the Spartans to the tune of 2.7 yards per carry for their running backs. The second half wasn't flawless. A delay-of-game penalty prevented Notre Dame from getting off a play that ap- peared headed for a touchdown to Jaden Greathouse. Porath missed his first field goal of the season from 39 yards out, too. However, Freeman saw what he wanted to see. "They responded to being challenged at halftime a little bit," Freeman said. "I just didn't think we were playing clean. … But to beat that team and to have some of those errors that we had and to win by 17, it's a good sign." FIRST QUARTER NOTRE DAME 10, MICHIGAN STATE 0 Top Moment: Notre Dame lacrosse star Matt Jeffery had his shining mo- ment on the gridiron. The junior wide receiver energized the Irish sideline with his punt block. The Irish offense capitalized with an 11-play touchdown drive. Feature Performers: In addition to catching a 61-yard dime from junior quarterback CJ Carr on the game's first play, junior wide receiver Micah Gilbert had 3 catches for 76 yards. Senior safety Luke Talich had an interception. Stats: Notre Dame outgained Michi- gan State 127-28 in yards. Michigan State entered the game No. 2 in the country in time of possession, yet the Irish pos- sessed the ball for 11:28 in the first quar- ter. The Irish were 0 of 4 on third down. Items: Junior defensive lineman Tionne Gray registered his first career sack. SECOND QUARTER NOTRE DAME 17, MICHIGAN STATE 10 To p M o m e n t : C a r r m i ra c u - lously spun out of edge rusher Kenny Soares Jr.'s sack attempt, finding junior wide receiver Mylan Graham for one of Notre Dame's four first downs in the second quarter. The Irish scored their only touchdown of the quarter on that drive. It was an otherwise ugly second quarter on offense. Feature Performers: Junior running back Aneyas Williams showed some life, accounting for 31 of the team's 63 yards and a touchdown. However, he was flagged for excessive celebration. Talich kept impressing with a pass breakup and an assisted tackle for loss. Stats: Michigan State wide receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. had a 53-yard catch, helping the Spartans outgain the Irish 99-63. Sophomore running back Nolan James Jr. notched his first career 100-yard game on the ground, carrying the ball 26 times for a team-high 121 yards and 1 touchdown. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER