Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/176703
three observations Turning Point Michigan State opened the second half with a 15-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a field goal and a 10‑10 tie. After forcing Notre Dame to punt on its opening series after the intermission, the Spartans were on the move again when redshirt junior running back Jeremy Langford's 11-yard run — the longest by MSU on the day — gave them a first down at their 47. Michigan State then went for broke with a trick play on which freshman wide receiver R.J. Shelton's deep pass to Bennie Fowler was thrown into double coverage and picked off by junior safety Matthias Farley. Not only did Farley return the pick 29 yards, but a Spartans personal foul gave Notre Dame a first down at the MSU 37 with 2:06 left in the third quarter. The game's lone turnover eventually set up the go-ahead touchdown with 14:44 remaining, a seven-yard run by junior running back Cam McDaniel. Stat Of The Game Michigan State had 10 penalties for 115 yards, and Notre Dame's "breadand-butter play" was four pass interference calls on the Spartans. • In the first quarter, a third-and-nine pass by Notre Dame senior quarterback Tommy Rees to junior wide receiver DaVaris Daniels resulted in interference, which helped set up a 41-yard field goal by junior Kyle Brindza. • Late in the first half, on fourthand-one from the Michigan State 41, By lou somogyi a Rees pass to senior wideout TJ Jones resulted in interference on redshirt sophomore cornerback Trae Waynes, setting up a Jones score a little later for a 10-7 halftime lead. • On the go-ahead drive that began from Michigan State's 37, senior cornerback Darqueze Dennard was called for holding, nullifying an interception. Then on third-and-10 from the MSU 22, a debatable interference call on Waynes resulted in an Irish first down at the 7-yard line, prior to McDaniel's touchdown that made it 17-10. Game Ball: Kyle Brindza Because Michigan State accumulated only 254 yards of total offense and Notre Dame 224, special teams and turnovers were going to be a tipping point. The Irish won the turnover battle (1-0), but also pivotal was Brindza's fourth-quarter punting. He had his first punt of the game partially blocked, and his initial punt in the second half was shanked for 24 yards. But in the fourth quarter he delivered big time on his three punts. The first with 8:36 left traveled 45 yards to the Michigan State 20 and was returned only six yards. The second, from the Notre Dame 17, went 51 yards with excellent hang time to the Michigan State 32. The third from the Notre Dame 16 traveled 51 yards again with no return to the Michigan State 33. The game ball by head coach Brian Kelly was awarded to Brindza for the way he flipped the field position.