Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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to help fill in for Day. "It's kind of how we put this team together," Kelly said. "We need to count on the depth, especially in the freshman class." The uptick in confidence, brought on at least partially by the new personnel decision, was most evident late in the game when Kelly and his staff made it clear they were putting the game in the defense's hands. The coach said he wanted to throw the ball more in the fourth quarter, but decided he'd rather eat up the clock and rely on his defense to keep Michigan State out of the end zone. Sophomore cornerback KeiVarae Russell said he recognizes those signs of trust while the game is going on, and they help to build confidence. He said the offense's willingness to attempt fourth-down conversions was another positive sign. "He believes we can get a stop, and at the end of the day I know we can," Russell said. "We've been doing that for the last two years now. That's what Notre Dame is known for. In order to score on us, it's going to be tough." That's been less true in recent games against Michigan and Purdue, but the Irish took steps toward returning to that mentality. The Spartans made four trips to the red zone and came away with only one touchdown. Corey Robinson Contributes Through Catches And Flags Freshman wide receiver Corey Robinson snared three passes from senior quarterback Tommy Rees for 54 yards and finished as the team's leading receiver. Each of his four career catches has Miscellaneous Notes • Michigan State's blocked punt in the first quarter was the first time an opponent has disrupted an Irish punt while head coach Brian Kelly has been at Notre Dame. Boston College was the last team to get its hands on a kick during a 2008 game in Boston. "It was just a poor effort situation," Kelly said. "Those don't normally end well when you have a punt blocked. But [punter Kyle Brindza] battled through it and came up with two great punts in the fourth quarter for us." • Notre Dame honored its 1973 national championship team prior to Saturday's kickoff. Dozens of that team's players were in South Bend for the game on the 40th anniversary of their undefeated season. That year's team beat No. 1 Alabama 24-23 in the Sugar Bowl to secure the program's ninth national title. • The Irish didn't allow a first-quarter touch- down against Michigan State for the sixth year in a row. The Spartans have scored only two offensive touchdowns in games against Notre Dame in the past three years. • Notre Dame managed only 224 yards of total offense against a Michigan State team that entered the game with the country's best defense when it comes to yards allowed per game. The last time the Irish won a game while picking up fewer yards was a 20-6 win over UCLA in 2007. Seven Bruins' turnovers in that game helped make up for the 140 yards the Irish gained on offense. • The typically physical matchups between Notre Dame and Michigan State often bring out the chippy side of the Irish roster. Notre Dame was penalized eight times for a total of 86 yards. That's the most the Irish have had in a single game since their 33-30 win over the Spartans in 2009.