Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Top Storylines By Lou Somogyi Let’s Get Physical There is something about Spartan Stadium that has brought out the best in Michigan State’s ground game when it faces Notre Dame. • During Michigan State’s 34-31 overtime victory in 2010, all the headlines went to the gutsy fake field goal call by head coach Mark Dantonio on the final play that resulted in a touchdown. Overshadowed was how Spartan running backs Le’Veon Bell (17 carries for 114 yards) and Edwin Baker (14 carries for 90 yards) combined for 204 yards rushing, 6.6 yards per carry and two touchdowns. • In 2008, MSU tailback Javon Ringer carried 39 times for 201 yards in the Spartans’ 23-7 victory at home against the Irish. He became the first individual in 11 years to eclipse 200 yards rushing versus Notre Dame. • Although the Spartans lost at home, 40-37, to the Irish in 2006, they still rushed for 248 yards and a robust 5.8 yards per carry in the shootout. Conversely, Michigan State’s ground attack was stymied on its last two trips to Notre Dame Stadium, including just 105 yards in a 33-30 overtime loss in 2009. Far more pertinent is that in last year’s 31-13 defeat at Notre Dame, the dynamic tandem of Baker (10 carries for 26 yards) and Bell (seven attempts for 27 yards), combined for 53 yards on 17 carries (3.1 yards per attempt). The Spartans recorded only one first down last year against the Irish while running the ball — tied for the second fewest in a game in their program’s history. “They’re a running team,” Irish star linebacker Manti Te’o said of the Spartans afterwards. “We made them do something I don’t think they want to do … when you get an offense to do that, you’ve won half the battle.” Last year, only four other teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision yielded fewer touchdowns on the ground than Notre Dame’s eight. It validated to head coach Brian Kelly that his blueprint to rebuild the program by first and foremost controlling the line of scrimmage was coming to fruition. “That’s where we started this journey — begin with recruiting on defense, and playing a tougher style of football,” Kelly said. “And to do that, you’ve got to be able to control the line of scrimmage. You also have to do it physically. You have to develop in the weight room, develop a work volume that allows you to do that and play consistently. … “The foundation of this program has got to be built on being able to control the line of scrimmage. That’s how you build consistency.” Kelly listed the primary 2012 Irish strengths as both sides of the line, and there was no debate after the 50-10 victory over Navy on opening day. The Irish rushed for 293 yards — the most it had in one game in eight years — and held the Midshipmen, who annually average about 300 yards per game on the ground, to 149, with 39 of it coming on the final two plays. It was an exceptional display of dominance … but pooh-poohed by skeptics because of the significant size disparity of the Midshipmen compared to the Irish front line that features mobile 300-pound forces such as Stephon Tuitt, Kapron Lewis-Moore and Louis Nix III, with All-America candidate Te’o at linebacker to help clean up. The real litmus test of whether Notre Dame is truly capable of becoming one of the more physically dominant teams again or is just a “bully team” — one that racks up huge, impressive numbers against inferior foes but can’t deal with someone its own size — will be better answered on the road against Michigan State. Baker has moved on to the pros, but Bell thrust himself into the Heisman Trophy conversation by opening the season with 44 carries for 210 yards in a 17-13 slugfest victory versus Boise State Aug. 31. It was vintage Michigan State: stout on both sides of the line of scrimmage, and imposing its physical will on the opponent in the fourth quarter. That’s the template Kelly envisions occurring at Notre Dame. In 2012, the Irish probably will not confront a more physical, experienced unit on both sides of the line than the Spartans. With sophomore quarterback Everett Golson scheduled to make his first “true” road start in a hostile on-campus venue, a seasoned offensive line and a plethora of running backs (including the return of suspended 1,000-yard rusher Cierre Wood), the Notre Dame ground attack will have to be up the challenge against a veteran Spartans defensive unit that finished No. 6 nationally in total defense last year, including yielding only 100.5 yards rushing per game (114 by the Irish). On defense, Notre Dame has surrendered more than 200 yards rushing to MSU on each of its last three trips to Spartan Stadium. That type of production by Michigan State again likely will result in defeat for the Irish. Much is made of Notre Dame’s inexperience at corner, but Michigan State has its own development issues at quarterback and receiver. All the more reason why the battle in the trenches will be the centerpiece. Entering last week’s Purdue game, Notre Dame was 34-2 (.944) in games where it outrushed its opponent. Home-Field Advantage Again? In the seven seasons from 2001-07, one of the most unusual feats in a college rivalry occurred. All seven times, the victor in the Notre Dame-Michigan State series was the visiting team. Michigan State won at Notre Dame all four times during that span, with the most thrilling contest occurring in 2005, a 44-41 overtime victory by the unranked Spartans against the No. 10 Irish while overcoming 487 passing yards by quarterback Brady Quinn. Meanwhile, Michigan State alumnus and former quarterback Tyrone Willingham was 2-0 for Notre Dame in Spartan Stadium, with the 21-17 victory in his first season at Notre Dame (2002) improving the Irish to a 4-0 start and prompting the Sports Illustrated cover headline, “What A Difference A Coach Makes.” In 2006, Quinn and his cohorts staged another dramatic rally, just like a year earlier, but this time they came out on top with 19 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Michigan State finally ended the “home-field disadvantage” in 2008 with a 23-7 victory in East Lansing, and each program has held serve at home since then. Now would be a good a year as any for the Irish to end that four-game streak. Two In A Row? In the 12 meetings between these two programs from 2000-11, nine were decided by seven points or less. This included seven straight from 2000-06, a record by Notre Dame versus one opponent. The Irish posted a convincing 31-13 victory over Michigan State last year, but has not defeated the Spartans in back-to-back seasons since 1993 (36-14) and 1994 (21-20). Since 1994, the Spartans are the lone regular on the Irish schedule — Navy, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, USC, Pitt, Boston College and Stanford — that Notre Dame has failed to defeat in consecutive seasons. A Change Of Schedule Ever since Notre Dame and Michigan renewed their rivalry in 1978 — except for respites in 1983-84, 1995-96 and 2000-01 — the Irish have played the Wolverines almost every year the week before taking on Michigan State. Consequently, the Spartans always were deemed as a dangerous ambush opponent on the schedule because of what was labeled the “letdown factor” the week after the Michigan game. It’s been that way every year on the Irish slate since 2002 — until now. For the first time since 1997, Bob Davie’s first year as the Notre Dame coach, Michigan State precedes Michigan on the Irish docket. In 1997, Notre Dame lost at home to head coach Nick Saban’s No. 7-ranked Spartans, 23-7, before traveling to Ann Arbor and falling to the Wolverines (21-14), who would share the national title that season with Nebraska. Will this tweak to the 2012 schedule prove beneficial to Notre Dame? A sweep by Notre Dame this year the way it was swept in 1997 would even it out. — Lou Somogyi