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✦ ON PAPER BY DAN MURPHY forefront of the Heisman Trophy watch list in a season- opening statement game on Aug. 31. Bell, behind the most experienced offensive line Mark Dantonio has coached at Michigan State, ran for 210 yards and two scores on 44 car- ries in a win over Boise State. He'll face his toughest challenge of the young season MSU RUNNING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME RUN DEFENSE Junior running back Le'Veon Bell propelled himself to the against Notre Dame's front seven. The Irish looked particu- larly athletic while holding Navy to 149 rushing yards in their season opener — that's less than half of their 312.2 yards per game average from a year ago. Notre Dame beat the Spartans in 2011 by holding Bell and his fellow backs to 29 rushing yards. A repeat performance in East Lansing is the Irish recipe for an upset, but that might not be in the cards if Bell can continue to carry the same weight. Advantage: Notre Dame interceptions in his first start, but several of those fell on the shoulders of the Spartans' young group of pass catch- ers. Michigan State lost its top three receivers from a year ago, including the program's all-time leading receiver B.J. Cunningham. Junior tight end Dion Simms appears to be Maxwell's favorite target early this year, notching 10 catches for 113 yards and a touchdown through two games. Navy surprised Irish cornerbacks freshman KeiVarae Rus- MSU PASSING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME PASS DEFENSE Michigan State quarterback Andrew Maxwell threw three Golson to throw the ball. Irish ball carriers other then Gol- son finished with just 62 yards on 20 attempts. The Spartans gave up only 100.5 yards per game in 2011, and should be just as stingy this season. Junior lineback- ers Max Bullough and Denicos Allen present a blend of strength and speed at the second level, while defensive end William Gholston (6-7, 278) might be the best all- around defender the Irish will see this year. Notre Dame will need to be creative to maximize their talent, but Chuck Martin has done that well in the early stages as offensive coordinator. Advantage: Michigan State ing the ball around to as many receivers as possible. Ten Notre Dame players caught passes against Navy in the sea- son opener and nine had catches against Purdue. Twelve caught passes all of last sea- son. Notre Dame's trio of tight ends present matchup problems for every defense they face — especially se- nior Tyler Eifert. Michigan State's secondary, sell and junior Bennett Jackson in Ireland by spreading out and throwing deep. Both first-time starters got burned by some below average receivers to the tune of 192 passing yards, but rebounded for a solid outing against Purdue. The Boilermakers managed just 198 yards through the air on 19-of-37 passing, but Jackson, Russell and Co. still have a lot to prove. This game will be a good test to see who is the faster learner, Maxwell or the Irish secondary. Advantage: Even tack this week with the return of Cierre Wood. The senior missed the first two games of the season after rushing for 1,102 yards a year ago. Senior Theo Riddick and sopho- more George Atkinson III partnered up in his absence as more than capable replacements. The Irish rushed for 293 yards against Navy, but ditched the run against Purdue when the Boilermakers stacked the box and dared Everett NOTRE DAME RUNNING GAME VS. MSU RUN DEFENSE The Irish add a couple of cylinders to their rushing at- led by preseason All-Amer- ican cornerback Johnny Ad- ams, held its opponents to 176.9 passing yards per game last year. So far this year, op- ponents have completed only 45.7 of their throws for an average of 171.0 yards per game with no scores and three picks. Golson is still in the learning stages of his de- velopment under center for Notre Dame, and he lacks the proven targets at receiver to carry him against a defense like the one he'll face in East Lansing. Advantage: Michigan State Fifth-year senior cornerback Johnny Adams was tabbed as a preseason All-American by vari- ous media outlets after helping MSU hold opponents to 176.9 passing yards per game last year. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN STATE big play on special teams could tip momentum in either direction. It certainly has the past two times these teams have met. In 2010, Michigan State's fake field goal in over- time won the game. Last year, Atkinson's kickoff return for a touchdown gave the Irish the early momentum they needed to pull out a victory. SPECIAL TEAMS In what will likely be a low-scoring and close game, a ✦ PAGE 4 NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. MSU PASS DEFENSE The Irish have been true to their word about spread- the season in Dublin, but followed that by knocking in a 34- yard field goal later in the game. Sophomore Kyle Brindza was just as efficient in week two with his game winner in the fourth quarter. Michigan State's Dan Conroy is 3 of 5 kicking this year, including a 50-yarder against Boise State. Sophomore Nick Hill gives the Spartans a home run threat Senior Nick Tausch missed his first extra point attempt of in the return game, but Notre Dame has two heavy hit- ters with Atkinson and freshman Davonte' Neal returning punts. Advantage: Notre Dame Dantonio and his predecessors at Michigan State. With back-to-back 11 win seasons, Dantonio's staff is erasing those doubts. A triple-overtime win against Georgia in the Outback Bowl last year was a huge statement for the Spar- tans after losing in the Big Ten title game. They have their work cut out for them with some major losses on offense this season, but clearly have earned the respect to remain a top-10 team in early season polls. Brian Kelly and his staff have been consistent in their first COACHING A lack of consistency has always been the knock on Mark two seasons at Notre Dame, but not at the level anyone in South Bend wanted. Kelly and his group still have to prove they can consistently beat ranked teams. Both staffs have had their moments against each other the past two years. Advantage: Even these two schools in what have been evenly matched contests even if the scoreboard didn't always reflect that. The Spartans were whispering about a dark horse national INTANGIBLES The home team has won the last four meetings between title shot during the offseason. A big early win against Boise State has them feeling that confidence in the fall. Golson and the rest of the Irish first-timers still have things to wonder about heading into their first real test against an upper-tier team. Michigan State expects to be in the BCS hunt at the end of the season. Notre Dame is still trying to figure out if it can get there, which gives Sparty the mental edge. Advantage: Michigan State PREDICTIONS Lou Somogyi: Michigan State 17, Notre Dame 16 Jason Sapp: Notre Dame 21, Michigan State 17 Wes Morgan: Notre Dame 31, Michigan State 28 Dan Murphy: Michigan State 24, Notre Dame 20