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Michigan State Football: 5 takeaways from Notre Dame win

By Connor Muldowney

Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans center Brian Allen (65) prepares to snap the ball in the second quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans center Brian Allen (65) prepares to snap the ball in the second quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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What five things did we learn about Michigan State football following its win over No. 18 Notre Dame?

The first road win of the season was an impressive one for eighth-ranked Michigan State football as it hit the road to take on the No. 18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The win gave the Spartans the Megaphone Trophy, the final one they were missing in their rivalry tour. Michigan State now owns every possible rivalry trophy that they battle for.

Coming to town this weekend is No. 11 Wisconsin and it’s going to be a tough test for the Spartans, especially after a taxing road contest. Michigan State will be playing two consecutive ranked teams and that could spell doom for a young team, but Mark Dantonio has been in this position many times before.

Over the past few years, Dantonio has beaten the likes of Michigan, Oregon, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Baylor and Stanford. That’s quite a resume for one of the most underrated coaches in college football.

Now that Michigan State has escaped South Bend with a 36-28 convincing victory, we know more about this team than we did after the Furman game. What are the five biggest takeaways from the Spartans’ big win?

5. The offensive line is better than advertised

Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans center Brian Allen (65) prepares to snap the ball in the second quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans center Brian Allen (65) prepares to snap the ball in the second quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

Brian Allen, Kodi Kieler, Miguel Machado, Brandon Clemons and Benny McGowan, among others, played incredible. Not allowing a single sack against the Fighting Irish and their strong front-seven is a feat in itself, but when a team puts up 260 yards on the ground with three rushing touchdowns, you know the offensive line is doing something right.

The trenches were won by the Spartans all day long as the offensive line got a good push on Notre Dame’s defensive front, picking up an average of 5.0 yards per carry. That was boosted by a 73-yard touchdown run by Gerald Holmes, but it wouldn’t have been possible without a gigantic opening in the middle of the line for him.

Holmes went the distance, untouched, on a run between the tackles. That’s just not something you hear very often.

Going into the season, no one knew what to expect of a group losing three starters, but this offensive line is better than advertised.

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