Michigan State is renewing a rivalry on Saturday afternoon with its first matchup against Notre Dame in a decade. The Spartans are unfortunately going to be a heavy underdog as they’re in a rebuilding year against the No. 3 Irish. Crazier things have happened, though.
While an upset isn’t likely, it’s possible, especially with the weather being as bad as it is in South Bend. The Spartans will try to take advantage of a run-heavy attack.
It’s going to be a dogfight on Saturday night but the line is set at 29.5 in favor of the Irish. Pat Fitzgerald and the Spartans will have something to say about that.
Without further ado, let’s get bold.
1. Cam Edwards eclipses 100 yards again
Two games into his Michigan State career, Cam Edwards is leading the Big Ten in rushing and has a 98-yard game and another of over 150 rushing yards. He’s going to have a third straight good rushing performance, this time with over 115 yards and a touchdown against a formidable Irish defense.
Notre Dame has yet to give up over 70 rushing yards in a single game and the Irish have been dominating in the trenches but Michigan State is going to find a way to pave running lanes for Edwards as he eclipses 100 yards for a third straight game.
Will this be enough to lead the Spartans to an upset? We’ll see.
2. Michigan State wins the turnover battle
Turnovers haven’t been a theme for Michigan State so far this season but it’s going to be a sloppy, wet game on Ssaturday night and the ball is going to be put on the turf quite a bit.
If there’s a lot of passing going on (I doubt there will be), there are sure to also be some errant passes with no grip on the ball for CJ Carr and Alessio Milivojevic. Turnovers are going to be plentiful on Saturday night.
And Michigan State is going to win the battle.
No one really expects Michigan State to win the turnover battle but it’s going to take advantage of some sloppy play and Fitzgerald will have his guys ready to pounce on loose balls.
3. Michigan State keeps the game within two scores
Is this really a bold prediction? Unfortunately, given the spread, it absolutely is.
Notre Dame is nearly a 30-point favorite and the experts are saying that the Irish are going to cover but the vibe around the Michigan State program is different these days. This isn’t a Jonathan Smith-coached team that’s just going to roll over and let the Irish walk all over them. This team has some life, a lot of discipline, and a decent amount of momentum.
Will that lead to an upset? No, but the game is going to be much closer than people think.
The game will be within a touchdown at one point in the third quarter but the Irish will score on a couple of broken plays to make it a 21-point game before the Spartans score late to make it 31-17.
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