Griffiths: Notre Dame makes statement with 20-3 win over Michigan St.
By DOUG GRIFFITHS
ISL Correspondent
Before the Notre Dame-Michigan State game Saturday night, Irish coach Brian Kelly said we would learn a lot about quarterback Everett Golson.
We did, but we also learned that the Irish have a pretty darn good defense that is quicker and more talented than it has been in a while.
For the third game in a row, Golson was impressive, but the defense was outstanding, paving the way for the 20th-ranked Irish to beat No. 10 Michigan State decisively 20-3 in East Lansing.
The win gives Brian Kelly’s Irish their first 3-0 start since the 2002 season. In addition, it was Notre Dame’s first road win over a top-25 team since 2005.
It’s a signature win, said Kelly afterwards.
One of Kelly’s stars on the night was All-American linebacker Manti Te’o, who had 12 tackles, one for loss and broke up two passes. Earlier in the week, Te’o’s grandmother passed away and so did his girlfriend after a long battle with leukemia.
In the game’s waning seconds, Te’o was overcome by emotion, took a knee and bowed his head as teammates consoled him.
Te’o and the rest of his defensive teammates executed the game plan to perfection. It was obvious from the outset that the Irish wanted to make sure that someone other than Spartan back Le’Veon Bell beat them.
Bell, one of the nation’s leading rushers coming in and a Heisman Trophy candidate, was held to 77 yards on 19 carries. His longest run of the night was a 15-yarder.
To slow Bell, Notre Dame often put as many as eight men in the box. The strategy also forced Spartan quarterback Andrew Maxwell to go to the air more often than he would’ve liked. The problem for the hosts was the Irish secondary defended MSU’s receivers very well and Maxwell had very little time to go down field through the air. Instead, he was forced to throw underneath.
The Irish front pressured Maxwell throughout, sacking him on four occasions and forcing him to throw the ball away several other times.
Entering the game, Michigan State had not allowed a sack this season. Of course, Notre Dame hadn’t held a Big Ten opponent to single digits since 1996 (in a 35-0 win over Purdue). Both those streaks came to an abrupt end.
Maxwell finished the night 23-of-45 passing for 187 yards.
He directed a Michigan State offense that mustered just 237 total yards, including 50 yards on the road. It was the Spartans’ worst offensive showing in Spartan Stadium since a 20-3 loss to Central Michigan in 1991.
Tough day at the office, I guess you’d say, MSU coach Mark Dantonio said.
The Irish led 7-0 in the second quarter when a couple of mis-direction plays helped lead to another touchdown drive.
The first big play of the drive came when Golson rolled right and handed off to George Atkinson III, who cut left, and raced 32 yards to the Michigan State 19. Two plays later, Golson’s throwback pass to TJ Jones was good for a 14-yard gain and put the ball on the Spartan 4.
Following a three-yard loss, Golson scrambled and outran the Spartan defense to the left corner of the end zone, giving the Irish what would prove to be a commanding 14-0 lead with 10:50 remaining in the first half.
Michigan State did respond, by driving to the Irish 23, but Notre Dame freshman defensive end Sheldon Day came up with a big sack and knocked down a pass on the following play to stall the drive. As a result, the Spartans had to settle for a 50-yard field goal from Dan Conroy to make it 14-3 with 3:44 to go.
In addition to Te’o and Day, another one of Notre Dame’s defensive stars was outside linebacker Prince Shembo. He finished with nine tackles, including a sack and two stops for losses.
The biggest drive of the second half came when the Irish started at their 4. They proceeded to drive deep into Spartan territory, chewing up a ton of time. The drive ended with a Kyle Brindza’s 29-yard field goal. It gave the visitors what felt like an insurmountable lead at 17-3 with 6:21 to play.
One of the key plays of that drive came on fourth-and-one from the Spartan 37. Running back Cierre Wood, making his first appearance of the 2012 season after serving a suspension, scampered eight yards for a critical first down. Springing Wood on the play was tight end Tyler Eifert, who sealed his man and let Wood get the edge.
The Irish did add a meaningless field goal – a 47-yarder – that finished the scoring.
Notre Dame got on the scoreboard first when Golson rolled right and threw a laser back to his left for a 36-yard touchdown pass to receiver John Goodman standing in the end zone. The play showcased Golson’s impressive arm strength. Goodman was interfered with, but it didn’t matter as he cradled the ball into his body with one arm and the Irish led by a touchdown with 7:18 left in the first quarter.
It was the first offensive touchdown allowed by the Spartan defense this season.
Notre Dame’s offense may not have been overly impressive – it gained 300 yards, including 122 on the ground – but Golson was.
He accounted for both of the Irish’s touchdowns and threw for 178 yards, completing 14-of-32 passes and for the second straight game didn’t throw an interception.
He made some big plays for us early which put us in a good position, said Kelly of his quarterback.
Next up for the Irish is the annual clash with Michigan, who is 2-1 after crushing Massachusetts, 63-13, this afternoon. Notre Dame will host the Wolverines at 7:30 p.m. next Saturday, a game that will be televised by NBC.
We want to rejoice in this, but we also know that we have to come back and we have Michigan next week, Kelly said. That’s a big rivalry game also.
NOTRE DAME NUGGETS
– After injuring his shoulder last week against Purdue, safety Jamoris Slaughter injured his left ankle against the Spartans and had to be helped off the field. He didn’t return to action.
– Notre Dame hadn’t held a top-10 team to three points or less since beating Texas A&M 28-3 in 1993.
– One area you can bet Kelly and the Irish will be working on in the days leading up to the Michigan game is third-down conversions. Notre Dame was a dismal 1-of-14 on third downs against the Spartans.
Also: Purdue runs wild in 54-16 win over Eastern Michigan
