See how Notre Dame football graded out in win over Michigan State
· Yahoo Sports
SOUTH BEND — Third-ranked Notre Dame football retained the much-discussed megaphone with a 27-10 win over unranked Michigan State on Saturday Sept. 19 at Notre Dame Stadium.
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Claiming this 80th all-time meeting between the schools wasn’t easy, though, on a rain-marred night against first-year coach Pat Fitzgerald’s new team.
The Irish (3-0) won their 13th straight game since last year’s 0-2 start. The Spartans fell to 2-1 after opening with a pair of MAC tuneups.
Here’s how the South Bend Tribune graded out Notre Dame’s work.
Offense: B-
The Irish came in tied for 56th in FBS in red-zone efficiency and settled for a chip-shot field goal on their opening possession. A pass-interference penalty wiped out what would have been CJ Carr’s first interception since a pick-6 at Pitt last November. The running game sputtered again early but Nolan James Jr. gritted his way to 46 yards (on nine carries) in a nearly 10-minute drive to open the second half.
Defense: B+
Backup quarterback Cam Fancher gave the Irish fits as a situational threat. Only a wide-open dropped pass in the end zone by Kenneth Williams kept Fancher from factoring in two first-half scores. Coordinator Chris Ash’s group remains steadfast on the opening series of each half. The pass rush picked up late.
Special teams: C+
Matt Jeffery blocked a punt to set up Notre Dame’s first touchdown. Fourth-and-13 from the Irish 39 was an odd spot for a fake punt, especially up 10-0 against a 29-point underdog, but freshman speedster Brayden Robinson was stopped 2 yards shy of the first down late in the first quarter. Spencer Porath missed a 39-yard field goal attempt, his first miscue with the Irish.
Coaching: B
Looking for his school-record 13th straight win by double digits, Marcus Freeman saw his offense notch a pair of fourth-down conversions to make it 10-0 early. The usual end-of-half calculations came up empty but the Irish stayed convicted to the run.
Overall: B
Favored by more than four touchdowns, Notre Dame let the Spartans hang around for a half before slowly stamping out any visions of an upset. Next up is a trip to Purdue against a rebuilding program coming off a West Coast trip to UCLA.
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: See how Notre Dame football graded out in win over Michigan State