3 Reasons for Optimism from MSU's Loss at Notre Dame
In this story:
Things were expected to get ugly, at least from those on the outside, during Michigan State's game at No. 3 Notre Dame on Saturday.
MSU actually held its own relatively well, though. The Spartans' upset bid never felt truly legitimate --- the Fighting Irish controlled things the whole way --- but Michigan State was able to keep the game from getting out of hand in what went down in the books as a 27-10 loss. Here are a couple of things to feel good about from the game:
Pat Fitzgerald's Refreshing Attitude
The topic in this article is pretty much about moral victories, but Pat Fitzgerald didn't speak like a coach who was thinking, "Well, it could've been worse," following the game. There was some sharpness and a thin layer of bitterness behind Fitzgerald's words. That's pretty standard for losing postgame pressers, but Fitzgerald was pretty direct about how he felt.
"Yeah, there's no such thing as a moral victory," Fitzgerald said following the game. "You guys [in the media] are going to get to know me, but I'm a competitive S.O.B., so I'm not very happy right now. You fix it by getting back to work. I don't know; I probably won't sleep tonight and will be in the office first thing in the morning and be hypercritical of myself."
Michigan State wasn't willing to concede that Notre Dame was at a level above it all week, even if it's probably true. The Spartans acknowledged how good the Irish were and are, but there wasn't any hint of a "just keep it close" mindset. MSU went into South Bend on a mission to come out 3-0.
Sure, Michigan State fell short by quite a bit, but there was an energy to the team's demeanor and overall strategy that felt different from the last few years. People around the program have said publicly that they expect to win every game on the schedule, and after Saturday, there doesn't seem to be a game on the schedule where a win comes after "when pigs fly."
Defense's Responses to Adversity
This game could've gotten out of hand pretty early. Michigan State was facing a 10-0 deficit before its offense had converted a first down. The Spartans gave up a 61-yard deep ball on the very first play of the game, but the defense was able to buck up right after that and force Notre Dame to kick a field goal. Then, the offense went three-and-out, and the ensuing punt was partially blocked. The Irish got the ball in MSU territory and went 41 yards and 11 plays for a touchdown.
Little bits of resilience are shown, even there, with the forced field goal and the fact that Michigan State made Notre Dame earn every yard and convert two fourth downs on its first touchdown drive of the game. Even after that, MSU's Alessio Milivojevic threw an interception on the second drive of the game, but the defense got a four-and-out after stopping a Fighting Irish fake punt.
Michigan State has now lost 12 straight games to AP Top 25 teams. That's not a pretty streak, but the 27 points allowed by the Spartans are actually the fewest points allowed during that stretch against ranked foes.
Last year, MSU allowed 45 points at then-No. 25 USC, 38 points at No. 3 Indiana, and 31 points against No. 25 Michigan. Had the team not scored garbage-time touchdowns against the Trojans and Wolverines, two teams definitely not of Notre Dame's level this year, the margins of defeat would've been larger than what Michigan State experienced against the Fighting Irish.
Big Mistakes Feel Fixable
Another key aspect of the bird's-eye view of this game is that Michigan State beat itself a little bit. Notre Dame largely won on Saturday by just playing a much cleaner game than the Spartans, rather than just outright overwhelming MSU with its four- and five-star level talent. There were times when the talent gap showed, but it wasn't in-your-face obvious for 60 minutes, like it normally is when Michigan State has played Ohio State or the Curt Cignetti Indiana teams in the last few years.
The most meme-able mistake was Kenneth Williams' touchdown drop. Well, that's pretty much just bad luck and a pass that gets caught 99 times out of 100 (even if he had caught it, Michigan State had several linemen illegally downfield). LeVar Woods is a good enough special teams coordinator that a partially blocked punt probably shouldn't happen again.
Fitzgerald said some of the big gains allowed in the pass game were because corners were letting receivers get free releases while in press, so that can be quickly addressed.
All the mistakes add up especially quickly against the No. 3 team in the nation, but there are some tweaks here and there that aren't entirely related to talent and feel a bit like relatively normal early-season mistakes. It's on the coaching staff to fix those things, but the fact that mistakes feel like a major part of the story, rather than just the Spartans getting rolled over, is also progress.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
Follow jacobcotsonika