Notre Dame-Michigan State: The Spartans’ History of Haunting the Irish

Old rivals will square off again Saturday night in South Bend when No. 3 Notre Dame welcomes Michigan State to town.

The two used to meet almost every year and have faced off 79 times previously, the fourth-most of any opponent Notre Dame has ever played.

Saturday night will be the first meeting between the two since 2017, however, and it'll be Michigan State's first trip to Notre Dame Stadium since 2016.

Notre Dame is a massive favorite in the contest, being a national championship contender and all, but that doesn't mean I can simply look at the history of messing things up for Notre Dame, that Michigan State has.

Notre Dame Leads All-Time Series vs. Michigan State

Saturday will be meeting number 80 between the Fighting Irish and Spartans, with Notre Dame holding the 49-29-1 all-time edge.

Despite winning the vast majority of head-to-head meetings all-time, the most famous meeting between the two turns 60 years old this year, as the top-two teams in the nation famously battled to a 10-10 tie in 1966.

Despite holding the all-time advantage, Notre Dame has had its struggles against Michigan State in relative recent history.

Over the last 22 meetings, which dates back to 1992, both teams have won an even 11 games. That includes a stretch where Michigan State won all five meetings from 1997 to 2001 (thanks Bob Davie) and five of eight from 2003 to 2010.

Michigan State's History of Ruining Things for Notre Dame

Notre Dame and Michigan State's history together dates back to 1887, but I'd like to focus on 1997 to 2010 for now.

1997 was the third year of the Nick Saban era in East Lansing, and the first at Notre Dame with Bob Davie as head coach.

History looks back at this run as telling in regards to where both of their careers headed.

Saban and Michigan State came to South Bend in September and handed Notre Dame its lunch, 23-7 in '97.

1998 meant a different location in East Lansing, but the same result, as Michigan State stomped Notre Dame, 45-23.

Saban's final game against Notre Dame (while at Michigan State) was more of the same, as the Spartans walked into Notre Dame Stadium and handed the Irish a 23-13 loss.

In came Bobby Williams to replace Saban, who left for LSU, and more of the same came for Davie and Notre Dame.

2000 saw the Irish drop a heartbreaker, 28-21, in the final moments at Michigan State. That was one of those losses that, as a kid, seemed to hang around a bit longer than most others.

That 2000 team wasn't amazing, but it was memorable for getting to the BCS for the first time in program history. That loss came a week after stunning Drew Brees and Purdue in South Bend, and felt just as painful as falling to No. 1 Nebraska did in overtime two weeks earlier.

2001 was more of the same as Notre Dame had no offense against Michigan State, falling 17-10 in South Bend.

Notre Dame finally ended the losing streak in 2002 thanks to Arnaz Battle, but fell again in 2003 in South Bend.

2005's meeting in South Bend was supposed to be different, but Notre Dame had no answers for Drew Stanton, as Michigan State upset the upstart Charlie Weis-led team, 44-41.

Some Notre Dame fans remember the Michigan State team planting its flag near midfield of Notre Dame Stadium after the game, a move that still brings anger over 20 years later.

Michigan State Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald and Upsetting Notre Dame

Much like Michigan State during my formative years, Spartans head coach Pat Fitzgerald made a habit of ruining things for Notre Dame previously, as well.

Fitzgerald was a star linebacker at Northwestern as the Wildcats served up a massive upset of Notre Dame in Week 1 back in 1995. Yes, that Northwestern team wound up being very good and won the Big Ten, but Notre Dame football was arguably not the same for the next 17 years following that loss.

He was also the head coach of Northwestern when the Wildcats entered Notre Dame Stadium just 3-6 overall, and stunned Brian Kelly and company, with a 43-40 upset win.

For a fan base that has seen its team lose games in dumb ways over the years, very few stack up to the mismangement of seemingly everything that led to that brutal defeat.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thoughts

While Michigan and USC get the bulk of attention when it comes to being Notre Dame's traditional rivals, Michigan State deserves more love (or hate?) in the conversation.

Only Navy, USC, and Pittsburgh have been played more by Notre Dame, and despite the significant advantage in win-loss, Michigan State has been a flat-out pain for the Fighting Irish to deal with the last 30 years.

With Fitzgerald in charge of Michigan State football now, I expect more of the same. No, I don't think Michigan State walks into Notre Dame Stadium and pulls the upset but I fully expect to see a team that brings four quarters of fight and a physicality that his teams traditionally have.

The spread on this game may be nearly 30 points, but relatively recent history tells a different story about the difficulty of this contest.

Game week

Battle for the Megaphone Trophy

🆚 Michigan State
📍 South Bend, Indiana
📆 Saturday, Sept. 19
⏰ 7:30 PM ET
📺 NBC | Peacock#GoIrish☘️ | @tirerack pic.twitter.com/LsUKQEwqsZ
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 14, 2026

That said, this is a Michigan State defense that has allowed huge plays to the likes of Toledo already this year, giving up five plays of 20 yards or more in its 30-20 victory over the Rockets.

Common sense tells me Notre Dame should roll to another one-sided victory on Saturday night, but the past has me feeling anything but easy about how it'll go.

Add us as a preferred source on Google