Irish take control in 2nd half to beat MSU
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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- CJ Carr threw for 234 yards and ran for a touchdown, Nolan James Jr. rushed for 121 yards and a score, and No. 3 Notre Dame took control in the second half to beat Michigan State 27-10 on Saturday night.
It was the 13th straight victory dating to last season for the Fighting Irish -- all by double digits. Coach Marcus Freeman broke the Notre Dame record for consecutive double-digit victories, exceeding the 12 by Knute Rockne from 1921-22.
Micah Gilbert had eight catches for 170 yards, the most yards for a Notre Dame receiver since 2019.
Carr’s streak of 12 games with a passing touchdown ended, with the Fighting Irish (3-0) scoring all three TDs on short rushes.
Notre Dame outscored Michigan State 10-0 in the second half, limiting the Spartans (2-1) to 40 yards of offense over the final two quarters. Michigan State only had one play in Notre Dame territory in the second half, and a 9-yard sack sent the Spartans back into their own territory.
“It wasn’t perfect, as everybody saw, but it was a good victory and a hard-fought victory,” Freeman said. “Those are the type of victories that you’re going to have to win and find a way to win.”
Notre Dame punished the Spartans with four quarterback sacks, six tackles for loss and two interceptions, by Luke Talich and Adon Shuler.
“We make that a staple of our defense,” linebacker Drayk Bowen said. “We want to take the ball away. We want to be at least plus-two in every game. It’s intentional work in practice … whether it’s a punch-out or we have a chance to intercept it.”
Carr’s 3-yard run early in the fourth quarter made it 27-10. James scored on a 2-yard run in the first quarter, and Aneyas Williams ran it in from 1 yard out with 4:46 left in the second.
Williams’ TD made it 17-3, but the Spartans closed within 17-10 by halftime. Cam Fancher, who platooned with Alessio Milivojevic at quarterback, scored on a 15-yard scramble.
Milivojevic was 9 of 17 passing for 123 yards and the two picks.
Michigan State coach Pat Fitzgerald said Notre Dame’s quick start wounded the Spartans’ chances for an upset.
“We had talked to them about avoiding the first-round knockout, and obviously we didn’t do a very good job of that, spotted them 10,” Fitzgerald said. “But we responded to that. We started moving the ball.”
Up next
Notre Dame: At Purdue on Saturday.
Michigan State: Hosts Nebraska on
Michigan State defensive back Nikai Martinez, right, and safety Devin Vaught, left, tackle Notre Dame running back Nolan James Jr. in the second half on Saturday in South Bend, Ind. (AP photo)