Michigan Sports

Spartans, Irish renew rivalry after almost a decade

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- No. 3 Notre Dame and Michigan State have a storied rivalry without a recent chapter.

That changes Saturday.

For the first time since 2017, the Fighting Irish and Spartans (2-0) will square off in the Battle for the Megaphone -- a rivalry that once was a featured annual attraction because of its national championship implications. New Michigan State coach Pat Fitzgerald would like to keep this game on future schedules, too.

“Not to play this game every year, it just stinks, I think for both fan bases and both teams,” he said. “It’s one of the great, storied traditions and rivalries in college football. Scheduling is a pain in the neck for everybody, but it’s always great to have your rivalry games on the schedule.”

Irish coach Marcus Freeman also has said publicly he prefers to keep rivalry games on the schedule, though Notre Dame’s five-game tie-in to the ACC has made it more difficult.

The result: Southern California fell off the docket this year for the first time in a non-COVID year since 1946; Notre Dame and Michigan haven’t met since 2019 after playing almost every year starting in 1978; and Purdue dropped in 2015 after playing the Irish annually from 1996-2014. The Boilermakers and Notre Dame resumed their in-state rivalry in 2021 and will meet next week for the third straight year following another three-year hiatus.

Notre Dame’s rivalry with the Spartans has included some dandies. The 1966 game between the nation’s top two teams ended in a 10-10 tie at East Lansing, a game dubbed “The Game of the Century.”

While this game won’t come with that hype, Freeman understands the Irish (2-0) must play well to avoid another September loss at home.

“They’re physical, tough,” Freeman said. “They play hard. They don’t mess up. They don’t beat themselves. It’s obvious they have Pat Fitzgerald’s DNA written all over them. They’re going to be a good challenge for us.”

Notre Dame leads the rivalry 49-29-1, but Michigan State has won 11 of the previous 19 meetings and six straight road games in the series, a Notre Dame Stadium record for an opponent.

They will meet again in 2027, but Fitzgerald would like this game to be on the Spartans’ schedule every year.

“I’m honored to be a part of college football, I’m honored to be part of rivalries,” Fitzgerald said. “This is one of the storied rivalries in college football, one that dates back all the way to 1897.”

Fond memories

Fitzgerald has special memories of playing and coaching at Notre Dame Stadium.

He played on the 1995 Northwestern team that upset No. 9 Notre Dame 17-15, a victory that propelled the Wildcats to end a 23-year streak of losing seasons by winning the Big Ten and going to the Rose Bowl. As the Northwestern coach in 2014, his team won 43-40 in overtime.

Tough D

NFL scouts are salivating over two Irish potential first-round draft picks, cornerback Leonard Moore and safety Adon Shuler. Fitzgerald, a former linebacker understands why.

“Their defense is physical and violent at each level. They’ve got a first-round corner, potentially the first pick overall, they’ve got talent everywhere,” Fitzgerald said. “I mean Moore’s going to be, he might be the first pick overall. It doesn’t take long for you to see Schuler (on tape).”