Matchups: Notre Dame and Michigan State Battle for the Megaphone Trophy

Notre Dame did what a national-title contender needed to do against an undermanned Rice team this past weekend, shutting out the Owls 52-0. The victory marked the 12th consecutive double-digit win for the Irish dating back to September 2025. Moreover, the lopsided win added to Notre Dame’s margin of victory versus unranked AP teams. In fact, Irish head coach Marcus Freeman has the highest average margin of victory over such teams of any head coach in Notre Dame history.

This weekend, Freeman will face another opponent his squad is projected to demolish as they welcome the Michigan State Spartans to South Bend. The Spartans are 29.5-point underdogs.

62 New Faces, Same Big Ask

Not only did Michigan State add head coach Pat Fitzgerald during the offseason, but the Spartans also added 62 new players (32 from the portal and 30 freshmen) to their roster for 2026. That is always assumed to be a positive trend, but sometimes it takes a while for players to develop good rapport with each other, if they do at all. After just two games with the new roster and staff, Michigan State is still discovering whether the recent additions were smart moves. Furthermore, those two opponents were both from non-Power Four conferences, which means there is even less credible evidence right now for a verdict.

Playing a road game at night against the No. 3 team in the land will likely spell doom for a team still trying to find its way. Edge: Notre Dame

Cam Edwards Meets the Irish Front

Spartans running back Cam Edwards is one of the 62 players Michigan State added from the transfer portal (UConn), and after two games he has already earned his NIL money. Edwards is ranked seventh in the nation with 250 total rushing yards, including three touchdowns. Last weekend against Eastern Michigan, he carried the ball 21 times for 152 yards. During the week prior against Toledo, Edwards carried the ball 27 times for 98 yards.

He’ll be facing much stiffer competition at Notre Dame, as the Irish are currently ranked 14th against the run, allowing 65.5 rushing yards per game. During Week 1, the Irish faced a Wisconsin team that prided itself on being able to run the ball and limited the Badgers to 67 yards on the ground. It should be noted that the Wisconsin offense included a dual-threat quarterback who had over 1,000 rushing yards a year ago. Edge: Notre Dame

Leonard Moore and the Passing Threat

Unlike Rice’s gun-option-oriented offense from a week ago, Notre Dame’s secondary will face a Michigan State team that is not afraid to throw the ball around, with a receiving corps led by Rodney Bullard. The senior receiver leads the team with 10 catches for 116 yards and one touchdown. Like the Spartans’ ground game, their passing numbers also came against the likes of Toledo and Eastern Michigan. Neither of those teams has Leonard Moore at cornerback, and that could mean trouble for Bullard and company.

Due to the scoreboard getting out of hand early, Moore played just four series against Rice before watching the remainder of the game from the sideline. The All-American corner did see extensive time against Wisconsin during Week 1, however. The Badgers recorded 33 coverage snaps and targeted Moore’s receiver four times. Moore finished the game having allowed just two completions for 16 yards, with six tackles, one pass breakup, and zero touchdowns allowed. It is safe to expect similar results this week. Edge: Leonard Moore – Notre Dame

Can the Irish Ground Game Get Going?

Michigan State will enter Saturday night with a top-50 rushing defense, as the Spartans are currently ranked 39th, allowing just 89 rushing yards per game. They’ll be facing a Notre Dame running back unit that has performed at an underwhelming rate compared to last season. The Irish find themselves ranked 116th in rushing offense, averaging 114.5 yards per game. On the surface, Michigan State’s defense appears to have a clear advantage in this category; however, underlying numbers may show otherwise.

The Spartans are allowing 3.9 yards per carry, and that came against Toledo and Eastern Michigan. In comparison, Notre Dame averaged 3.5 yards per carry on 32 attempts versus a similar Big Ten opponent in Wisconsin. Whether the Irish can average four yards per carry against the Spartans remains to be seen, but the level of competition Michigan State has faced thus far cannot be overlooked. There are too many unknowns in this matchup to draw an advantage. Edge: Tie

CJ Carr Has the Explosive-Play Edge

The Spartans’ secondary allowed just 118 yards through the air last weekend against Eastern Michigan, including two completions of over 20 yards. During its game against Toledo in Week 1, the secondary surrendered 196 receiving yards, with catches of 60, 31, and 21 yards, respectively. With all due respect, the quarterbacks completing those passes were not CJ Carr.

Carr is not only projected to be a first-round NFL draft pick, but he is also ranked 11th in passing efficiency. That number would be even higher if it weren’t for the three passes that were indefensibly dropped a week ago. Against Rice, Carr completed 16 of 20 passes for 253 yards and four touchdowns. During Week 1, Carr found nine different targets for 239 yards and two scores. There will be explosive plays for the taking on Saturday night against Michigan State. Edge: CJ Carr – Notre Dame