Notre Dame Football: Previewing the Michigan State game

After yet another debacle last week against Michigan, the Fighting Irish await the season's stiffest challenge against Mark Dantonio's Michigan State squad.

The Spartans are coming off a 44-0 demolition of Florida Atlantic last week and looked like a well-oiled machine in the process.

That doesn't bode well for Notre Dame, as Tommy Rees and Co. have been anything but consistent thus far.

Despite the disappointing start, Notre Dame won't have any problem getting fired up for this game considering what happened in last season's matchup when the Spartans won the game on a fake field goal pass in overtime.

This season's meeting should be equally exciting.

Follow along as we preview the game.

Michigan State's Offense

Michigan State's offense is no mystery, but it always manages to put points on the board.

Leading the way is senior quarterback Kirk Cousins, considered by many to the Big Ten's best quarterback. In two games, Cousins has completed 34 of 43 pass attempts for 405 yards and three touchdowns.

He's not going to put up big numbers, but Cousins will not make mistakes. That results in very efficient play at quarterback. 

Lining up behind Cousins is the three-headed monster at running back that is the engine of Michigan State's offense.

Edwin Baker, Le'Veon Bell and Larry Caper are all formidable backs who would each be starters on any other team.

They're straight ahead runners who are going to pound the ball every time they touch it. Notre Dame's front seven will surely be tested by the Spartan ground attack.

Because of that potent run game, Michigan State is able to easily set up play-action, and the team has two excellent receivers in B.J. Cunningham and Keshawn Martin who can and will burn defenses vertically.

Cunningham currently leads the time in receptions (14) and receiving yards (203) thus far.

Michigan State's Defense

The Spartan defense has been tremendous in the first two weeks of the season, holding Youngstown State and Florida Atlantic to a combined six points.

The unit limited Florida Atlantic to 48 total yards and only one first down.

Much of that dominance should be credited to the outstanding play of the Spartans' front four, led by All-American candidate and nose tackle Jerel Worthy.

Joining forces with Worthy is monster (6'7", 265) defensive end William Gholston.

Those two combine to form a lethal pass rush that will test Notre Dame's veteran offensive line until the final horn.

That pass rush will be the key in determining whether or not the Spartan D is an "elite" unit.

The first big test of the season comes against Notre Dame, a team that has racked up 1,021 yards of offense in its first two games against South Florida and Michigan.

Notre Dame's Keys to the Game

1. Don't turn the ball over. This has to be priority No. 1 for Notre Dame if the Irish wish to beat Michigan State, or any team for that matter. Ten turnovers in the first two games of the season is inexcusable and simply can't happen, or else the team will continue to lose in dramatic fashion.

2. Contain Michigan State's running backs. The Spartans are a run-first team, so it's expected that the team will finish with a significant number of rushing yards. However, if the Notre Dame defense can find a way to contain the Spartan running backs, the Irish will have a chance to win.

3. Get the other receivers involved. Notre Dame, Tommy Rees in particular, has shown an over-reliance on Michael Floyd thus far. It's crucial that T.J. Jones and Theo Riddick also get in on the action so that Floyd will have a higher number of opportunities in isolation.

4. Keep running the ball. One bright spot in a rather murky start for Notre Dame has been the play of Cierre Wood. Through two games, Wood has accumulated 238 rushing yards on 46 carries along with two scores. He must continue to perform at a high level to help take the pressure off of Tommy Rees and the passing game.

5. Win the field position battle. Notre Dame punter Ben Turk has had an abysmal start to the 2011 season, averaging in the neighborhood of 33 yards per punt. His lackluster efforts have resulted in the Irish defense being forced to defend a short field time and again.

Michigan State's Keys to the Game

1. Pound the football. Mark Dantonio's offensive philosophy has been to run the ball straight ahead and play great defense. It's a traditional Big Ten style. It's also what the Spartans do best. The team has historically been successful against Notre Dame when it plays with a smashmouth, take no prisoners attitude.

2. Pressure Tommy Rees. Like I said in a previous slide, Michigan State's defensive line is the key to shutting down opposing defenses. If defensive ends William Gholston and Marcus Rush get a quick burst off the edge and get in Rees' face, the young quarterback is likely to make bad throws that may result in at least a few interceptions.

3. Contain Michael Floyd. Through two games, it's apparent that the key to Notre Dame's offense is the play of All-American receiver Michael Floyd. Tommy Rees has thrown 70 percent of his passes to Floyd, so if the Spartans can find a way to contain him, it'll be a long day for the Irish offense.

4. Take advantage of a weak Notre Dame secondary. The Irish secondary wilted in the fourth quarter against Michigan, allowing three touchdown passes to Denard Robinson. Kirk Cousins is certainly a better passer than Robinson, so throwing the ball shouldn't be an issue for the Spartans.

Conclusion

Notre Dame-Michigan State never fails to live up to the expectations. Just look at last season's epic meeting between the two teams.

This season's edition of the rivalry is sure to have the same type of fireworks that fans of both teams have become accustomed to.

The Irish will certainly be fired up for this game given what happened against Michigan State last year. Also, Notre Dame's season is all but hanging in the balance at 0-2 through the first two weeks of the season.

Is this a must-win game for Notre Dame?

Every game is a must-win for the Irish, but they are going to have to settle for an 0-3 record after Saturday.

Final Score Prediction: Michigan State 31, Notre Dame 24.