It’s #10 versus #20, Spartans versus Irish this weekend. One of the biggest college rivalries renews itself this Saturday night when Michigan State takes on Notre Dame. This is even a “trophy game” between the Big Ten and an independent. ABC will broadcast the game at 8 pm ET.
Including Saturday’s game with MSU, ND has played before 272 capacity crowds among its 449 road games (.606) since 1930. The Irish have actually played in front of sellout crowds in 246 of its previous 288 games (.854) overall. Notre Dame leads the series with Michigan State,
46-28-1, including 18-15-1 in East Lansing.
The Irish have captured 15 of the last 20 games in Spartan Stadium despite dropping each of their last two trips to East Lansing (2008, 2010). Over the last 12 meetings (dating back to 2000), the Notre Dame-Michigan State game has been decided by a touchdown or less on nine occasions, with the game-winning score coming late in the fourth quarter or overtime in eight of the 12 meetings. Notre Dame owns a 9-6 (.600) record when its first road game of the season comes against Michigan State.
In fact, the Spartans have captured each of the last two meetings with the Irish when they have ventured on the road for the first time of the year (2008 and 2010).