Micah Gilbert had Notre Dame's first 100-yard receiving game and Nolan James, Jr followed with the team's first 100-yard rushing performance in a win over rival Michigan State
Notre Dame, Ind. - Micah Gilbert’s career night was the highlight of Notre Dame’s 27-10 win over Michigan State. Gilbert started the night with a 61-yard reception and finished with career highs of 8 receptions and 170 yards to help Notre Dame (3-0) roll to victory against the overmatched but spirited Spartans (2-1). He became ND’s first 100-yard receiver since Jordan Faison’s 105 yards on Sept. 20 last year.
CJ Carr was efficient while steering Notre Dame’s ship on a night that saw off and on rain at Notre Dame Stadium. Carr finished 18 of 24 for 234 yards. He went without a touchdown pass for the first time in 15 starts, but ran for a touchdown to bring his season total to seven.
Despite two combined touchdowns from Aneyas Williams and Nolan James, Jr, Notre Dame’s running game remained in idle most of the night before James delivered the knockout punch to close the game with 8 carries for 52 of his personal best 121 yards. Williams had 9 carries for 25 yards. It marked the first time Notre Dame has had both a 100 yard rusher and receiver in the same game since Oct. 12, 2020.
The Fighting Irish defense harassed Spartan quarterback Alessio Milivojevic for a good deal of the night, sacking the signal caller 4.0 times while also forcing two interceptions and a fumble. MSU gained just 167 yards, with 53 of it coming on a pass play that set up their only touchdown of the night. The Irish tallied 397 total yards.
The first play of the game nearly went the distance as Carr hit Gilbert for a gain of 61 yards. It gave the Irish the ball at the 16, but two running plays by Williams totaled a loss of a yard and a seven-yard scramble by Carr left ND short at 4th and 3. They settled for a 25-yard field goal from Spencer Porath for the early 3-0 lead.
DJ McKinney batted down Milivojevic’s first pass attempt in the backfield, and Tionne Gray sacked the Spartan quarterback, the first of Gray’s career, two plays later to force a punt. It Matt Jeffrey came off the left side of the Irish line to block Rhys Dakin’s punt, giving the Irish the ball at the MSU 41. James found the end zone from two yards out 11 plays later to make it 10-0 with 4:31 to play in the first quarter.
Irish safety Luke Talich came up with the first interception of the night and the first for Milivojevec this season on a deep shot on Michigan State’s third play from scrimmage on the following drive to give the Irish the ball at their own 27. With the Irish facing 4th and 13 at their own 39, they tried a fake punt that was stopped after Brayden Robinson ran for 11 yards, giving the Spartans the ball at midfield. MSU drove to the 11 and settled for a field goal after Kenneth Williams dropped a wide-open pass in the end zone two plays earlier.
Notre Dame marched back downfield on a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, capped by a one-yard run from Williams. The running back gained 31 yards on seven carries on the drive.
Michigan State responded with a quick score. Milivojevic hit Rodney Bullard, Jr with a 53-yard pass to give the Spartans the ball at the Irish 15. Backup QB Cam Fancher ran for a 15-yard score on the next play to cut ND’s lead to 17-10 with 3:21 left in the first half. The catch by Bullard represented 41% of MSU’s 127 total first half yardage.
The Spartans punted after beginning the second half with the ball. Notre Dame drove 77 yards on 17 plays, but settled for a 35-yard field goal from Porath. James tallied 47 rushing yards and another five yards on a reception during the drive.
Sparty’s next drive went backwards thanks to a combined sack for Loghan Thomas and Armel Mukam for a loss of 9. After an incompletion, Boubacar Traore knocked the ball away from Milivojevic in the pocket. MSU recovered, but it was 4th and 31. A punt gave the Irish the ball at their own 33.
Notre Dame wasted no time with its response. Carr hit Gilbert for a 28-yard pickup on 1st down and followed that with a 39-yard over-the-shoulder strike two plays later to move the ball to the 3. Carr ran up the middle on the next play to make it 27-10.
Adon Shuler intercepted Milivojevic on the first play of the ensuing possession. The Irish started at the Spartan 27, but lost a yard and Porath missed for the first time this season from 39 yards out.
