The heavy-favorite Irish aim to extend a 12-game win streak under the lights as Marcus Freeman’s dominant defense faces a rebuilding Spartan squad hungry for a monumental upset.
For the 80th time, the 3rd-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish will take on the Michigan State Spartans inside of Notre Dame Stadium in a battle for the Megaphone Trophy. This is a big game for both squads. The Irish and head coach Marcus Freeman will be looking to continue their win streak carrying over from last season while the Spartans and first-year head coach Pat Fitzgerald will be looking to pull off a major upset win to start off his tenure in East Lansing with a bang.
Where: Notre Dame, Ind. - Notre Dame Stadium
When: 7:30 PM ET
Television: NBC/Peacock - Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), Kathryn Tappen (sideline)
Radio: Tony Simeone (play-by-play), Mike Golic Sr. (analyst); SiriusXM 84
Line: Notre Dame -29.5; O/U 52.5
WHAT TO KNOW: NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH
Notre Dame is riding a 12-game win streak dating back to September of the 2025 season. They've also stuck with the theme of beating every opponent by double digits starting with their 56-30 victory over Purdue last September. Tonight, they'll look to keep that streak alive as they are heavy favorites against the Spartans. Quarterback CJ Carr has been everything we hoped he would be through two games. Now, he gets the opportunity to shine under the lights inside of Notre Dame Stadium.
The Fighting Irish defense has been everything we hoped it would be and more. Through two games this season, they've allowed a grand total of 13 points and only one touchdown. The talent, depth and experience has been on full display this season and I expect we see more of the same in the battle for the Megaphone Trophy. This is Freeman's first matchup against the Spartans and he'll be looking to keep his dominant record against the Big Ten alive in this matchup.
WHAT TO KNOW: MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS
It's been a tough couple of seasons for Sparty since 2021. It's been four seasons since Michigan State has finished with a winning record, but the hire of Fitzgerald has instilled some positivity in the fan base around East Lansing. For the fourth year in a row, they also begin the season 2-0, but building off of a good start has been difficult for the Spartans. This is a game they're not expected to win, but if they're competitive against Notre Dame and can use that to propel them forward for the remainder of their nine games, they might turn some things around.
They'll be heavily reliant on portal pickups to get them there. Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic is one of the few returning starters from last year's squad, but he's supported by a host of talented players like running back Cam Edwards who came over from UCONN. Defensively, linebacker Jordan Hall is back in the lineup and they'll be looking to shut down Carr and this productive offense. Both coordinators are headed into year one, but getting an upset win in South Bend isn't something new for Fitzgerald. His Northwestern team was able to beat the Irish in 2014 43-40 in over time.
This is the 80th all-time meeting between Notre Dame and Michigan State. The Irish hold the series lead 49-29-1 and look to pick up their 50th win over the Spartans. That overall record does include the two vacated wins from 2012 and 2013. Their last meeting was in 2017 when the Irish traveled to East Lansing and picked up a 38-17 victory on the road.
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