The first road game, and really the first true test of the 2011 Spartans happens tomorrow in South Bend, Indiana on the campus of Notre Dame. Although it’s not a conference game, it is still a rivalry game, and the Irish will be looking to settle the score for 2010’s overtime loss at Spartan Stadium.
That play, “Little Giants”, must be like a recurring nightmare to the Irish as it stunned the shit out of them when it happened and has been replayed thousands and thousands of times since then. Do you remember the look on Brian Kelly’s face? Or Dane Crist? Stunned. Shocked. Lost. Confused. Beaten. The Spartans went all-in, and won it all.
All of that hoopla will come to a crescendo at kickoff Saturday.
Will the Irish be traumatized or will they be inspired?
Does the fact that they are 0-2 on the season mean that Notre Dame is broken and beaten, or does it mean they’re angry and amped?
Will Brian Kelly’s head explode if ND continues to turn the ball over as it has in their first two games?
In my opinion, both teams will be fired up. This is going to be a hard-hitting affair. Emotions will be running high and adrenaline will be abundant. Both teams have great talent, but it will like come down to who makes the fewest mistakes. Turn-overs will be a major factor. Both defenses have their work cut out for them. I think ND’s offensive line is an advantage, but MSU’s defense is looking tough. I believe that Sparty will run the ball well, as they did in 2010, and that they’ve kept their powder dry in terms of running plays that have been called in the first two outings. Expect to see some interesting new plays.
Botom line is that ND is playing for survival. Survival is a major motivator, so I’m a little worried that State won’t be as “up” as the Irish. But let’s not forget that survival goes hand-in-hand with desperation, and desperate men are know to make stupid mistakes.
I wouldn’t look for any last-second game-deciding trick play this year… or maybe that’s exactly what we want you to think!
Oh, and no heart attacks this year. Please.
Some MSU-ND facts:
- This will be the 75th meeting between the two teams
- ND leads the series 45-28-1
- ND is 27-13 in South Bend, and 16-13 in Notre Dame Stadium
- MSU has won 10 of the last 14 meetings in the series including six of the last seven in Notre Dame Stadium
- Nine of the last 11 games have been decided by seven points or less
- MSU is ranked second in victories (28) versus ND (USC leads with 34)
- MSU is tied with USC for wins (13) at Notre Dame Stadium
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