Crucial Matchups: Notre Dame Offense vs. MSU Defense

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Notre Dame (2-1) and Michigan State (2-0) meet this weekend, and it’s a major test for the Fighting Irish.

After beating Boston College on the road this past weekend, Notre Dame will look to win back-to-back road games for the first time since 2015, and only the sixth time in Brian Kelly’s tenure in South Bend.

Notre Dame’s offense will have to continue the quality offensive play that helped it score 49 points against both Temple and Boston College. In order to do that, the Irish will have to win a number of individual battles.

A look at the most crucial matchups between the Notre Dame offense and the Michigan State defense.

After a breakout season in 2016, in which he led the Irish in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, junior wideout Equanimeous St. Brown has struggled out of the gate in 2017. St. Brown has just seven receptions for 99 yards through three games, and his struggles are a combination of erratic quarterback play and St. Brown’s own failures to get open and/or compete for the football.

St. Brown is too talented, and Notre Dame is looking for him too frequently, for a breakout not to occur at some point. A breakout against Michigan State would go a very, very long way to Notre Dame coming out on top. If he sticks in the boundary he’ll find himself matched up against Michigan State’s best cornerback, 6-3 sophomore Justin Layne.

It will be a tough matchup, but St. Brown should be able to find success against the Spartan cornerback. If he can the Irish offense will get the much needed pass production it needs to take pressure off the ground game.

Sophomore Chase Claypool – and senior Cameron Smith, if he’s healthy – will be matched up against sophomore cornerback Josh Butler, and it’s a battle Notre Dame absolutely can and must dominate. Butler has had issues hanging with the deep routes from Bowling Green and Western Michigan, and the Irish must take advantage.

It wouldn’t be an unwise decision for the staff to find ways to get St. Brown matched up against Butler, who plays to the field for the Spartans.

Notre Dame’s run game was dominated by Michigan State a season ago, rushing for just 57 yards on 25 carries. The Spartans controlled the middle of the line of scrimmage, throwing off the timing of the Irish ground game and forcing the run game to go laterally.

If Notre Dame wants to get its ground game going – which it must do if it wants to win the game – the interior linemen will have to be at their best. Senior left guard Quenton Nelson has been outstanding so far and has played like an All-American.

Senior center Sam Mustipher has been solid, and senior right guard Alex Bars has had moments of brilliance, but he’s also been wildly erratic. He had his best game of the season against Boston College, and he must carry that over. Mustipher and Bars getting movement, staying on blocks and winning this battle will make it very hard for Michigan State to slow down the Irish ground game.

Sophomore defensive tackle Mike Panasiuk and redshirt sophomore Raequan Williams were outstanding in the first two games, which helped shut down the Bowling Green and Western Michigan ground games.

The pair has combined for just eight tackles and one tackle for loss, but their ability to control the interior of the line of scrimmage has allowed inside linebackers Joe Bachie and Chris Frey to thrive. The two inside backers have combined for 33 tackles and two tackles for loss in the first two games. Talented redshirt freshman Naquan Jones will also be a factor.

If the Michigan State interior defenders are able to penetrate and get a push Notre Dame will struggle to run the ball. Even if they simply stalemate and prevent the Irish blockers from getting off to the linebackers the Notre Dame ground game will have a hard time getting going.

Notre Dame’s running backs struggled mightily against Michigan State last season, and it went beyond their ability to run the ball. The Irish backs couldn’t make the Spartan linebackers miss, and they had a hard time in protection as well.

Michigan State doesn’t have a line that can just attack with its front four all game, or at least it shouldn’t. The Spartans are going to bring their linebackers on a number of aggressive pressures, and when that happens the Notre Dame backs must aggressively step up and make strong blocks.

Another key to slowing down the Spartan pressures is to get the backs involved in the pass game. It will either force the Spartans to peel and cover, or it will expose them to potential big plays by uncovered backs, or quick throws to open receivers due to defensive backs coming up to take the backs.

Notre Dame’s backs have to run hard, make smart reads and there will be times in the game when the backs will have to make the Spartan linebackers miss. If the Spartan linebackers are able to stone the Irish backs the ground game for Notre Dame will struggle.

Juniors Josh Adams and Dexter Williams have both shown home run ability, and if they can hit a couple against Michigan State this should be a good day for the Irish offense.

Michigan State will use at least five ends in this game, and the skillsets for those ends is quite different. That versatility creates a bit of a unique matchup against Notre Dame.

Starters Kenny Willekes (6-4, 244) and Dillon Alexander (6-4, 247) are former walk-ons, but they are high-energy, high-motor players that are going to compete like crazy. If Notre Dame’s offensive tackles can’t match their intensity and fight, the Michigan State edge players will be disruptive enough against the ground game to funnel runs back inside or to bounce outside, where Michigan State’s speed at linebacker and safety can be impactful.

Should Notre Dame’s tackles, especially senior left tackle Mike McGlinchey, match the intensity of the Spartan ends they will dominate this matchup. McGlinchey has a major size and experience advantage over the Spartan ends. He needs to be at his best in this matchup, and if he is, the Irish will be able to stretch the edge to his side and open up run lanes for the backs.

Senior Demetrius Cooper is Michigan State’s most talented end, but he’s erratic with his effort. Notre Dame must assume that Cooper is going to bring his A-game, and it must be prepared to handle him. Cooper has the size (6-6, 249) and athletic skills to create problems.

Redshirt freshman Brandon Randle (6-2, 231) will come in on passing downs, and his speed off the edge was very hard for the Bowling Green and Western Michigan offensive tackles to handle. Notre Dame’s tackles, especially its young right tackles, will have to use their size and length to keep him in check.

In all facets, if Notre Dame can control this edge matchup the Spartan defense will be in trouble.

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