The Notre Dame Fighting Irish rebounded from their season-opening loss to Texas in a big way, blowing out Nevada in their home opener. Now, the Irish play host to No. 12 Michigan State, and they're looking to make a statement with another resounding win. Here are three reasons why Notre Dame will beat Michigan State this weekend:
3) Michigan State's offensive struggles
The Spartans had a bye last week after narrowly beating FCS-level Furman in their opener, and their offensive struggles were the biggest reason why. They struggled without Connor Cook, gaining just 361 total yards of offense against a team that lost to The Citadel last weekend. They converted just four third-downs, turned it over twice and they failed to gain 20 yards on over half of their drives. Notre Dame's defense should dominate this game.
2) DeShone Kizer
Kizer hasn't only established himself as the clear starter over Malik Zaire - he has staked his claim to being one of the best quarterbacks in the entire country. He already has nine total touchdowns in just two games, all while throwing just one interception. Michigan State's young defense comes into this game untested, and Kizer is more than ready to take advantage of their inexperience.
1) Statement game
Even after the loss to Texas, Notre Dame's goals for the season haven't changed - they expect to make the College Football Playoff. They know they can't suffer another loss, and they'll be playing with a sense of urgency and heightened focus that the Spartans simply won't be able to match. With the home crowd cheering them on, don't be surprised to see the Irish pull off a blowout victory.
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