The Notre Dame-Michigan State score was tight as always. So far, most Notre Dame-Michigan State scores have been close, but the Notre Dame-Michigan State rivalry never had a game decided like the way it was last night. The Irish and Spartans went back and forth all night, which eventually sent them to overtime. Once the Irish got an opening field goal, and forced the Spartans into a long kick, it looked like they would come out ahead. Instead, the Notre Dame-Michigan State score was decided on the early season play of the year, due to a shocking Spartans touchdown.
With the Irish leading 31-28 in overtime, they had forced the Spartans into trying a 46-yard field goal. It wasn’t an impossible kick, but it would be difficult and could very well give the Irish the game. Yet Spartans’ coach Mike Dantonio decided not to go for the tie.
The Notre Dame-Michigan State score then reached legendary status, when holder Aaron Bates found tight end Charles Grantt open for the winning touchdown. With the 34-31 victory, the Spartans stole the spotlight on a slow weekend, while the Irish found yet another heartbreaking way to lose.
Over the last several years, the two rivals have played numerous down-to-the-wire games. Last second heroics are common between them, but never to this extent. Yet while the Notre Dame-Michigan State score is now immortal in East Lansing, there is some controversy beneath the surface.
Replays later showed that the play clock had gone down to zero before the snap, although no one caught it at the time. If someone had noticed, the touchdown would not have counted, and the Spartans might have had to kick a 51-yard field goal. Yet with all the celebration and shock over the last score, no one pointed it out until it was too late.
For the Irish, this outcome was the latest in an endless string of last-minute defeats. Various close losses helped cost Charlie Weis his job, and now they have doomed the Irish to a 1-2 start. With nationally ranked Stanford coming to South Bend next week, things won’t get any easier for new coach Brian Kelly.
On the other end, the Notre Dame-Michigan State score upped the Spartans to 3-0, and fueled new hope for the season. After two unrevealing wins against mid-majors, the Spartans now hope this will propel them to become a real threat in the Big Ten. After hosting Northern Colorado next week, Michigan State gets their next major statement game at home against Wisconsin on October 2, before visiting Michigan.
Sources
YouTube- “Michigan State Tops Notre Dame On Fake FG”
USA TODAY- “Michigan State’s stunning fake field goal to beat Notre Dame not without controversy”
Detroit Free Press- “Michigan State, Notre Dame put on show in 2’nd half”
