The Michigan State Spartans and Notre Dame Fighting Irish have an underrated history as rivals. With their first reunion in almost a decade scheduled for 2026, what are their three most memorable clashes?
With the announcement of Michigan State and Notre Dame's rivalry returning with a home-and-home series slated for 2026 and 2027, memories of a great Midwest college football conflict are resurfacing. The rivalry is storied, spanning the golden eras of both programs, led by the likes of Frank Leahy, Biggie Munn, Duffy Daugherty, and Ara Parseghian, to the doldrums of John L. Smith and Charlie Weis.
The game was a well-documented wake-up call. The next week the Spartans' season was potentially on the line with a trip to Kinnick Stadium. Cook excelled, the defense proved dominant, and the Spartans began their Rose Bowl run. of first-year head coach and former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis. Weis had three rings from calling plays with the first iteration of the Brady-Belichick dynasty.
This Spartans roster was one of Dantonio's finest. Quarterback Kirk Cousins led a devastating one-two punch rushing attack withand the criminally underrated Edwin Baker. Two explosive wide receivers in BJ Cunningham and Keyshawn Martin. Martin was the home-run playmaker. The Irish scored another touchdown. And another. Then a Cousins-led four-play drive to tie the game with just under eight minutes left. The game was a stalemate in the waning minutes, but overtime would lift the game from unranked September matchup to a program's turning point.
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