With the third week of the college football season underway, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish find themselves in a completely different place than they were one year ago.
The team was 0-2 with a minus-7 turnover differential on the way to an 8-5 season. A solid record, but not good enough for the Irish, who aspire to be national champions every year.
This year the team is 2-0 for the first time under coach Brian Kelly and only have turned over the ball twice, good for a plus-4 differential. The team is feeling confident as they gear up for Saturday night's game against historical rival Michigan State. The Irish will attempt to go 3-0 for the first time since 2002.
The game is the only match up of the weekend featuring two teams in the AP Top-20, with Michigan State at No. 10 and Notre Dame ranked at No. 20.
The two teams have one of the oldest rivalries in college sports, having first played football against each other in 1897. Notre Dame leads the rivalry with a 46-28-1 record. The one tie-game is known as "the game of the century" by many, which was played in 1966 and resulted in both teams becoming national champions.
Notre Dame won the game last year, but the last time it was played in East Lansing, in 2010, Michigan State was victorious 34-31 in overtime. That game featured an exciting fake field goal and a 29-yard TD pass from Aaron Bates to Charlie Gantt that gave the Spartans the win.
Notre Dame will start quarterback Everett Golson on Saturday, but backup junior Tommy Rees will also possibly come off the bench. In last weeks game against Purdue, Rees came into the game in the fourth quarter to replace Golson and helped lead the Irish on a scoring drive that won the game 20-17.
"We also made the decision with the flow of the game that Tommy could come in there and manage our two-minute drill, and he did a great job," said Kelly.
Last year Rees threw for a touchdown and an interception in the game against the Spartans.
The Irish will also have running back Cierre Wood back after a two game suspension. Last season he ran for over 1,100 yards to lead the team and also added nine touchdowns.
Michigan State has been the best team in the Big Ten this season, beating Boise State 17-13 in the opening game of the season and dominating against Central Michigan 41-7.
This is the earliest in a season that Michigan State has been ranked in the top 10 since 1979. One reason for the team's success is the play of first year starter Andrew Maxwell, who threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns in last Saturday's win.
The Spartans have been dominant on defense so far this season and have yet to allow an offensive touchdown by an opponent. The team also is ranked eighth in the country in offense yards per game allowed.
"As a team we could do a whole lot more," Michigan State defensive end William Gholston said after the Spartans intercepted two passes and stopped Central Michigan three times on fourth down in a 41-7 win last Saturday. "Until they don't have any yards, I don't think we will be satisfied."
The Spartans' 28 victories all-time against Notre Dame are second most of any school after USC. They have won 10 of the last 15 against the Irish.
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