• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Angry Notre Dame looks to avoid another loss to Michigan St

Sep 19, 2006 - 9:19 PM No. 12 Notre Dame (2-1) at Michigan St (3-0), 8:00 pm EDT

EAST LANSING, Michigan (Ticker) - Twelfth-ranked Notre Dame tries to rebound from a stunning defeat when it visits Michigan State - a team it has struggled with mightily in recent years - on Saturday in the 40th anniversary of the "Game of the Century."

Last week, the Fighting Irish (2-1) were shocked at home by Michigan, 47-21, as they were dominated on both sides of the line. Brady Quinn threw three touchdown passes but also was intercepted three times and lost a fumble that was run back for a score.

Last year, Notre Dame was upset by Michigan State, 44-41 in overtime, in coach Charlie Weis' home debut. After Jason Teague ended the game with a 19-yard option run, the visitors planted a Spartan flag at Notre Dame Stadium, angering the Irish, who absorbed their seventh defeat in the last nine meetings.

"I think we have to put the flag incident and Michigan behind us because if we sit there, and when you use something like the flag incident, try to use that as your motivation for the game, that lasts for about five minutes once the game starts," Weis said. "Once you start hitting each other in the mouth a few times in the game, that stuff is over with.

"I mean, you can use all sorts of quotes and things on the board, everything you to get you through the week. The bottom line is we need to play better. We need to play better than we did last week or we'll lose again this week."

The Spartans (3-0) remained perfect on the season with a 38-23 victory at Pittsburgh last weekend.

Drew Stanton passed for 198 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 103 yards and a score for Michigan State, which scored 38 straight points after spotting the Panthers the first 10.

In 1966, top-ranked Notre Dame played to a 10-10 tie against No. 2 Michigan State here in the so-called "Game of the Century" and went on to win the national championship.

Bubba Smith, an All-American defensive end for the 1966 Michigan State squad, will have his No. 95 retired in a pregame ceremony.