AT THE HALF
-Notre Dame’s defense collected three sacks, five pass break-ups and limited Michigan State to 3.3 yards per play in the first half.
-The Irish also limited the vaunted Michigan State running game to 2.5 yards per carry in the opening 30 minutes.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
-Junior WR TJ Jones hauled in a 21-yard reception early in the first quarter and senior WR John Goodman added a 36-yard touchdown with 10:34 left in the first quarter to give the Irish a 7-0 lead. The duo became the seventh and eighth different Irish players already this season with at least one catch for 20 yards or more.
-Sophomore QB Everett Golson’s first three TD passes in 2012 went to three different receivers.
ON GOLDEN SPOND
-Junior OLB Danny Spond made his first career start for Notre Dame. He missed the first two games for the Irish due to migraines.
GOODMAN PLENTY
-Senior WR John Goodman hauled in a 36-yard touchdown pass from sophomore QB Everett Golson with 10:34 left in the first quarter to give the Irish a 7-0 lead.
-The TD catch was his first of the season and second of his career. He had a 64-yard TD reception against Washington State in 2009.
JUST GOOD ‘OLE GOLSON FOOTBALL
-Sophomore QB Everett Golson hooked up with senior WR John Goodman on a 36-yard touchdown pass with 10:34 left in the first quarter to give the Irish a 7-0 lead.
-The TD pass was Golson’s third of the season (and career).
-Golson’s first three touchdown passes in 2012 went to three different players.
-Golson had three completions of over 20 yards in the opening quarter.
-Golson collected a six-yard touchdown run with 10:50 left in the second quarter to give Notre Dame a 14-0 lead. The TD run was Golson’s second of the season (and career).
-Golson is the first Irish QB with a touchdown run in back-to-back games since Dayne Crist in 2010. Crist actually had a TD run in three conecutive games.
-Golson averaged 18.0 yards per completion in the first half.
IT’S GOOD TO BE A PRINCE
-Junior OLB Prince Shembo was all over the field early in the game. He collected six tackles, two for loss and one sack by the 13:35 mark of the second quarter.
-The sack was his first of the season and gives him 7.5 for his career.
-Prince finished the first half with a career-best eight tackles. His previous high was six at Pittsburgh on Sept. 24, 2011.
-Shembo entered tonight’s game with six tackles over Notre Dame’s first two games.
SPRING(MANN) IN HIS STEP
-Sophomore NG Tony Springmann picked up his first career sack in the second quarter.
HAVE A DAY, SHELDON
-Freshman DE Sheldon Day registered his first career sack and pass break up on back-to-back plays to force a Michigan State field goal with 3:43 left before halftime.
