Notre Dame won the Megaphone Trophy against rival Michigan State last Saturday, after defeating the Spartans 27-10 in a sloppy home matchup. The Irish looked on fire against Rice the week prior, but seemed slow and mild against Michigan State. Despite the surprisingly close game, players still stood out for outstanding (and some lackluster) performances.

It wasn't entirely pretty, both with the rain showers and the on-field result in Notre Dame's 27-10 victory over Michigan State at Notre Dame Stadium.

Notre Dame advanced to a 2-0 record after they dominated Rice 52-0 in the Irish's home opener. Freeman and his team appeared significantly more solid than just six days prior, when they decimated Wisconsin in the home opener. However, some areas of play still stood out as lackluster.

Notre Dame opened the 2026 season with a commanding victory over Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, outscoring the Badgers 28-3 in the second half after a slow 13-10 first-half performance.