NOTRE DAME, Ind. (Interstat) — CJ Carr threw for 234 yards and rushed for a short touchdown, Nolan James Jr. topped 100 yards rushing, and Notre Dame defeated Michigan State 27-10 on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at Notre Dame Stadium. The announced attendance was 77,622 for the Football Bowl Subdivision game. Notre Dame improved to 3-0, while Michigan State fell to 2-1. Both teams entered the game unbeaten. Michigan State was the visiting team, and Notre Dame was the home team.

Notre Dame opened the scoring with Spencer Porath’s 25-yard field goal at 12:06 of the first quarter. The Fighting Irish extended their lead later in the opening period when James rushed up the middle for a 2-yard touchdown with 4:31 remaining. Porath’s extra point made it 10-0 after one quarter. Michigan State got on the board in the second quarter on Liam Boyd’s 32-yard field goal with 10:05 remaining. Notre Dame answered with Aneyas Williams’ 1-yard touchdown run with 4:46 left in the half. The previous play was reviewed for whether the runner broke the plane, and the call was upheld. Porath kicked the extra point. Michigan State responded quickly when Cam Fancher rushed left for a 15-yard touchdown with 3:21 remaining. Boyd’s extra point trimmed the deficit to 17-10 at halftime.

After a quiet start to the third quarter, Porath made a 35-yard field goal with one second remaining in the period to push Notre Dame’s lead to 20-10. In the fourth quarter, Carr rushed up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown at 10:55, and Porath added the extra point for a 27-10 lead. Porath later missed a 39-yard field goal with 9:18 remaining, but Notre Dame’s defense held Michigan State without another score. The scoring plays were Porath’s 25-yard field goal, James’s 2-yard run, Boyd’s 32-yard field goal, Williams’s 1-yard run, Fancher’s 15-yard run, Porath’s 35-yard field goal and Carr’s 3-yard run. Porath also missed a 39-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Notre Dame led 20-10 after three quarters and 27-10 after the fourth.

Carr, a quarterback from Saline, Michigan, completed 18 of 24 passes for 234 yards and added three rushes for 9 yards and one touchdown. He had thrown for 253 yards and four touchdowns in Notre Dame’s previous game against Rice. James, a running back from Westwood, New Jersey, finished with 26 carries for 121 yards and one touchdown, plus two receptions for 7 yards. Williams, from Hannibal, Missouri, had nine carries for 25 yards and a touchdown and two catches for 11 yards. Micah Gilbert, from Charlotte, North Carolina, caught eight passes for 170 yards. Jordan Faison caught five passes for 38 yards. Mylan Graham had one reception for 8 yards. Brayden Robinson ran once for 11 yards. Jasper Scaife punted once for 49 yards.

Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, from Naperville, Illinois, completed 9 of 17 passes for 123 yards. Cam Fancher, from Huber Heights, Ohio, completed 0 of 1 pass but rushed twice for 18 yards and a touchdown. Cam Edwards rushed 12 times for 38 yards, and Marvis Parrish added five carries for 8 yards. Rodney Bullard Jr. caught two passes for 66 yards. Jayden Savoury had three receptions for 30 yards. Fredrick Moore caught two passes for 13 yards, Kai Rios had one reception for 9 yards, and Chrishon McCray had one catch for 5 yards and one tackle. Michigan State’s team punt went for 14 yards.

Notre Dame’s defense produced two interceptions and four sacks. Boubacar Traore had two tackles, one sack and two quarterback hurries. Tionne Gray had two tackles and one sack. Luke Talich had three tackles, one sack and one interception. Adon Shuler had three tackles and one interception. Drayk Bowen led the Irish with eight tackles. Jaylen Sneed added five tackles. Francis Brewu and Bryce Young each had three tackles. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Armel Mukam and Jaiden Ausberry each had two tackles. Loghan Thomas recorded one tackle and one sack. Rodney Dunham had one quarterback hurry. Ethan Long, Jayden Sanders, Joey O’Brien, Ja’Kobe Clapper, Thomas Davis Jr., Christian Gray and Matt Jeffery each had one tackle. Leonard Moore and DJ McKinney were also listed in Notre Dame’s secondary. Spencer Porath handled kicking duties and made two field goals.

Michigan State’s Jordan Hall recorded 13 tackles. Tre Bell, Devin Vaught, Dion Crawford and Eli Coenen each had five tackles. Tyran Chappell and Nikai Martinez each had four tackles. McCray added one tackle.

Notre Dame’s win followed previous victories over Rice 52-0 on Sept. 12 and Wisconsin 41-13 on Sept. 6. Michigan State had beaten Eastern Michigan 35-7 on Sept. 12 and Toledo 30-20 on Sept. 4 before Saturday’s loss. The Irish won their third straight game to open the season. Michigan State lost for the first time. Notre Dame is scheduled to play at Purdue on Sept. 26, at North Carolina on Oct. 3, against Stanford on Oct. 10, at BYU on Oct. 17, at Navy on Oct. 31, against Miami on Nov. 7, against Boston College on Nov. 14, against SMU on Nov. 21, and at Syracuse on Nov. 28. Michigan State is set to host Nebraska on Sept. 26, play at Wisconsin on Oct. 3, host Illinois on Oct. 10, host Northwestern on Oct. 17, play at UCLA on Oct. 24, play at Michigan on Nov. 7, host Washington on Nov. 14, host Oregon on Nov. 20, and play at Rutgers on Nov. 28.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Notre Dame 30, Michigan State 20. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Notre Dame with a 98.9 percent probability to win. Michigan State had been installed at +29.5 on the pregame spread. The over/under line was 51.5, and the teams combined for 37 points.