Thanks to the Notre Dame defense, the Irish didn't need much out of the offense in a 20-3 win over No. 10 Michigan State Saturday.
The defense, led by linebacker Manti Te'o who had 12 tackles and a fumble recovery, shut down the Michigan State passing game, holding Andrew Maxwell to 23-for-45 passing for 187 yards. He was sacked 4 times and faced constant pressure all game long.
On offense, redshirt freshman quarterback Everett Golson made a couple of big plays — a 36-yard touchdown pass to John Goodman in the first quarter and a 6-yard touchdown run in the second quarter — and didn't turn the ball over. The running game, led by Cierre Woods, who returned from a two-game suspension to pick up 56 yards on 10 carries, did just enough to help the Irish pick up some key first downs late and keep the MSU offense off the field.
Notre Dame came into the game ranked No. 20 and will likely move up significantly in the polls as a result.
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