Sept. 21, 2002

Recap?|? Final Stats?|? Quotes?|? Photo Gallery

• For just the second time in the 114-year history of Notre Dame football, the Irish are selecting captains on a game-by-game basis. The only other time Notre Dame chose captains in this fashion was 1946 under legendary head coach Frank Leahy. Today?s Irish captains were: WR Arnaz Battle, FS Glenn Earl, LG Sean Mahan and ILB Courtney Watson.

• Michigan State won the toss and deferred its choice to the second half. Notre Dame elected to receive, while the Spartans chose to defend the South goal.

• Today?s game marked the 141st sellout in the last 164 games involving Notre Dame, and 45th sellout in the last 51 Irish games.

• Counting postseason play, Notre Dame has now had its last 115 games televised on one of four networks (NBC, ABC, CBS, ESPN), a stretch going back more than nine full seasons. The last time the Irish didn?t appear on one of those four networks was Oct. 31, 1992, when they defeated Navy, 38-7, at Giants Stadium. That game was only shown locally in South Bend on WNDU-TV.

• Irish head coach Tyrone Willingham becomes just the fourth mentor since 1913 to win his first four games at Notre Dame, joining Jesse Harper (1913), Frank Leahy (1941) and Ara Parseghian (1964). Willingham also is now 2-0 against his alma mater as a head coach, having previously notched a 38-0 win over MSU in the 1996 Sun Bowl while he was at Stanford.

• Notre Dame opens its season 4-0 for the first time since 1993, when the Irish won their first 10 games and ascended to No. 1 in the polls before a last-second 41-39 loss to Boston College in the regular-season finale. Notre Dame rebounded to defeat Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl, 24-21.

• Today’s Notre Dame victory was the third in as many weeks to be decided by seven points or less. The last time that happened was Nov. 8-22, 1941, when rookie head coach Frank Leahy led the Irish to narrow wins over No. 6 Navy (20-13), No. 8 Northwestern (7-6) and USC (20-18).

• With today?s win, the Irish snap a five-game losing streak against Michigan State, earning their first victory over the Spartans since Sept. 17, 1994 (21-20 at Spartan Stadium). The five-game losing streak vs. MSU was the longest for Notre Dame against one opponent since USC won five in a row from 1978-82.

• The Irish record their 42nd series victory over Michigan State, the third-most wins against one opponent in school history behind Navy (65) and Purdue (49).

• Notre Dame picks up its fourth consecutive victory over a Big Ten Conference opponent, its longest unbeaten streak against the conference since a 10-game string (9-0-1) from Sept. 5, 1992-Sept. 3, 1994. The Irish now are 209-100-15 (.668) all-time against Big Ten opposition, extending their record for the most wins against one league.

• Notre Dame earns a three-game season sweep against the Big Ten for the first time since 1993, when it went 4-0 against the conference (ousting Northwestern, Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue). The Irish also won three games vs. Big Ten foes in 1994, downing Northwestern, Michigan State and Purdue, but losing on a last-second field goal to Michigan.

• By virtue of today?s victory, the Irish regain possession of the Megaphone Trophy, sponsored by the Detroit alumni clubs of Notre Dame and Michigan State.

• For the second consecutive game, Notre Dame scored on its opening drive. TB Ryan Grant did the honors this afternoon, cracking the end zone from six yards out with 10:48 left in the first quarter.

• QB Carlyle Holiday caught the second pass of his career early in the first quarter, a diving 30-yard catch from WR Arnaz Battle. Holiday?s only previous reception also came from Battle, a 17-yard connection last season at Stanford, which was then coached by current Irish mentor Tyrone Willingham.

• PK Nicholas Setta converted all three of his PAT today, giving him a streak of 64 consecutive extra points made. That passes Bob Thomas for the second-longest streak in school history. Thomas made 62 extra points in a row from Nov. 6, 1971 to Oct. 20, 1973. Setta last missed a PAT on Oct. 7, 2000 vs. Stanford.

• The Notre Dame offense recorded its first passing touchdown of the season when QB Carlyle Holiday hooked up with freshman WR Maurice Stovall on a 15-yard scoring toss with 11 seconds left in the second quarter. It also was the first TD of Stovall?s career.

• Through four games this season, Notre Dame has not allowed an offensive touchdown in the first half. The Irish also have led at the half of each game this season (14-3 today).

• The Notre Dame defense has registered 13 takeaways this season, leading to 50 Irish points. Notre Dame parlayed SS Gerome Sapp?s second-quarter interception into a 15-yard TD pass from QB Carlyle Holiday to WR Maurice Stovall.

• CB Shane Walton has had a hand in seven of Notre Dame?s 13 takeaways this season. This afternoon, he tipped the Michigan State pass that was intercepted by SS Gerome Sapp in the second quarter.

• Reserve QB Pat Dillingham notched his first career pass completion, connecting with TE Gary Godsey for 18 yards in the fourth quarter.

• QB Pat Dillingham threw his first career touchdown pass, a 60-yard strike to WR Arnaz Battle with 1:15 remaining which proved to be the game-winning score.

• PK Nicholas Setta saw his school-record streak of field goals in 16 consecutive games come to an end this afternoon. Setta missed his only FG attempt of the day, a 39-yard try in the third quarter. Setta winds up three games short of the NCAA record jointly held by Oklahoma?s Larry Roach (1983-84) and Miami-Ohio?s Gary Gussman (1986-87).

• Today?s come-from-behind victory (resulting from a score in the final two minutes of regulation or overtime) is the first for Notre Dame since Oct. 28, 2000, when Joey Getherall scored on a nine-yard run in OT to lift the Irish past Air Force, 34-31, at Notre Dame Stadium.