Fighting Irish quarterback Dayne Crist was 32-for-55 for 369 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, and kept a steady offense moving with several short passes and accurate middle-distance throws.

However, the MSU secondary continued its trend of preventing big plays by making late stops in the fourth quarter and overtime to prevent a Notre Dame victory.

“We felt like we were letting the team down in the third quarter, giving up big plays and not getting off the field on third down,” senior cornerback Chris L. Rucker said. “In the fourth quarter we came together and said, ‘We got to make stops, we got to give our offense a chance to win this game for us,’ and that’s what we did.”

At times in the third quarter, Crist was finding his receivers for 10 or 15 yards a pass, drilling wide receivers Theo Riddick and Michael Floyd, tight end Kyle Rudolph and running back Armando Allen for quick strikes that kept the MSU defense guessing which receiver would make a play.

Riddick, Rudolph and Floyd all totaled at least 80 yards receiving, as Riddick finished with 10 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown to lead the way. In spite of Notre Dame’s success through the air, the Fighting Irish never completed a pass longer than 24 yards as MSU rallied not to let Notre Dame players behind them.

Notre Dame’s 55 passing attempts ranked as the fifth-most in school history, and Crist had a response for every MSU score in the third quarter. After MSU took a 14-7 lead only 40 seconds into the second half, Crist hit 5-of-6 passes on his next drive and found Rudolph for a 10-yard touchdown that tied the game less than two minutes later.

MSU scored on its next drive, but Notre Dame answered on Crist’s 10-yard pass to Riddick that finished an 11-play, 77-yard drive that tied the score at 21 with about 1:30 left in the third quarter.

After Notre Dame’s defense recorded its first stop of the second half, Crist led his team on a five-play drive that ended with Floyd’s 24-yard touchdown catch less than two minutes into the fourth quarter.

The MSU defense rallied late by stopping Notre Dame on its last two drives of regulation and first of overtime, but better coverage on short passes will help get the defense off the field in the future.

“We told ourselves we need to get a stop for our offense,” Rucker said. “They kept getting first downs and kept driving the ball and it felt like it was up to us to make a stop and give the ball from our offense.”

Bell continues success

For the third straight game, freshman running back Le’Veon Bell was a key component in the MSU offense. Saturday, he rumbled for 114 yards and a touchdown, leading MSU’s two-headed rushing attack, which combined for 203 rushing yards and allowed for a two-dimensional offensive attack.

Bell had his second 100-yard rushing performance of the season, and has compiled 304 yards rushing in three games thus far. Sophomore Larry Caper played for the first time this season, finishing with three carries for zero yards, but Bell and sophomore Edwin Baker carried the load Saturday for MSU.

“It was definitely exciting for me,” Bell said. “When I first ran out of the tunnel, it was a night game and all of these people were just yelling. But at the same time, I was nervous.”

Bell didn’t show any nervousness in the game, carrying Notre Dame players with him on his rushes.

Baker finished with 90 yards on 14 carries, including a game-long 56-yard touchdown scamper that came 40 seconds into the third quarter to give MSU a 14-7 lead.

Baker is averaging 8.5 yards per carry this season, and Bell is averaging 8.2.

“I knew either Le’Veon or I was going to bust one,” Baker said. “We keep pushing and keep pounding the ball and something good is going to come out of it.”

Receivers’ big day

For the first time this season, the MSU passing offense outgained its rushers and eclipsed the 200-yard passing barrier. Junior quarterback Kirk Cousins finished 23-for-33 with 245 yards, two touchdowns and one interception and hit several receivers for big gains.

MSU used junior wide receiver Keshawn Martin on screen passes that allowed him to make plays, as he finished with a team-high eight catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. Junior wide receiver B.J. Cunningham, who was held under 40 receiving yards in his two previous games, caught seven passes for 101 yards and a touchdown and showed his playmaking ability.

Senior tight end Charlie Gantt and junior tight end Brian Linthicum also got into the act, combining for 46 yards.

“This is the best the receivers have played,” Martin said. “I feel like we played very good. … We had a couple touchdowns, and that’s good.”