MSU was unable to force a turnover, had zero offensive plays of 20 yards or more, and the team’s three points tied the fewest scored in Dantonio’s tenure as head coach.

“We didn’t run the football, we didn’t protect the quarterback very well, and we had some drops,” Dantonio said. “We tried to change the tempo of the game with the 2-minute offense, and I think we did that a little bit, but when you pass 45-50 times you’re going to have some problems.”

Fou Fonoti missed the game with a foot injury suffered in practice Thursday, and the senior offensive tackle’s absence was noticeable, as junior running back Le’Veon Bell was limited to 19 carries for 77 rushing yards and quarterback Andrew Maxwell struggled with constant pressure from Notre Dame’s defensive line.

The junior quarterback finished the game completing 23-of-45 passes for 187 yards and was sacked four times.

“(It’s) frustrating because that’s not the identity of our offense,” Maxwell said. “Losing Fou, with his experience … and his emotional leadership, the strong presence that he is, it was tough for us, and something I had to overcome.”

Notre Dame first got on the scoreboard after the MSU offense went three-and-out on its opening possession, and a short punt gave the Fighting Irish the ball at the Notre Dame 49-yard line.

Sophomore quarterback Everett Golson took advantage of the short field, connecting with senior receiver John Goodman on a 36-yard touchdown pass that gave Notre Dame an early 7-0 lead.

The Spartans looked to answer, but a 10-play, 49 yard drive on the game’s next possession ended without points, as senior kicker Dan Conroy missed a 44-yard field goal, and Notre Dame capitalized.

The Fighting Irish used their first possession of the second quarter to go 51 yards on five plays, capping off the drive with a seven-yard touchdown run from Golson that was set up by a 32-yard burst from sophomore running back George Atkinson III earlier in the drive.

Conroy was able to hit a 44-yard field goal to bring MSU within 14-3 before halftime, but the Spartans would never get any closer.

MSU managed just 116 yards of offense in the second half, and Bell said it’s his responsibility to get the offense going.

“I put that on myself,” Bell said of the offense’s anemic performance. “Me being a leader on offense, I need to make bigger plays and get guys going. I didn’t provide that today.”

After converting on fourth-and-one with 8:49 to go in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame put the game away on a 12-play 84 yard drive that spanned 6:35 and ended with a 29-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Kyle Brindza that put the Fighting Irish ahead 17-3 with 6:21 to go.

Golson led Notre Dame, completing 14-of-32 passes for 178 yards, with one touchdwon passing and one rushing.

The loss snaps a 15-game home winning streak for MSU, dating back to November 2009, and junior linebacker Max Bullough said the game is a wake up call for the Spartans to take their game to another level.

“It’s an eye opener,” Bullough said. “Those (missed opportunities) are the plays you have to make against rivalry teams, especially Notre Dame. We didn’t make them tonight.”