On a visit to the campus of the University of Notre Dame, Hill took in a viewing of the 71st annual rivalry game between MSU and Notre Dame.

After falling behind early, then-MSU junior quarterback Brian Hoyer erupted to have the game of his life, throwing for 135 yards and a career-best four touchdowns to lead MSU to a 31-14 victory.

Maybe it was the first quarter stretch to the endzone by wide receiver Devin Thomas or the multiple touchdowns by tight end Kellen Davis. Maybe it was the fleet-footed running back tandem of Javon Ringer and Jehuu Caulcrick, who rushed for 227 yards on the afternoon. Or maybe it was the wry smile of first-year head coach Mark Dantonio. Maybe.

Whatever the case, from that day, Hill was hooked.

“My first game ever getting recruited was at Notre Dame when Michigan State beat them (in 2007),” said Hill, who later committed to the Spartans in 2009 and now is a junior running back. “I went down to Notre Dame and ironically, it was Michigan State playing them and beat them, and here we are.

“It was destiny for me to come here.”

Now in his seventh season as the Spartans’ head coach, Dantonio leads the Spartans back to South Bend, Ind., on Saturday (3:30 p.m., NBC) to renew one of college football’s oldest and most significant rivalries.

And with the rivalry set to take a break until 2016 — the first such break between the teams since 1994 — Dantonio said the game serves as a definitive measuring stick for the MSU football program.

“After your career is over, you say, ‘This is what happened there,’” Dantonio said. “It is a game for a guy who grew up in the Midwest, (around) Notre Dame, you recognize Michigan State, you grew up with a lot of traditions that were involved before you got here.”

Rivalry remembered

After a 27-year break starting in 1921, the rivalry re-emerged in 1948, where the two programs claimed eight combined national championships leading up the famed “Game of the Century” in 1966.

With rosters featuring Notre Dame stars Jim Lynch, Nick Eddy and Terry Hanratty and MSU legends Charles “Bubba” Smith, Gene Washington and George Webster, a 10-10 tie forever stitched the two programs together in the pages of college football history — and they’ve played near-annually ever since.

Fast-forward to the modern era, when the programs routinely trade shots at one another for the right to hoist the coveted Megaphone Trophy, both on the road and at MSU.

One year, it’s Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate scoring a touchdown before taking a giant swan dive into the Spartan Marching Band.

The next, it’s MSU punter Aaron Bates finding tight end Charlie Gantt for a fake field goal-turned-touchdown pass in the notable “Little Giants” play.

But through the back-and-forth nature of the two high-powered teams playing one another each season, there remains a mutual respect between them.

“When I was growing up, I used to watch a lot of classic college football with (Notre Dame legends) Rocket Ishmail and Tim Brown,” said sophomore wide receiver Macgarrett Kings Jr. “I watched a couple games of them growing up. It’s a great environment and I can’t wait to go.

“I always dreamed of playing in South Bend, so it’s going to be a great experience for me and my teammates.”

Rivalry relevance

As he prepares for the first road start of his collegiate career, sophomore quarterback Connor Cook has few places he’d rather be.

After taking the reins of MSU’s offense with 202 yards and four touchdowns in a 55-17 shellacking of Youngstown State last week, Cook now hits the road to take on one of college football’s most winningest historical programs.

The Fighting Irish currently have the No. 56-ranked defense in the country, led by the big-bodied defensive line combination of Louis Nix III and Stephon Tuitt, who were named to the preseason All-America team.

Although the Spartans have had concerns with the quarterback and wide receiver positions, among others, Cook said Saturday’s battle with the Fighting Irish likely will be won in the trenches.

“The offensive lineman have done a great job protecting me this year and watching film of Notre Dame, their defensive linemen are extremely quick and extremely big,” Cook said. “This will be a test for our offensive linemen, and I have confidence in them. If I do get pressure, I’ll run or do whatever I can to make plays.”

The game will serve as 2013’s first true test for the Spartans, who opened up with Western Michigan, South Florida and Youngstown State.

Despite securing victories in each of the first three games, the Spartans have yet to be pushed to the brink, playing offenses ranked No. 98, No. 120 and unranked in the FBS, respectively.

Taking the scope of the schedule and the challenges that lie ahead, defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said Notre Dame should be a serious measuring stick for this year’s team.

“Coach Dantonio says you don’t come to Michigan State to play Youngstown State and Western Michigan, no disrespect,” Narduzzi said. “You come here to play the Notre Dame’s and the Michigan’s and the Big Ten Conference.

“That’s what we’re here for.”