After going 19-of-26 for 241 yards and two touchdowns against Notre Dame, O'Connor proved his game managing skills. After five years immersed in the offense, O'Connor has shown he's learned quite a bit. Delivering throws on time and on target, it seems to come naturally to him. He didn't force any throws and made the correct reads against Notre Dame.

Dantonio praised O'Connor and said he displayed “moxie” in the win over the Fighting Irish.

Donnie Corley will be a heavy factor in the offense

The highly-touted receiver had a quiet spring game, and his debut against Furman saw him only collect two catches for 17 yards. Against Notre Dame, however, Corley quickly became the target of the night, hauling in four passes for 88 yards, including a 38-yard pass to the end zone that he ripped away from Irish cornerback Cole Luke for a touchdown.

Corley was able to gain yards after contact and after the catch. He figures to be a go-to guy for O'Connor.

MSU continues to win ranked games

MSU has now defeated six of its last seven ranked opponents after the win over the then-No.18 Irish. Last year's wins included a home win over then-No. 7 Oregon, on the road against then-No. 12 University of Michigan, then-No. 2 Ohio State University and a neutral site game against then-No. 4 Iowa.

A win over then-No. 4 Baylor in the 2015 Cotton Bowl is the sixth victory and the only blemish is a loss to then-No. 2 Alabama in the College Football Playoff.

It doesn't matter who runs the ball

Gerald Holmes and LJ Scott both carried the ball against Notre Dame, combining for three touchdowns and nearly 200 yards rushing. Each back saw substantial playing time last year, though Scott developed into the role of the “closer,” entering the game later and wearing down the opposition's already fatigued defense. Holmes led the way in Big Ten play and was the slightly better of the two backs against the Irish.

Both are serviceable backs who will no doubt get their fair share of carries. Dantonio will stick with the “hot hand” and it won’t matter who it is.

Defensive line still young

Offensive lineman Brandon Clemons and tight end Jamal Lyles played on both sides of the ball against the Irish, as the younger linemen are not quite developed yet. After losing Montez Sweat, Craig Evans, Cassius Peat and Damon Knox, the line was depleted and forced to rely on young talent. Redshirt-freshman Raequan Williams recorded one sack, but he seems to be the most progressed of the young linemen.