"I think coach was on record last week as saying he was close, and you know we kind of handled him the same way this week," MSU defensive coordinator Joe Rossi said at Wednesday's press conference. "It'll be a decision of coach and the trainers and the doctors and all those things."

That comes as a slight shock after MSU head coach Pat Fitzgerald said Hall was "really close" to being able to play, following the 35-7 win over Eastern Michigan.

"The medical team told us that he was not cleared here late in the week; we made that decision collectively together to make sure that we think about his health, safety and well-being," Fitzgerald said. "And I expect that we practice tomorrow and he'll be ready to go."

Kickoff between No. 3 Notre Dame (2-0) and MSU (2-0) is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. The game will air on NBC and Peacock.

Losing the MIKE linebacker, the quarterback of the defense, in the Spartans' first road game of the season would be a significant blow. It's also unfamiliar territory for Hall, who had missed just one game in his career before this season.

If he can't go by game time Saturday, MSU will face added adversity. But that's exactly the situation the Spartans' next-man-up mentality is built for.

"If he can go, that's great for us. If he can't go, then that's great; we had an opportunity last week with guys to get reps and be in kind of those situations," Rossi said.

Sophomore linebacker Brady Pretzlaff has been a perfect example of that in just two games. He practiced his way into a starting role in the season opener after a season-ending shoulder injury last year, and then served as the MIKE linebacker in Hall's absence against Eastern Michigan last week.

Senior linebackers Dion Crawford and Caleb Wheatland will also help fill the void, each having played more than 36 career games. Keeping the Fighting Irish quiet on the ground will be important, especially given the potential weather conditions.

With rain in the forecast for Saturday, both offenses may have to shift their focus to the run game. That's a matchup that would benefit MSU greatly: the Spartans rank 40th in the nation in rushing offense at 204 yards per game, while Notre Dame has struggled out of the gate, averaging 114.5 yards per game to rank 116th.

Having Hall as Rossi's eyes and ears on the field would be a major advantage if the conditions prove challenging. But regardless, the defense's mentality is set.

"We're going to go in, we're going to play our calls and we're going to play our technique. You don't need to do anything special," Rossi said. "What you need to do is fall back on your training, which is details, fundamentals and technique. That's how you execute games."