Michigan State 44, Notre Dame 41

It was a sad day in the house that Rockne built as the weakness in the Irish secondary was exposed for the first time this year. Michigan State QB Drew Stanton threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns on just 27 pass attempts. After falling behind by 21 in the third quarter, the Irish battled back to tie the game at 38 and send it into overtime. Charlie Weis' brilliant play calling and some help from Touchdown Jesus were enough for the Irish to dominate the last twenty minutes. Had freshman Asaph Schwapp not fumbled on the goalline (after scoring a touchdown, but the referee's blew the call), the Irish likely would have won in regulation. In the overtime, Michigan State brought the pressure that had caused problems for Brady Quinn all day, holding the Irish to a field goal. The final breakdown in the Irish defense allowed Jason Teague to scamper 19 yards for the game-ending touchdown. Brady Quinn's 487 passing yards and school-record five touchdown passes do not tell the tale of just how off he was. Opposing teams now know that he can be shaken by pressure. He repeatedly missed open receivers, and a pick-6 just after the half could have ended the game for all intents and purposes. Perhaps the biggest problem, though, is that the team has not yet been able to put together two good halves of football. While it might not be necessary next week, that will have to change as the schedule turns to Purdue, Southern California, and Tennessee. Fortunately, the tough Irish schedule means that the loss does not necessarily eliminate Irish hopes of going to the Rose Bowl. The strength of schedule means that running the table would likely be enough if there are not two undefeated teams at the end of the year. Weis woke up the echoes. Now, he must wake up the secondary.