College Football 27 Predicts Michigan State Football Vs. Notre Dame

Another game, another simulation. Michigan State football takes on Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m. EST under the lights in Notre Dame Stadium. Now, the metrics and statistics all say Notre Dame is heavily favored.

To test out how the game would go, I turned to EA Sports’s College Football 27. Last week, the simulation projected a humiliating 35-17 defeat for the Spartans to Eastern Michigan. Obviously, that did not happen. How is the projection for this week looking?

(Note: This game was ran on accelerated clock to 16 seconds, with me choosing neither side. No plays were called by me. With the forecast, I turned the simulation to light rain.)

(Mandatory reminder: This is a COMPUTER SIMULATION.)

It is worth mentioning that the simulation Irish have a healthier offensive line than their real life counterparts do.

First Quarter

The Spartans got the ball to begin, and a bad return buried them at their own 12. The Spartans put together a pair of first downs, including an Alessio Milivojevic option run. However, on third-and-seven, Milivojevic threw into triple coverage, and linebacker Drayk Bowen snagged an interception that he returned to the MSU44.

The Irish proceeded to drive into the MSU red zone. They capped the drive off with a 16-yard touchdown run by Aneyas Williams.

On the ensuing drive, Milivojevic got to the Notre Dame side of the field, uncorking the ball under pressure to the stand-in player for Rod Bullard Jr. The Spartans added another first down with a pair of Cam Edwards rushes, but had to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Liam Boyd to get within four points.

Notre Dame got the ball, and Isaac Smith sacked and stripped the ball from CJ Carr on third down, with Michael Richard recovering the ball for a score. The Spartans took the lead with 2:22 left in the first quarter.

The Irish retaliated by getting into Spartan territory within two plays, and faced a fourth-and-inches decision on the MSU34 to close the quarter.

Second Quarter

Williams punched the ball forward for eight yards on fourth-and-inches, before a pass by Carr set the Irish up at the MSU1. Williams punched it in to retake the lead the next play with 13:51 left in the second quarter.

The Spartans were forced to punt after a second down Milivojevic sack, and within four plays, the Irish were back in the MSU red zone. The Spartans stood tall for a fourth down stop on their goal line.

Michigan State football drove the ball 35 yards, but had the ball punched out on a Carson Gulker catch, giving them the ball at the MSU46 with 2:53 to play in the half. On the strength of a Kenny Soares Jr. sack, the Spartans held Notre Dame to a 41-yard field goal.

The Spartans were forced to punt after an Irish sack, and Notre Dame took the 7-point lead to half.

Third Quarter

The Spartans, on the strength of another Isaac Smith sacked, forced a punt. Unfortunately, they had their own punt after Francis Brewu brought down Milivojevic inside the Spartan 10-yard line.

The Irish drove down the field in five plays, with Williams capping the drive with a 35-yard touchdown run.

The Spartans and Irish traded punts, before MSU punted the ball on fourth-and-two from their own 40-yard line while down 14 points in the waning minutes of the third quarter.

Notre Dame got the ball to the MSU46 on two passes and a rush before the quarter ended.

Fourth Quarter

The Spartans attempted a goal line stand during the extended Notre Dame drive, but the Irish punched the ball in from one yard out, with Kedren Young running it in.

The wheels started falling off the bus for MSU, as Milivojevic got sacked twice by Brewu and then threw an interception to Adon Shuler, which the safety returned to the 19-yard line. Young rushed in his second score of the quarter two plays later, with 8:24 to play.

Fitzgerald elected to go for it while down 28 with 7:45 to play, and Milivojevic rolled out to find Fredrick Moore for 12 yards on fourth-and-10. The resilient Spartans took advantage of a roughing the passer penalty and scored on fourth-and-goal from the ND4, with Chrishon McCray hauling the pass in with 5:35 to play.

The Spartans could not recover the onside kick, and Notre Dame ran the clock out with Aneyas Williams, who finished with 171 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries.

Final Score

Notre Dame 38

Michigan State 17