One week after Notre Dame won its 2004 home opener over Michigan, it was time to head to East Lansing and take on Michigan State. With an opportunity to go over .500 for the first time that season, the Irish didn’t have the cleanest game as the special teams allowed two touchdowns. But the Spartans turned the ball over six times, one of which led to a [autotag]Tom Zbikowski[/autotag] 75-yard fumble return for a touchdown, in a 31-24 Irish victory.
Here’s how ESPN covered the highlights of that game:
Notre Dame vs Michigan State (2004) pic.twitter.com/bMWgMwxf9R
— College Football Classics (@ClassicsCFB) July 24, 2023
[autotag]Brady Quinn[/autotag], completed less than half of his throws, but he threw for 215 yards. [autotag]Matt Shelton[/autotag] received 123 of those and caught Quinn’s lone touchdown pass. Quinn also ran for a touchdown himself and handed off to [autotag]Ryan Grant[/autotag] for another score. [autotag]Darius Walker[/autotag] ran for a game-high 98 yards on 26 carries.
While the season ultimately ended in disappointment, on one night in East Lansing, all was right for the 2004 Irish.
Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89