Notre Dame Football: The Irish Are Pounding Michigan State So Hard, the 4th String RB Just Scored

Are the Michigan State Spartans any good this year?

The Spartans made easy work of both the Bowling Green Falcons and the Western Michigan Broncos this year, but that doesn’t seem to be much of an accomplishment now.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are having their way with the Spartans tonight. It’s 35-10 midway through the third quarter. The game is so lopsided that the Irish just ran a sweep with their fourth-string running back, Deon McIntosh...and he scored.

I’m happy for McIntosh, who seemed destined for the Justin-Brent-is-he-a-running-back-or-wide-receiver limbo. It’s a big moment — and it was made possible by the Spartans jumping offsides on third and short to keep a sputtering drive alive.

Officially, it was eight plays, 62 yards and 3:19 of game clock elapsed. McIntosh’s run was for nine yards, his first carry of tonight.

McIntosh and junior running back Dexter Williams may get the lion’s share of the carries for the remainder of the night, as the Irish may be wisely resting their hobbled workhorse, Josh Adams.

McIntosh is the fifth different Irish player to score a rushing touchdown this year and the fourth running back. The others are quarterback Brandon Wimbush and fellow tailbacks Adams, Williams and Tony Jones Jr. (Jones is not dressed tonight after suffering an ankle injury against the Boston College Eagles.)