(Notre Dame) — Notre Dame faced a team built on blue-collar grit and had to bring its lunch pail to do it.

Using an offense that at times was very methodical, the third-ranked Irish raised their record to 3-0 with a workmanlike 27-10 win over Michigan State (now 2-1) Saturday night at the Stadium.

“it wasn’t perfect, as everybody saw,” lamented Irish coach Marcus Freeman, ” but it was a good victory and a hard-fought victory. Those are the types of victories you’re going to have to find a way to win.”

Quarterback CJ Carr was solid, completing 18 off 24 for 234 yards and rushing for a touchdown.  Receiver Micah Gilbert had a breakout night, snaring eight receptions for 170 yards, including a 61-yarder to start the night.

“I didn’t realize he hit 170 until after the game,” beamed Carr. “I said ‘Oh my gosh, that’s a good deal’. Just super happy for him because he’s a guy that puts in the work.”

The Notre Dame defense turned in a solid performance holding the Spartans to 167 yards of offense with four sacks and two interceptions.

“When we play Notre Dame defense, teams can’t gain anything,” said safety Adon Shuler, who had one of the interceptions. “We’ve got depth in all areas in all rooms.”

It looked like it might be easy for Notre Dame early. The Irish broke to a quick 3-0 lead with a 25-yard field goal from Spencer Porath. After Matt Jeffery deflected a punt, Notre Dame embarked on an 11-play, 41-yard drive that took six minutes off the clock, capped by a two-yard touchdown run from Nolan James, Jr.

After a Liam Boyd 32-yard field goal put Michigan State on the board early in the second, the Irish took another lengthy drive — 10 plays, 75 yards — capped by Aneyas Williams’ one-yard touchdown, making it 17-3.

The Spartans wasted little time answering as Alessio Milvojevic hit Rodney Bullard, Jr on a 53-yard strike. On the next play, backup quarterback Cam Fancher wiggled 15 yards for the score, and it was a 17-10 game going to halftime.

The second half was all Irish, as Notre Dame committed to the run game on a 17-play, nine minute 45-second march resulting in a Porath field goal to make it 20-10.

Then in the fourth, consecutive sacks by the Irish defense forced a Spartan punt. Carr and Gilbert hooked up for two electric passes to the MSU 3, and Carr rushed it in for the final points of the night.

James finished with the first 100-yard rushing night of his career, toting the ball 26 times for 121 yards and a touchdown.

“There were some runs early that weren’t popping,” admitted Freeman. “I thought more than anything the adjustments that we made in game as a coaching staff and the abilityfor our players to then go out on the field and execute them was tremendous.”

Garnering “The Megaphone” with this rivalry win, the Irish now head to Purdue next week to “Battle for the Shillelagh” with kickoff at Ross-Ade Stadium set for 2 p.m. on Peacock.