Andrew Weber – US Presswire
The No. 10 Michigan State Spartans (2-0) will host the No. 20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2-0) on Saturday night and it’s surely a game that has some sizzle and hype. The beastly Spartan running-back Le’Veon Bell will square off against line-backer Manti Te’o, who is the heart of the Notre Dame defense. I am declaring this must-see TV!
Coach Brian Kelly and his Irish held Bell in check last season on their way to a 31-13 win in South Bend, Indiana. The Spartan RB did only carry the ball seven times that game, something that is sure to change this weekend.
Coach Kelly will look to his leader on defense, Manti Te’0, to carry the burden of attempting to contain Bell. Te’o does have the tools to take on this mission.
The Notre Dame senior line-backer has improved through each of his first three seasons. Te’o started 10 games as a freshman, and lead the team in tackles in his sophomore and junior seasons.
Can he compete with the size of Le’Veon Bell who is 6’2 245 pounds?
Te’o, the Samoan, is 6’2, 255 pounds. Size isn’t the issue.
In the other corner stands the Spartan tailback who appears to live inside the gym. Bell is built for war, and carrying the rock 44 times in the team’s season opener was war-like. Bell totaled 210 yards on the ground and added 2 touchdowns in the Spartan win over the Boise State Broncos in week one. The freak (I say “freak” in a good way) also caught six balls out of the back-field.
He had 18 more carries and 2 touchdowns in their week two win over the Central Michigan University Chippewas. Bell is certainly the “bell-cow” for this Spartan offense.
Both Le’Veon Bell and Manti Te’o are NFL-ready, making this battle in East Lansing, Michigan a must-see event. Expect the Spartan fans to be nice and sauced-up as it will be a day-long tailgate for that ruckus crowd! An electric atmosphere indeed.
Paul Bentley is a contributor to Rant Sports
Follow Bentley on Twitter at @KKingBentley
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