Chris Solari

Detroit Free Press

Notre Dame’s secondary mirrors Michigan State’s defensive line. Both units keep getting thinner and thinner.

The 18th-ranked Irish lost another key player during Saturday’s 39-10 win over Nevada when cornerback Shaun Crawford suffered a torn Achilles tendon early in the game. The sophomore will miss the rest of the season, including this Saturday’s primetime, nationally televised game against No. 8 MSU (7:30 p.m., NBC).

“I think that everybody knows that when you lose a player like Crawford, a new guy comes in,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said Sunday. “And they’re going to pick on them.”

Fellow sophomore Nick Coleman took over at corner for the Irish as Nevada passed for 201 yards Saturday, six days after Texas threw for 280 yards among its 517 yards of offense in against Notre Dame a 50-47 double-overtime win. The Irish also are mixing in two true freshmen at cornerback in Julian Love and Donte Vaughn.

“Unfortunately, you know, we had an injury that is forcing our hand to play some guys,” Kelly said. “But with the kind of schedule we play and the length of the year, (Saturday vs. Nevada) was a great opportunity for us to get a better glimpse and know who we need to continue to press and push to get better at their craft.”

Tyler O’Connor, MSU’s new starting quarterback, completed 13 of 18 passes for 190 yards and three touchdowns in the Spartans’ season-opening win over Furman. That was with a relatively new cast of receivers for MSU, which also lost veteran R.J. Shelton early in the first quarter of that game and sophomore Felton Davis III in the fourth quarter. Both are expected to be prepared for Saturday’s trip to South Bend, Indiana, the Spartans’ first game against Notre Dame since suffering their only loss of 2013 there.

The Irish already have suffered a number of losses to their secondary, starting before the season even began.

Cornerback Devin Butler remains suspended indefinitely, Kelly said, stemming from an August incident that resulted in two felony charges of resisting law enforcement and battering a police officer. Sophomore Butler, who also has an injured left foot, pleaded not guilty earlier this month.

Safety Max Redfield was dismissed from the team during preseason camp after his arrest on gun and drug charges. Avery Sebastian, Redfield’s replacement, left Notre Dame’s double-overtime loss to Texas on Sept. 4 but returned to play in a limited capacity against Nevada. The California transfer did not start.

Junior cornerback Nick Watkins also is recovering from a fractured left arm that he suffered during spring workouts. Kelly said he will have an X-ray this week to determine if he will be able to play this season.

Now, the banged-up Irish must go against an MSU squad that is coming off a bye week following its somewhat lackluster 28-13 win over Furman. The Spartans have lost eight players – four to graduation, four to transfer – from their defensive line from a year ago, including five significant contributors.

“The only thing that’s unique is that you don’t have a lot of film on them from this year,” Kelly said of the Spartans. “You’ve got one game in Furman, so we’ll have to look at a little more film. But generally in a bye week situation, you’re really just trying to rely on what you’ve seen and who they are and have been in the past.

“We’ve played Michigan State enough that we have a pretty good understanding of their identity and who they want to be.”

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari.

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