Flint Carman-Ainsworth is undefeated this season (5-0) and a big reason why is the rushing attack led by Michigan State commit Gerald Holmes.Gerald Holmes has run for nine touchdowns this year, including this one against Flushing last week. (MLive.com Photo)

Holmes broke out on two touchdown runs -- of 39 and 75 yards -- to lead C-A to a 43-0 win against Flushing. He totaled 166 yards on eight carries with the two scores.

So far this season, Holmes has ran for 640 yards on 45 carries and nine touchdowns. Carman Ainsworth is ranked third in the state in Division 1.

Holmes also had a big week off the field -- receiving an invite to try out for the United State Under-19 national team, which competes in the world championships every year. Current Spartans Chris Norman and Micajah Reynolds played in the 2009 event.

After a drought that lasted more than a decade, Michigan State now has received two commitments from Cass Tech in less than a month.Cass Tech's Deon Drake is the third commitment in the class of 2014 for Michigan State. (247Sports Photo)

2014 linebacker Deon Drake committed to Michigan State on Saturday, joining 2013 offensive lineman Dennis Finley as future Spartans on the Technicians' roster. Finley committed to Michigan State on August 26.

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound junior picked MSU over offers from Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin. 247Sports gives Drake a four-star ranking and tabbed him as the No. 173 recruit nationally (No. 6 inside linebacker). He also plays running back for Cass Tech.

One in-state MAC school down, one more to go.DeAnthony Arnett has just one catch as a Spartan. He should see the field more against EMU as the Spartans search for explosive playmakers. (Detroit Free Press Photo)

The Spartans downed Central Michigan 41-7 on Sept. 8, and now Eastern Michigan is up this weekend. This time, it is at Spartan Stadium and it is the final nonconference game for Michigan State.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, MSU has some kinks to work out after a tough home loss to Notre Dame.

And they need to be ironed out now, as the Spartans face Ohio State to open the Big Ten season next weekend in East Lansing.

Wide receivers and the offensive line will be the focus of Spartan fans this weekend -- and play calling, for that matter.

So, here is what to look for against Eastern Michigan this Saturday:

Michigan State has had some pretty good linebackers in the past few years, and the 2013 class is bringing in a couple more very good ones -- Jon Reschke and Shane Jones. Brother Rice linebacker Jon Reschke had 13 tackles in the Warriors' win Saturday. (247Sports Photo)

Reshcke, a senior at Birmingham Brother Rice, helped his team shut out Michigan quarterback recruit Shane Morris and Warren De La Salle on Saturday in a 28-0 victory.

Reshcke led the Warriors with 13 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks.

Jones and Cincinnati Moeller stayed undefeated with a 34-27 win against Louisville St. Xavier. The Crusaders moved up to No. 11 in USA Today's national rankings following the win.

One of the members of the Spartans' 13th-ranked 2012 basketball recruiting class is all but certain to receive a redshirt after undergoing shoulder surgery on Sept. 7.

Kenny Kaminski, a forward from Medina, Ohio, will be out four-to-six months after the surgery to repair a torn labrum. It is Kaminski's second shoulder surgery in 10 months.

The 6-foot-7, 230-pounder missed most of his senior season recovering from surgery in November 2011 after suffering an injury during his senior football season.

According to a text message from Kaminski's father to MLive.com, the tear is in a different spot than the previous tear.

Kaminski was ranked the 113th-best recruit in the nation last year, part of the MSU class with Gary Harris, Matt Costello and Denzel Valentine.

Kaminski already was a likely redshirt candidate for this season.

Everyone in the stands at Spartan Stadium could see it. Anyone watching on national television couldn't miss it.MSU's Bennie Fowler, right, drops a pass in the end zone against Notre Dame. (LSJ Photo)

The Spartans' lack of offensive firepower was evident to all against Notre Dame on Saturday night -- and it could be the flaw that proves to be the Achilles' heel of this Michigan State team.

"We need to have more explosive plays on offense," MSU coach Mark Dantonio said. "We didn't get in the red zone and missed a field goal."

"We had a lack of explosive plays, that's the first thing that jumps out," MSU offensive coordinator Dan Roushar said.

The players agreed -- on both sides of the ball.

"We need to make plays and create in situations ... ," Bullough said. "We weren't able to do that tonight."

Quarterback Andrew Maxwell added, "we just didn't have enough explosive plays."

Under the lights in a national spotlight, the 10th-ranked Spartans had a chance to really impress in a major way against No. 20 Notre Dame, but they dropped their chance -- literally -- in a 20-3 loss.Max Bullough tries to bring down Everett Golson on Saturday night. (Detroit News Photo)

Michigan State dropped six passes -- including one in the end zone that went in and out of the hands of Bennie Fowler -- and just could not make a big play on offense or defense.

"It's an eye opener," Michigan State linebacker Max Bullough said. "As much of an eye opener as it was last year, it is this year. There were missed opportunities as much as there was of anything."

On the defensive side, Bullough couldn't hang on to a diving interception on a wobbly pass from Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson. Chris Norman dropped a ball that was tipped into the air shortly after that.

Meanwhile, Golson made a couple big plays for the Irish that resulted in two touchdowns and enough to hand the Spartans their first home loss since 2009, ending a streak of 15 wins in a row.

The Spartans, seemingly just one big play away through most of the game, gave up both scores when Golson broke away from the defensive containment -- one ending in a long pass to tight end Jeff Goodman and the other ending in a short touchdown scamper by Golson. Both touchdown drives covered just 51 yards, as the Irish worked with short fields on each one.

Michigan State came out and tried to establish the run, but couldn't get the ground game going early and put the ball in Andrew Maxwell's hands. But with starting right tackle Fou Fonoti out with a foot injury (six-to-10 weeks), the Irish put plenty of pressure on the MSU quarterback.

"Obviously when you have a front seven like they have," Maxwell said, "then they can get a lot of pressure without sending a lot of blitzes; that's going to cause some problems for an offense."

Maxwell was sacked four times in the game after not being sacked in the first two games of the season. The Spartans rotated through offensive linemen, playing seven total -- including Ethan Ruhland, who got his first career start at left guard.

The Spartans only allowed the Irish to convert one third down (1-of-14), while holding them to 300 total yards.

Keith Mumphery led the Spartans with six catches for 71 yards. Bell had 77 yards on 19 carries.

Here it is, y'all. No. 10 Michigan State vs. No. 20 Notre Dame.Bennie Fowler, left, should have plenty of chances to make plays against Notre Dame. (MLive.com Photo)

The Fighting Irish come in 2-0, as do the Spartans. The Irish will be seeking their first win in East Lansing since 2006, a game any MSU would rather forget.

The Spartans have won 10 of 15 against the Irish, but Notre Dame comes in after winning last year's game 31-13 in South Bend.

The year before that, well every Spartan fan knows how that one ended -- Little Giants.

This game looks to be a lot less exciting than the 2010 edition, but you never know in a game under the lights at Spartan Stadium between these two rivals.

Here is what you should see:

(Note: Welcome to a new segment, Spartan Pups. This (ideally) is going to be a weekly segment to break down and update how the Michigan State commitments for the class of 2013 and 2014 are doing in their high school seasons. Any and all feedback is welcome.)

When Michigan State received a commitment from Erie Cathedral Prep quarterback Damion Terry, it was clear the Spartans landed a great talent.Damion Terry has led Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep to a 2-0 start and a No. 1 ranking in the state. (GoErie.com Photo)

And through two games, he has shown that -- and led his team (2-0) to the top ranking in Pennsylvania's Class AAA, the second-largest class.

Terry has thrown for five touchdowns and ran for two scores, while racking up 510 passing yards. In Cathedral Prep's season-opening 56-6 win, Terry threw for 245 yards on 15-of-21 passing with a touchdown and two rushing touchdowns. In the second game, Terry threw for 265 yards and four touchdowns.

Terry also eclipsed the 4,000 career passing yard mark in his second game of the year -- the first quarterback in Cathedral Prep's history to do so.

As far as rankings go, another Michigan State commit leads the defense on one of the nation's top teams.

"Nobody's safe right now. We don't have a B.J. Cunningham, a Keshawn Martin, that's been established." --MSU wide receivers coach Terry Samuel (Sept. 5, 2012)Freshman Aaron Burbridge looks downfield in his debut against Central Michigan. (Detroit News Photo)

As the search for a big play wide receiver continues, Michigan State turned to some new options against Central Michigan. Some very new options.

True freshmen Aaron Burbridge and Macgarrett Kings saw the field for the first time in the Spartans' 41-7 win and, barring injury, no longer will redshirt this year.

Each had two fourth-quarter receptions, but more importantly, made people miss after the catch. Message received.

Behind the clear-cut number one receiver Bennie Fowler, the competition remains open. But among a bevy of options such as Tony Lippett, DeAnthony Arnett, Keith Mumphery, Andre Sims Jr. and Jeremy Langford, some things are starting to take shape.