On Saturday, Notre Dame mustered a pivotal home win against No. 15 Louisville in the “Irish Wear Green” game heading into their first of two bye weeks this season. The game had just about everything you could ask for: incredible one-handed grabs, bizarre turnovers, questionable ball spotting, botched clock management and late fourth quarter drama. According to The Athletic’s college football playoff predictor, a win gave Notre Dame a 50.8% chance of making the playoff while a loss would have left them at 15.6%, essentially eliminating the Irish from contention before the month of October. That would have led to some very tough conversations. It was a rollercoaster experience for the Irish, but despite getting outgained by over 100 yards, they eked out a victory and pushed back those conversations for at least the next two weeks. Here are some of the team’s active strengths and weaknesses as they look to regroup this coming weekend.
Stock up: The offensive gameplan and execution
Through the first four weeks, Notre Dame’s offense looked largely one-dimensional. An inexperienced and injury-riddled offensive line struggled, especially in pass protection. Senior quarterback Riley Leonard threw only his first touchdown pass of the season in his fourth game and missed several layup-line throws along the way. The receiving corps had failed to produce consistently, with only graduate transfer Beaux Collins eclipsing 100 yards receiving. Still being ramped up from last season’s ACL tear, we have yet to see the best of senior tight end Mitchell Evans.
The lone bright spot came from the rushing attack, particularly through the combination of rising star sophomore Jeremiyah Love and the dual-threat Leonard. However, the offensive performance against the Cardinals suggested the group might be taking steps in the right direction, even if it was just for flashes. In the first quarter, the Irish managed 7.8 yards per play for 132 yards of total offense, scoring three touchdowns without committing a single penalty. More importantly, the total yards were split almost perfectly between rushing and passing, reflecting a more balanced attack. The execution was clean and timely, the first touchdown drive coming in response to a nightmare opening kickoff fumble which led to an early Louisville score. The other two touchdowns capitalized off of Louisville fumbles to take command of the game early on.
Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, aware of the limitations up front, did a good job scheming up passing concepts that allowed Leonard to break the pocket early and get the ball out quickly. Beyond that, he continued to mix in a healthy dosage of runs for Leonard, who got up to a team-high 374 yards on the ground and scored his seventh rushing touchdown of the season. The pièce de résistance of Denbrock’s afternoon of strong play calling came in the fourth quarter, when a perfectly disguised screen pass led to a Love touchdown. It would ultimately prove to be the game-winner.
It’s important to note the offense was very far from perfect and had several drives in the second and third quarters that ended in three-and-outs. For the game, the Irish were only 2-10 on third down conversions and totaled under 300 yards of offense. But for the first time all season, they looked like a legitimate threat to the opposing defense for more than a couple of drives.
Stock up: Riley Leonard
Like the offense, Leonard was far from perfect on Saturday. The Duke transfer still had his fair share of missed throws and slow decisions. However, they were few and far between compared to previous games. Through the air, Leonard went 17-23 for 163 yards and two touchdowns. While the numbers won’t blow you off the page, he looked far more comfortable with the offense and on-time connecting with his receivers. He continues to pose a substantial threat to opposing defenses with his legs, and his toughness in short-yardage situations is a valuable tool for moving the chains. Most of all, the performance highlighted why Leonard is the obvious choice to lead this offense. Behind the shaky offensive line, his mobility unlocks dimensions of the rollout passing attack and RPO game that are not available to someone like junior Steve Angeli, regardless of his chops as a passer. If Leonard continues to improve with his accuracy and reads, the offense has a chance to grow throughout the season. He is not without his flaws, but he is a reliable player and a more-than-capable leader.
Stock up: Defensive resilience
Whether it was as a result of inexcusable special teams blunders or prolonged offensive droughts, the Irish defense had their backs against the wall literally from the opening kickoff, which was fumbled into the hands of a Louisville defender. That’s not to mention the brilliance of seventh-year quarterback Tyler Shough, who managed several high-difficulty throws throughout the game, many of them resulting in miraculous catches from the Cardinal receiving corps. But through it all, the Notre Dame defense stood strong and came up big when the team needed them most, just as they had all season. While the final stat line of 24 points and 395 yards conceded is not the most impressive, it was a formidable effort considering the context. The more telling numbers include Louisville’s 7-17 third down conversion rate and 1-5 fourth down conversion rate, with each of those fourth down stands coming at key moments. The final stop thwarted the Cardinals’ attempt at a game-tying drive and iced the game for the Irish. The group also forced three massive turnovers, putting the offense in prime position to take advantage, which they did. A defense that has proven itself to be one of the best in college football did so once again to keep Notre Dame’s playoff hopes alive.
Stock down: Special teams execution
Special teams blunders are proving to be common occurrences for the Irish this season. Going back to the Week Two upset loss against Northern Illinois, graduate kicker Mitch Jeter had his field goal attempt blocked at the conclusion of the first half, leaving three potential points on the board in a two-point loss. Two weeks later, Notre Dame opened the door for Miami (Ohio) with a muffed punt from sophomore receiver Jordan Faison and a dropped hold on a field goal attempt, mistakes that luckily did not come back to bite the Irish in the end. Once again on Saturday, they made another terrible error. Senior running back Devyn Ford fumbled away the opening kickoff, leading directly to a Louisville touchdown on the ensuing drive. While they have escaped from these mistakes unharmed the last two weeks, the special teams unit needs to get sharper as the season progresses and the margins get thinner.
Stock down: Health
Injuries have plagued Notre Dame on both sides of the ball this season. An offensive line that was forced to begin the year without starting sophomore left tackle Charles Jagusah has quickly become a MASH unit week by week. Against the Boilermakers, the Irish lost starting junior center Ashton Craig for the season and starting junior right guard Billy Schrauth for multiple weeks. This past week, sophomore Sam Pendleton, who filled in at guard for Schrauth, also went down. Evans has yet to reach 100%, and Faison appeared to reaggravate his sprained ankle from the Texas A&M game. Leonard’s health also remains a concern, having already injured the posterior labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. He exited for a play against Louisville after having the wind knocked out of him and continues to take significant punishment on a high frequency of rushing attempts.
On the other side of the ball, Notre Dame’s defensive line depth got even thinner. After losing graduate vyper Jordan Botelho for the season against Purdue, his natural replacement, sophomore Boubacar Traore, was taken out of the Louisville game after an awkward leg plant and was visibly emotional coming out of the tent — not a great sign for the remainder of his season. An Irish secondary that was deep and healthy enough to force junior Jaden Mickey into the transfer portal quickly got thinner within the span of a week. Sophomore cornerback Christian Gray was a late scratch on Saturday, thrusting freshman Leonard Moore into the starting role, and junior corner Benjamin Morrison got banged up, missing multiple plays throughout the game. Morrison returned to practice, and Gray’s injury is not considered serious, but the total damage has nonetheless taken a toll on this team. They will look forward to the bye week as a much-needed opportunity to recover.
