Cahill: The Irish offense may be finding itself

Last weekend, Notre Dame watched from home as several upsets rocked the college football world. Multiple top-ranked teams fell, headlined by No. 1-ranked Alabama. As a result, the Irish jumped two spots in the AP Poll without touching the football field. They spent their time recovering and preparing for their 38th all-time meeting with rival Stanford with the Legends Trophy on the line. Saturday’s edition of the historic contest was one-sided, however, as Notre Dame cruised to a 49-7 victory over the Cardinal. I believe the Irish left with more than just a routine win, but also a meaningful step forward. 

In their first three games in Notre Dame Stadium, the Irish went 2-1 in disappointing fashion. We have all lamented ad nauseam about the devastating defeat in the home opener to Northern Illinois, a game where the team completely overlooked the Huskies and was outplayed from start to finish by a team from a conference in the MAC that had, up to that point, gone 0-51 against top five-ranked competition.

But the two ensuing victories in South Bend were anything but convincing either. The offense labored to move the ball against Miami (Ohio) and kept the RedHawks in the game with several turnovers and special teams blunders. Senior quarterback Riley Leonard looked tentative all day, going 16 for 25 while missing a pair of layup-line passes and losing a fumble.

The performance against Louisville showed flashes of improvement, particularly in a three-touchdown first quarter with 132 yards of offense split almost perfectly between the rush and pass. And yet, that production would end up accounting for almost half of their total offense in a game where Notre Dame was outgained by over 100 yards despite the victory. Barring a massive fourth-quarter drive ending with a brilliantly designed screen pass for a Jeremiyah Love touchdown, the group stagnated after the first quarter, managing only 148 yards and going 1 for 8 on third downs. Mistakes continued to creep in, with a pair of fumbles from Devyn Ford and Jadarian Price handing 14 points to the Cardinals. Even after the win, it was hard to say whether or not the arrow was pointing up, and if the Irish wanted to keep their playoff hopes alive, it needed to soon.

Given a much-needed week to get healthy and hit the drawing board, the offense had its best performance of the season in a rout of its rival. The Irish put up 477 yards of total offense with 248 through the air and 229 on the ground, a far more balanced attack than has been the norm for this team. Barring a punt on the opening drive, a Beaux Collins fumble and a series to run out the clock, Notre Dame’s offense scored a touchdown on all of its seven drives.

But what was even more significant than the remarkable stat line was the way the group executed. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock unlocked the passing game early and often, setting the tone with three straight throws to Beaux Collins on the opening drive. He utilized play-action for chunk completions on early downs and leveraged the threat of the run against stacked boxes with well-timed RPOs, three of them leading directly to touchdowns. Preying on a weak Stanford secondary, Leonard spread the ball to 11 different receivers (including center Pat Coogan). He was poised in command of the offense and looked more in rhythm with his receivers than he had in any game all season. He did not have to rely on his legs as often but still displayed his playmaking ability, eluding pressure in the pocket and scrambling when the situation demanded it. He added his eighth rushing touchdown of the year alongside three passing touchdowns, doubling his season total.

On a limited workload of six touches, Jeremiyah Love continued to shine, breaking out a 39-yard touchdown run that showcased his incredible speed. Jadarian Price pitched in with a touchdown of his own to complete another stellar showing from the well-rounded Irish backfield. Every player contributed to the dominant showing, one that many of us may have expected to see at the beginning of September, but are nonetheless encouraged by for the future.

The win had shades of last year’s annihilation of Wake Forest in the penultimate game of the season. Graduate transfer quarterback Sam Hartman, who had fallen below preseason expectations, threw for 277 yards and four touchdowns. Eight different Irish receivers caught passes with five different touchdown scorers. Junior running back Audric Estime ran for 115 yards and a touchdown. Notre Dame took a 45-7 victory. The performance was a sign of what could have been. At 8-3 on the season by that point, it was too little too late.

This Stanford game could be different. Perhaps a similar beacon of hope to last season, but one that comes in time for the Irish to fulfill their playoff aspirations. If Saturday is any indication, this group might finally be reaching for its full potential. Take that with a defense that continues to establish its identity as one of the nation’s best as well as a schedule that looks more manageable by the week, and the ultimate goal of postseason football feels more and more attainable for this team.