Notre Dame’s Saturday night matchup against Florida State was set to be the marquee matchup of the Irish home slate heading into the 2024 season. While that proved to be far from the case, the Seminoles since falling apart and bringing a 1-8 matchup to the contest, Notre Dame put on a show for the nearly sold-out home crowd in a resounding, 52-3 victory. Extending their win streak to seven straight games, the Irish now improve to 8-1 on the season and are primed for a spot in the College Football Playoff should they win their final three games. Here are some of the team’s active strengths and weaknesses heading into their final home game in Week 12 against Virginia.
Stock up: the dominant defense
Coming into a matchup with a Seminole offense ranked second-worst in the nation with an average of 14.4 points per game, anyone could have predicted what happened on Saturday. However, it takes nothing away from how well this Irish defense under Al Golden continues to play. After holding Florida State to a field goal all game, Notre Dame now ranks third in the nation in scoring defense, allowing only 11.11 points per game. Beyond the scoreboard, it was how they sucked the life out of the Seminoles that spoke to their strength as a unit. Quarterback Brock Glenn finished the game 5 of 18 for 51 passing yards without a touchdown pass and two interceptions. Florida State managed 208 yards of total offense and converted only three of 17 third downs. As a team, the Irish totaled an incredible eight sacks with defensive tackle Rylie Mills contributing three of them. After a slow start out the gate, the graduate student has five sacks in his last five games and has set the tone from the front alongside fellow graduate student Howard Cross III on the defensive interior.
Stock up: the performance of Mitchell Evans
After a season as Notre Dame’s number one offensive option was cut short by an ACL tear, it’s safe to say that Mitchell Evans has not been at his absolute best this season. He was nonetheless named one of the eight Mackey Award semifinalists and has shown flashes as he’s worked back to full health. His performance against Florida State, however, looked like the closest thing to vintage Evans we’ve seen all season. The senior tight end only caught two balls for 21 yards, but one of his receptions showcased his one-on-one prowess as a red-zone target, hauling in a fade from senior quarterback Riley Leonard in the corner of the end zone. He also had an outstanding catch overturned, which despite not counting for anything, reminded us how he can overpower defenders in the secondary. While doubts remain as to whether or not this Irish passing attack can be a real threat in the postseason, Evans can silence many of them if he continues a return to form.
Stock up: the wide receiver corps
Head coach Marcus Freeman highlighted the optimism he had for the team’s wide receiver depth at the beginning of the season. He and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock expected a committee of contributors without the need for a traditional alpha to emerge. While graduate transfer Beaux Collins has come closest to that title, hauling in a team-high 29 receptions for 374 yards, seven others have reached double-digit receptions on the season. Against a weak Florida State secondary, the full arsenal of Irish pass-catchers was on display. Sophomore Jaden Greathouse led the way with five catches for 66 yards and has shown marked improvement in recent weeks, starting to fulfill high preseason expectations. Other than Greathouse, four other Irish wide receivers caught passes, as did four Irish running backs, including season firsts for junior Justin Fisher and graduate student Jake Tafelski late in the second half. The coaching staff will continue to be encouraged by Leonard’s trust in spreading the love to multiple targets.
Stock up: the development of Jadarian Price
While clear second fiddle to sophomore star Jeremiyah Love in the Irish backfield, Jadarian Price has provided an explosive boost to the rushing attack all season. In 61 carries, the junior has tallied 443 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, averaging an efficient 7.3 yards per carry. However, he has had struggles between the tackles, often looking to bounce it outside rather than make reads behind the blocks. Against the Seminoles and in recent weeks, however, he has been far more decisive as a runner, a fact encapsulated by his 65-yard touchdown burst that capped off a 95-yard game. If he continues to develop his vision, the one-two punch with Love becomes an even more lethal weapon for the Irish offense.
Stock down: the health of Howard Cross
Graduate student and preseason All-American selection Howard Cross III is arguably the most valuable player on this entire defense. Alongside Mills, Cross leads this elite unit from the front. Responsible for stonewalling opposing rushing attacks while being one of the greatest sources of quarterback pressure on the defensive line, Cross does everything for this Notre Dame defense. Seeing him on the ground writhing in pain with a left ankle injury in the middle of the first half was not a welcome sight for Irish fans. Thankfully, while he is ruled out for the Virginia game, Freeman is confident he will be available to return the following week in an important matchup against No. 16 Army. However, in a game with otherwise very few negatives to take from, further injury concerns of any kind for an already beat-up Irish team fall under that category.
