As conference championship weekend approaches, Madeline Ladd, Matthew Crow, Annika Herko, Tyler Reidy and Noah Cahill of The Observer’s football beat analyze how Notre Dame shapes up heading into the College Football Playoff.
What was the highlight of Notre Dame’s 11-1 regular season?
Madeline Ladd, Assistant Managing Editor: The dominant victory over Texas A&M showcased the team’s ability to shine on the national stage and was definitely a highlight for me. Going into such a hostile, intimidating environment early into the season gave the Irish a chance to show what they came for in 2024. The A&M game quickly showed the resilience the Irish would need to display after NIU to reach the playoffs. Sept. 7 could have been the end for them, but they were able to rise above.
Matthew Crow, Sports Writer: Pick-sixes are likely at the forefront of many Irish fans’ minds after Notre Dame closed out USC with two in a row during the fourth quarter last weekend, and while I’ll stay on theme, I’m going with one that occurred several weeks earlier. When Notre Dame traveled to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech, the Irish held a four-game win streak but hadn’t left the state of Indiana for any of those games and had done little to sway their doubters and return to the national forefront. That all changed when they thoroughly rolled over the Yellow Jackets on the road, and safety Adon Shuler’s pick-six in the game’s final minutes extended Notre Dame’s lead to a commanding 31-7 and closed out the game in emphatic fashion. That game — and Shuler’s highlight play, specifically — was one of the first moments in which it felt like the Irish had a real chance to redeem themselves from the devastating Northern Illinois defeat and run the table for the remainder of the season to earn an unlikely Playoff berth. Five wins later — bringing the streak up to 10 in a row — Notre Dame has done exactly that.
Annika Herko, Associate Sports Editor: The win at Texas A&M in Week One was my highlight. The Irish started off the season with a tough top 25 match-up and the team really came together to win, with the Irish starting to pull away in the second half. While watching from South Quad on campus, the student body left the game confident that the Irish were a top team and the inconvenience of moving finals was worth it because there was no way we were not going to host a playoff game. The rest of season was a gradual ramp up to getting back to the sentiment after that game.
Tyler Reidy, Sports Editor: What happened the week after took a lot of shine off this game, but I’ll go with the Week One win at Texas A&M. No contest anywhere else in Notre Dame’s season came close to providing the hype that the opener did. And under the lights before 100,000 screaming Aggie fans, the Irish delivered, setting the tone for what this season could be. With the College Football Playoff looming, the 23-13 victory might not stand as the biggest win of Marcus Freeman’s tenure for long, so I intend to enjoy it while it still holds that title.
Noah Cahill, Associate Sports Editor: This may feel like a cop-out answer, but I have to choose Christian Gray’s game-sealing 99-yard pick-six against USC as my highlight of the season. The sophomore cornerback had been picked on in man-to-man coverage all game and was targeted again on USC’s attempt at a game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter. With the regular season and a spot in the College Football Playoff on the line, Gray pounced on a rare underthrow from Trojan quarterback Jayden Maiava and took it to the house. The electric moment was the defining moment of an Irish defense that had dominated all season, and while they were far from their best in the season finale, the group delivered when they were needed most to secure the victory.
Who is your MVP of the regular season?
Ladd: Jeremiyah Love earns my MVP nod for being the ultimate difference-maker on the Irish offense. His dynamic style of play elevates the team and makes him a must-watch every time he’s on the field. But I’d also give quarterback Riley Leonard significant praise for his transformation. Leonard’s improvement in the passing game has not only opened up the offense but has also bolstered Love’s success on the ground. Leonard’s dual-threat ability has kept defenses guessing, and he is really shaping to be what Freeman referred to as “the right quarterback to lead this program.”
Crow: My pick goes to Xavier Watts. The Irish secondary had some question marks entering the year, and even more after All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison suffered a season-ending injury in October. But despite the adversity and setbacks, Notre Dame still boasted one of the nation’s most dominant secondaries — finishing the regular season ranked fourth nationally in passing yards allowed per game — and Watts played the biggest role in that success. The reigning Nagurski Trophy winner for national defensive player of the year, he somehow managed to elevate his play to an even higher level during his fifth year in South Bend by seemingly eliminating all weaknesses from his game. Watts was elite in coverage, got to the opposing quarterback in a flash when the Irish dialed up pressure from the safety position and showcased his incredible range by making crucial open-field tackles from sideline to sideline. And most importantly — as Notre Dame fans have become accustomed to — he was a magnet for the ball. He finished the season with a team-high five interceptions as well as a forced fumble and fumble recovery, most notably closing out the Irish’s playoff-clinching win against USC with a 100-yard pick-six. As Notre Dame prepares to face off against elite passing attacks in the playoff, Watts’ play will be more vital than ever as the team captain aims to close out his illustrious career by leading his teammates to a national title.
Herko: The defense was expected to be strong this year and while losing Benjamin Morrison hurt, the offense was the real unknown this year. Jeremiyah Love’s play all season was the consistency this team needed. He had at least one touchdown in every game this season and ran for almost 1,000 yards. He was especially essential when the passing game was still being developed at the beginning of the season, as Leonard and the receivers struggled to get on the same page. Hopefully, he can get healthy in the few weeks the Irish have to rest before the big game.
Reidy: I can’t convince myself to turn down Xavier Watts here. Riley Leonard, Jeremiyah Love and Jack Kiser in particular deserve a lot of credit for this season, but Watts acts as the consistent anchor of this team like nobody else can. Whenever Notre Dame needed a play — to grab crucial points at Texas A&M, to settle down the Louisville game or to send USC fans home — he delivered. Notre Dame’s secondary hasn’t had the easiest year, losing junior All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison halfway through the season. But I’ve been particularly impressed with the play of the Irish safeties, ranging from breakout sophomore Adon Shuler to graduate newcomer Jordan Clark. All of that trickles down from the terrific play of Watts, one of the premier defensive players in college football.
Cahill: My MVP of the regular season is running back Jeremiyah Love. Safety Xavier Watts was an enticing choice, the graduate student following up his Bronko Nagurski-winning season where he managed seven interceptions with another stellar season logging five more including a dagger pick-six against USC in the final game. However, I feel Love has been the catalyst and greatest weapon on an Irish offense that improved each week of the season. Described by many as the best player on the field, the sophomore superstar has put his immense talent on display all season behind a young and unproven offensive line. He’s managed 949 yards from his 134 carries, averaging an efficient 7.1 yards per touch. Most notably, he’s pitched in 15 touchdowns on the ground while setting a Notre Dame record for his streak of 12 straight games with a score, a streak that continues after he powered one in at the goal line against the Trojans. Beyond the impressive stat sheet, Love is a chunk run waiting to happen on every play, adding a valuable dimension to an Irish offense that struggles to generate explosives in the passing attack. On top of breakaway speed, he has showcased incredible vision and elusiveness, making men miss moving side to side and on three separate occasions, over the top. He’s also shown his prowess as a pass-catcher, catching 22 passes for 206 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Love has proven to be the full package at running back this season, and his return to full health will be vital to Notre Dame’s success in the postseason.
Who is your player or position group to watch for Notre Dame’s postseason run?
Ladd: The defensive line is the key to Notre Dame’s playoff hopes. Howard Cross’s potential return could revitalize the pass rush, giving the defense a much-needed edge against high-powered offenses. However, kicker Mitch Jeter must find consistency in what has been a rocky latter half of the season. Special teams can often be the deciding factor in tight postseason games, and his performance could make or break the Irish’s chances.
Crow: Notre Dame’s success in the postseason will hinge largely on the play of its offensive line. Despite the Irish program being known for churning out elite units up front, confidence in the O-line was unusually low entering the year due to a severe lack of experience and several long-term injuries to projected starters. But the unit has stepped up all season long, getting better and looking more comfortable with each passing week. Notre Dame’s offense revolves around its run game, and when the line is at its best and opening up big holes on a consistent basis, the Irish offense goes from good to truly great. They’ve been able to do that for much of the season so far — as shown by Notre Dame’s gaudy rushing numbers — but it remains to be seen if they can find the same success against some of the nation’s best front sevens. If a still-inexperienced but now battle-tested unit can continue to rise to the occasion, the Irish have a strong chance to make a deep run in the coming weeks.
Herko: The running back position led by Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price has been outstanding for the Irish all season. In the postseason, the Irish will play more talented teams than they faced in the regular season. It will be really cool to see how these high-achieving players fare against better defenses than they faced previously. Overall, this offense faced a fair amount of criticism, especially in the beginning of the season. The only team on Notre Dame’s schedule this season who was ever discussed as a potential playoff team was Texas A&M. This team has changed a lot since traveling down to College Station and it will be fun to see the development of this offense.
Reidy: I’m looking for Notre Dame’s defensive line as a difference-maker, especially early in the tournament. Sure, the Irish secondary looked bad for most of the USC game, but that happened in part due to a largely neutralized pass rush. Notre Dame’s defensive line, which was unexpectedly quiet during many regular-season games, heads into the postseason less than fully healthy. The Irish have been on their third vyper since the start of October, and graduate defensive lineman Howard Cross III has not played in a month. With Notre Dame’s first-round game likely to take place in a frigid and potentially snowy South Bend, the winner will advance in the trenches, an area the Irish will have to control on both sides of the football.
Cahill: After facing their first real test against USC’s passing attack, which put up 360 yards and three touchdowns behind a brilliant performance from Trojan quarterback Jordan Maiava and his talented pass-catchers, I have my eye on the Irish secondary heading into the postseason. Ranked first in passing efficiency, this group has dominated, albeit against poor competition, all season, and delivered when they were needed most. However, Saturday was a wake-up call for a group that had yet to see the kind of size and speed on the outside that USC had to offer. That will be the norm from here on out, and while the season-ending injury to junior cornerback and projected first-rounder Benjamin Morrison didn’t make a massive impact in the regular season, it was always going to be more glaring when competition stiffened. Freshman cornerback Leonard Moore held his own against the Trojans while Xavier Watts and blossoming sophomore safety Adon Shuler continued to play at a high level, but despite making the game-deciding play, Christian Gray looked liable to get exposed in one-on-one coverage, so he’ll need to step up.
