There’s no mistaking how important this game is. Opening up on the road against a top-10 team in Miami before a rematch with Texas A&M meant starting 0-2 was a real possibility. The Irish will undoubtedly be a much different team by the end of 2025. However, the committee will not care about that if they see two losses to what could end up being the only ranked opponents on their schedule. Keeping a 10-2 Notre Dame team riding a 10-game win streak out of the College Football Playoff (CFP) feels unlikely, but it is definitely a possibility. Nonetheless, even if their playoff hopes remain alive, the Irish have no margin for error with a loss on Saturday. A win, however, could change the trajectory of the season and remind the country why they belong in the inner circle of contenders. They will need a similar blueprint to last season’s victory over the Aggies to do it.
Notre Dame did not play poorly by any means against Miami two Sundays ago. C.J. Carr exceeded expectations in his first start, doing what should have been enough to eke out a win. Pair his game with the performance of last season’s supporting cast on the road against A&M, and the Irish start 1-0. But Carr did not get the same support that Riley Leonard did in his first start a year ago. An unproven offensive line held its own then. This time, they were dominated. The defense generated turnovers. This year, they created none. The entire team excelled in both the middle eight and during crunch time. This year, they lost the former by two touchdowns and couldn’t come up with a stop in the latter. The loss left Irish fans asking the question – who was to blame? Was it the coordinators? Was it the line play? Was it the game plan on offense? The answer: All of the above.
Who will be Notre Dame’s starting quarterback? The question that dominated offseason headlines up until Carr won the job over Kenny Minchey. And yet the question of quarterback play did not feature in headlines after week one. Head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff can take solace in that. They made the right decision and they have their guy. However, an offensive line touted among the favorites for the Joe Moore Award in the preseason looked in disarray. An elite Miami defensive line unit definitely has something to do with that, but the A&M line has no slouches either.
“Sometimes you can get paralyzed because of movement … at times, I thought we did get a little bit lateral,” Freeman said. Despite these struggles, he remained relatively unconcerned. “I am as confident in that group as anybody on our team. They’ll be fine.”
They will have an opportunity to prove themselves against another strong defensive unit. There remain unanswered questions, chief among them being a battle for the starting right guard spot between Sullivan Absher and Guerby Lambert. Absher rotated throughout the line against Miami, while Lambert never seemed to settle in fully. But Freeman’s confidence in the group speaks volumes. The talent is still the talent. Expect a statement performance on Saturday.
On the other side of the ball, a talented defensive line was unable to produce, specifically with the four-man rush. The likes of Boubacar Traore and Bryce Young, joining veterans Joshua Burnham and Jordan Botelho, promised to wreak havoc in opposing backfields. However, the group failed to meet those expectations against a stout Miami offensive line, which had a strong case for being the best unit on the field that game. Sending four on 17 occasions, the Irish got pressure on Carson Beck only once. He threw a 28-yard touchdown on that play. Perhaps more concerning was the failure to generate takeaways, something that Notre Dame did better than any team in the nation a season ago. Beyond forcing zero turnovers to Miami’s two, they missed several opportunities to make plays on the football in big moments. The leaping, one-handed touchdown grab by C.J. Daniels in front of Adon Shuler comes to mind. Across the board, the defense didn’t make the plays Irish fans have become accustomed to seeing them make.
“The execution is still what matters,” Freeman said. “We can’t be displaced out of our gaps, we gotta make plays on balls that are in the air, we gotta be aggressive when we need to be aggressive.”
They failed to do enough of each. Defensive coordinator Chris Ash was conservative with his play call, often opting for a four-man rush before the blitz. What made Al Golden so special as a defensive mind was his ability to create pressure on the biggest downs. Ash will need to find ways to do the same. No matter what, though, he will need a higher level from his players to do so.
The most pervasive question following the loss was directed at offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock. Why did Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price not see more of the ball? The star backfield duo combined for a mere 16 carries and 78 yards. Freeman chalked up the lack of touches to the reads C.J. Carr was making. Insisting on giving the young quarterback easy throws to make, especially early, the staff drew up several run-pass options that saw Carr pass instead of hand off. That will need to change this weekend, but not just for the sake of the run game. Carr proved on Sunday that he is ready for the moment. When he was unleashed to push the ball downfield, he did so with great success. The game plan should not be as simple as giving the ball to your best player (though that does need to happen more). Carr’s arm talent can unlock a new layer for this offense that even Leonard, for all of his many strengths, could not. Denbrock will need to lean into it for this team to become a true contender.
Only a year removed from their first meeting, this A&M game feels like another program-defining one. I said a week ago that I don’t view the Miami loss as a reason for alarm bells. That assertion only holds if the Irish come to play. Everything is still in front of this group. Unlike in seasons past, there is reason to believe Freeman will maximize their potential. Notre Dame only needs to win the game on Saturday, even if that is by a point. But if they play to that immense potential, backed by a home crowd riding the high of a national championship run, it should be a much more dominant victory, one that sends a message to the college football world.
