The Irish emerged from Fayetteville after a 56-13 demolition of Arkansas that resulted in not only hitting the .500 mark on the season against a cruising top-five SEC offense, but also the firing of Arkansas’ head coach Sam Pittman. They follow up the road performance with an opportunity to defend home turf against 3-1 Boise State, last season’s Group of 5 College Football Playoff representative. Here are five ways the Irish can move back to positive in the win column.
Limit big plays
Boise State is averaging 481 yards per game on the offensive side, with nearly 7.8 yards per pass and 4.9 per rush. Until Arkansas, defensive coordinator Chris Ash’s pass defense was suspect to say the least, allowing nearly a first down per pass play. Last week, the defense showed a glimpse of its potential, holding a top-10 offense to a single rushing touchdown and 13 total points, less than half of its season-low 31 points beforehand. The Irish need to continue preventing big passing plays even as preseason All-American defensive back Leonard Moore remains questionable. If the defense can limit chunk plays, it will make an already challenging road contest even more difficult for the Broncos.
Continue to run the ball efficiently
The Broncos have allowed 168 rushing yards per game and 4.5 yards per carry, both of which rank outside of the top-80 in the country. This does not match up particularly well against Notre Dame’s ferocious running back duo of juniors Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, who are both averaging over five yards per carry and at least a touchdown per game. Most recently, the Irish ran for a 200-yard and four-touchdown game against an SEC front in Fayetteville. If the Irish stick with the run early and look to get both backs running in space on the edges, it will be a long afternoon for Boise State.
Avoid turnovers
Boise State has forced five interceptions and three fumbles in their first four games. They will need to get after freshman CJ Carr in the pass rushing department, where they are averaging nearly three sacks a contest, and force the young quarterback to make mistakes. Carr threw an interception in both of the Irish losses, games where the opposing defense logged multiple sacks. Protection will be a key for the Irish offense in this home game where they have steadily improved since the Miami week one contest.
Keep taking shots downfield
CJ Carr has improved throughout every game this season. Following the 350-plus yard, four-touchdown performance, he currently ranks second in total quarterback rating in the country. While this statistical masterclass is unfair to expect from the freshman, it clearly emphasizes just how comfortable and efficient he has been this season with a variety of defenses. The Irish executed 13 explosive plays of 20-plus yards against Arkansas, with eight coming from Carr, pushing the defense vertically in the passing game. Carr had several particularly impressive throws to the boundary and is giving his talented receiving core a chance to make big plays, particularly the 6-foot-4 Malachi Fields. Taking deep shots forces the defense to allot more defenders in the secondary and more help over the top, which in turn has allowed the Irish running game to flourish.
Generate pressure
Finally, the Chris Ash defense has a prime opportunity to improve in generating pressure against Boise State. Bronco quarterback Maddux Madsen has only been sacked twice this season and the Irish defense needs to improve in rushing the passer, ranking outside of the top 100 in sack percentage. They earned three drive-crushing sacks against Arkansas, but that number needs to continue to trend in the right direction during this section of the schedule. This is a great chance for Ash to mix rush looks, experiment with blitzes and utilize different stunts that can maximize the athletic profile of talented rushers at the line of scrimmage. While the defensive line has been solid in defending the run, this game needs to emphasize rushing the passer.
The game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 4 at Notre Dame Stadium. Beginning a three-week homestand, the Irish hope to improve on a strong Arkansas victory to 3-2 in 2025.
