The 28-7 victory over Boise State re-ignited a sentiment that Irish fans had waited to feel all season: hope. While sloppy at times, the defense finally boasted its best performance of the season with four interceptions and four sacks en route to a dominant effort reminiscent of the defense in the national championship game last season. Adding an improving and maturing defensive unit to an already explosive and consistent offense is the ticket for the Irish’s playoff hopes come December and now it’s starting to seem possible.
This performance, while not flashy, showed the grit, toughness and competitive character the Irish had been lacking. After a 0-2 start, losing to Miami on the road and Texas A&M at home, the odds of the playoff sat at 5.4%. That not only seemed bleak but appeared virtually impossible given the play of the defense. The Irish have begun to turn the season in the right direction, steadily improving over the last three victories. Each victory has shown a different aspect of the team, and this one most clearly displayed grit.
The Irish defense held Boise State to a season-low seven points after only one touchdown and 13 points against Arkansas. It is a far cry from the 41 points it allowed at home against Texas A&M, and Notre Dame feels the effects firsthand. After the victory, Marcus Freeman said, “to play that way, to play like they played last week, play like they played this week — and it’s not perfect; it’s not perfect — but to get that type of outcome and the number of points you give up, I’m extremely happy for them.”
This was most evident from the linebacker position for the Irish. Losing Jack Kiser to the NFL certainly left a big hole at the middle linebacker position, and the group effort from younger players tasked with a bigger role is beginning to fill in those gaps. Sophomore linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa recorded his best game in blue and gold, co-leading the team with junior Jaiden Ausberry with eight tackles. Viliamu-Asa also got a key pass deflection on a fourth down that helped the Irish stay in front. Drayk Bowen, Jaylen Sneed and Boubacar Traore also caused critical sacks with the other linebackers, stepping up from the position most needed in Chris Ash’s defense. Four sacks is the most for an Irish defense that struggled immensely with generating pressure at the start of the season.
The defensive impact of Leonard Moore also cannot be understated. With three interceptions on the season all in critical moments, the standout corner has proven to be a game-wrecker when healthy. After Moore’s return and a pair of interceptions for the Irish, Marcus Freeman added, “Leonard got enough work that he can go out there and do his job. And it’s just a confidence, I think, that we as a coaching staff, the team has, when he’s out there.”
It’s not perfect just yet.
There is still some sloppiness from the Irish offense and special teams. While Marcus Freeman is known for discipline, the Irish earned their most penalties of the season with 11, totaling 112 yards. This issue would have been more glaring if not for the 13 Bronco penalties for 112 yards on the other side. Additionally, Notre Dame missed another PAT and switched kickers mid game, electing for junior kicker Marcello Diomede who finished the game 2/2 on extra points. Junior wide receiver Jordan Faison and junior running back Jeremiyah Love also both fumbled the ball, the former twice, but none were recovered by Boise State.
On offense the Irish were sloppy on 4th down. The opening drive saw Love surprisingly stuffed on 4th & goal from the 1-yard line. In addition, redshirt freshman CJ Carr notably missed a pass on 4th & 8 which saw senior wide receiver and captain Will Pauling unguarded on a deep post in the end zone. These mistakes are slightly out of character for an Irish team that has been a well-oiled machine in the previous three contests. However, even with these issues the game was not particularly close.
The Irish offense had a margin for error, needing only a mediocre performance to win. Reminiscent of last year’s early season struggles, it was the Irish defense causing a huge turnover margin that won physical and tight games. This year, the offense has been asked to carry more of a burden scoring, which they have delivered on, but the recipe for the playoffs requires a dominant team — finally manifesting this week. The consistency of the nation’s best backfield was once again on full display as they accounted for 186 yards. With Carr’s help on an explosive third down run, the team totaled 200 yards on the ground for the third straight game. Carr also passed for 189 yards and no interceptions. Freeman said, “We need to have a complementary football team to reach our full potential,” and the Irish are on their way.
The 12-team College Football Playoff accounts for imperfections and improvement. The Irish moved up five spots to No. 16 in the AP Poll ahead of all other 2-loss teams this Sunday. The opening losses to now–No. 2 Miami and No. 5 Texas A&M appear to help the Irish more and more each week. Penn State and Texas, the other 2-loss contenders and top teams in the pre-season, dropping completely out of the top 25 after losing to unranked UCLA and Florida, respectively. Notre Dame is significantly ahead of the next closest 2-loss team, Florida State, at No. 25.
There is no reason why the Irish won’t continue to advance in the rankings as more top teams cannibalize each other in conference play. The path to the playoff now feels firmly in the hands of Notre Dame, for the first time since its consecutive losses to open the year.
So, what are the biggest tests ahead? In two weeks, the Irish will take on USC at home. If the Trojans can knock off the Wolverines next week, they may return to the rankings and give the Irish another chance for a marquee victory at home on Oct. 18. With Jayden Maiava leading college football in quarterback rating at the helm, the Trojans have been dangerous throwing the ball, which will obviously be a concern for the Irish defense. The Irish will also take on Boston College, Pitt and Stanford on the road which cannot be overlooked.
As slim as the opportunity seemed back in September, Notre Dame’s easy schedule coupled with Marcus Freeman’s track record of improvement, once again leaves the Notre Dame playoff chances in the teams’ hands to continue winning. Now with the Chris Ash defense beginning to fall in place, hope is turning into optimism for the Irish future.
