The Fighting Irish proved a return to form this past Saturday in their impressive performance, especially defensively, against the NC State Wolfpack. With their 36-7 win, Notre Dame improved its record to 4-2 and climbed to No. 13 in the AP Poll. As the Irish prepare for the biggest test left on their schedule in their upcoming matchup against rival USC, they have honed the aggression, physicality and confidence that were inconsistent earlier in the season; however, some adjustments still need to be made before Saturday. Here are some highs and lows from this past weekend.
Stock-up: Run defense
Dynamic Wolfpack sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers arrived in South Bend averaging 115.5 yards per game on the ground on 6.9 yards per touch. The Irish defense controlled the line of scrimmage and limited Smothers to only 46 yards on 12 carries, as senior defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio continued his sterling recent play and junior USC transfer Elijah Hughes flashed with his quickness and ability to penetrate.
Most importantly, the Irish limited Smothers’ home run ability. He racked up 19 explosive plays (runs of 10 or more yards, receptions of 20 or more yards) in NC State’s first six games; he only managed one against the Irish, for only 10 yards.
A main tenet of Marcus Freeman’s defensive philosophy is to play with clarity, velocity and violence. The Irish certainly did so against a dangerous Wolfpack attack.
Stock-up: Pass catchers
After years of mediocre play at the receiver positions, Notre Dame has an abundance of options for freshman quarterback CJ Carr to target. Wisconsin transfer and team captain senior wide receiver Will Pauling posted his first 100-yard receiving game in the blue and gold and caught a touchdown for the third game in a row. Sophomore wide receiver K.K. Smith notched his first career touchdown on a third-quarter post pass from Carr. The emergence of Pauling and Smith to supplement junior Jordan Faison and senior Malachi Fields makes this the deepest collection of wide receiver talent arguably since the days of Michael Floyd, Golden Tate and Kyle Rudolph. If Jaden Greathouse can recover after missing the last two games with a thigh injury and repeat the form he showed as a star in last year’s College Football Playoff, Carr will have an embarrassment of riches.
Carr’s options, however, are not limited to wide receivers. Senior tight end Eli Raridon had a career-high seven receptions (on seven targets) and his first-ever 100-yard game. Healthy and confident, Raridon looks like he will join the long line of Irish tight ends in the NFL.
Stock-down: Red zone play calling and execution
For the second straight game, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock failed to impress in goal-to-go situations. Against Boise State, he decided to involve Carr as a blocker with junior running back Jeremiyah Love taking a direct snap in a fourth-down call at the one-yard line. The wildcat formation didn't work against the Broncos.
It got worse against the Wolfpack, as the Irish failed to score touchdowns on four of their trips in the red-zone. The most questionable decision came in the first quarter when the Irish faced fourth and less than a yard inside the N.C. State five-yard line. Denbrock overthought it and called for a rollout pass, but the Wolfpack were ready for it. Notre Dame prides itself on being a tough, physical team with a stalwart offensive line. Passing on fourth and inches does not scream tough and physical.
The offense got outfoxed again on another fourth down when Denbrock called a one-man route pattern to Fields with no secondary option. NC State blanketed Fields with a platoon of coverage, forcing Carr into a desperation interception
Denbrock has been blessed in recent years with red-= zone cheat codes in the form of quarterbacks Riley Leonard and LSU great Jayden Daniels, with their respective running prowess. Carr is not that type of quarterback; it is the coach’s job to adjust.
With USC coming to town, the Irish need to fix the red zone issues. It starts with the play calling, but given the talent of the offensive line and elite running back tandem Love and fellow junior Jadarian Price, the short-yardage lack of efficiency is alarmingly subpar.
Stock-down: ACC refs
After an embarrassing performance by the ACC officials in the Boise State game in which 24 penalties were accepted and numerous calls were blown, it was “Groundhog Day” in Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday.
Late in the first half, with the game tied at 7-7, the on-field and replay officials failed to overturn a completion to Wolfpack wide receiver Terrell Anderson on a crucial third down. Anderson clearly used the turf to trap the ball, but the ruling was upheld. NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay termed it “quite possibly the worst replay ruling I’ve seen this season.”
A similar play occurred moments later when junior Irish cornerback Christian Gray appeared to make a critical interception that would have given the Irish the ball in Wolfpack territory. It was ruled incomplete on the field and then upheld by replay, even though Gray appeared to possess greater control than Anderson's “catch” just one play prior.
It is time for Notre Dame to send a message and explore using other conference referees when it has the choice.
One final stock-up: Notre Dame-USC rivalry
Freeman said he was very confident that the rivalry will be extended at his press conference on Monday. “The head coach of this football program desires to continue this rivalry,” he stated, “and it's not just because I'm at Notre Dame … I think it's great for college football and two institutions to continue this rivalry.” Here’s to hoping.
