Notre Dame emerged victorious last Saturday against Boston College, but it is certainly fair to say that the Irish were looking a little bit out of the game. However, even with a lackluster performance, there were certainly some bright spots, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Notre Dame had a very solid game on defense, only allowing 10 points. Today, we grade each defensive group’s performance in the win against the Eagles.
Defensive line
Notre Dame only allowed 12 total rushing yards during Saturday’s game, and a large part of that can be attributed to excellent play from the defensive line. While star edge rusher Boubacar Traore was limited to three tackles and 0.5 TFL, he received help from junior defensive lineman Joshua Burnham, who contributed three TFL, including a sack. Senior defensive tackle Jared Dawson also picked up 1.5 tackles. The guys up front aren’t often going to pick up a large number of tackles, but the tackles they do record often end up being incredibly impactful, and the game on Saturday was a key show of that. The strength of the Notre Dame defense this season has been defending the run, and Saturday’s game was no exception as the defensive line continued their excellent play.
Weekly grade: “A-.” Season grade: “B.”
Linebackers
Saturday’s game was the linebacker group’s best game of the year, and that is largely because of Drayk Bowen. The junior had the best game of his Notre Dame career, picking up 14 solo tackles and a sack. He was the star of the game on the defensive side. He was flying to the ball the entire game, and it’s the first time in his Notre Dame career that he picked up double-digit tackles in a game. He was everywhere for the Irish on Saturday and is the main reason the Eagles’ starting running back only had 26 rushing yards on 16 attempts.
Sophomore linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa also continued his great form, picking up nine total tackles, which was second on the team and good for his season high. He also picked up 1.5 sacks and 2.5 TFL. Sophomore Jaiden Ausberry also contributed five tackles, and junior Jaylen Sneed had three tackles and a sack. Overall, the linebackers succeeded on the field as they were responsible for 4.5 total sacks and were also the key piece in holding Boston College to 12 total rushing yards.
Weekly grade: “A.” Season grade: “B+.”
Secondary
The Notre Dame secondary was definitely a huge factor in the matchup on Saturday as they ended three drives by forcing interceptions. True freshman Tae Johnson picked up two interceptions, and sophomore Adon Shuler picked up one as well, the second of the year for the team captain. However, Saturday’s game showed how the cornerback position is the spot on the team where depth is a concern. Christian Gray was inactive, and his leadership was missed as the Eagle offense threw for 269 total yards, receiving contributions from both Grayson James and Dylan Lonergan. The Eagles’ yards are the third most passing yards Notre Dame has allowed in a game this year, the other two being top-25 opponents in USC and Texas A&M. Additionally, the secondary allowed three different receivers to pick up five or more catches. Overall, while the secondary was able to force turnovers, turnovers alone don’t tell the whole story. They allowed a lot of passing yards, and they may be looking for a bounce-back game when they play Navy this Saturday.
Weekly grade: “B.” Season grade: “B-.”
Special teams
Special teams mistakes left a lot of points on the table. Notre Dame had three different players attempt kicks during Saturday’s game, and only one of the four kicks attempted was converted. Erik Schmidt missed a chip shot 35-yarder at the end of the first half, and Marcello Diomede and Noah Burnette each missed extra points. Additionally, the Irish offense failed a 2-point conversion that they only had to attempt because of previously missed extra points, meaning the Irish special teams’ mistakes cost the team at least six points. While those mistakes didn’t end up costing the team the game, they are signs of concern for Notre Dame as this team needs to continue to play flawlessly in order to make the playoffs. If they want to compete in postseason football, the kicking unit has some things to clean up.
Weekly grade: “D-.” Season grade: “B-.”
