Coming off a somewhat middling offensive performance in last week’s 25-10 win over Boston College, freshman quarterback CJ Carr and the Notre Dame offense were back humming again as they handled Navy 49-10 in a decisive victory. This was more characteristic of the performance one has come to expect from a Notre Dame offense that ranks top 15 in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total offense. This was a dominant return to form for the Irish, but for now, let’s focus on how each facet of the offense fared this Saturday.
Quarterbacks
Carr pitched a clean sheet, doing exactly what was needed of him to secure the win. He finished with completing 13 of 16 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns. It was hardly his most impressive stat line, considering he has cleared 300 passing yards multiple times this season, but with Notre Dame’s domination across the board, that kind of performance was not required of him. Carr went downfield early and often, connecting with senior wide receiver Malachi Fields and sophomore wide receiver KK Smith for multiple key chunk plays of over 20 yards. He remained poised and calm in the pocket as he has for much of the season, despite his limited experience. The downfield passing game seems to be staying unlocked for the Irish, and Carr is at the center of that. Overall, with the same number of incompletions as touchdowns, and general clean play across the board, Carr impressed once again in his ninth start.
Junior Kenny Minchey also got an opportunity for play as the Irish kept pouring it on. He led the Notre Dame offense on its final two series, completing all three passes for 35 yards, including a nice 24-yard completion to freshman tight end Jack Larsen. Minchey looked poised and comfortable in his limited chances, rounding out a quality performance by the Notre Dame quarterback room.
Weekly grade: “A.” Season grade: “A-.”
Running backs
This game was defined by quality running back play across the board for the Irish. Jeremiyah Love once again finished with over 100 yards from scrimmage, 97 of which came on the ground, and two rushing touchdowns. Love leads the Football Bowl Subdivision in touchdowns with 16 through nine games. He has been the beating heart of the Notre Dame offense all season, just as he was last year, and he is continuing to impress with his incredible athleticism and body control. The most impressive play of the day was Love’s 48-yard touchdown run, where he was dragged down on top of a Navy defender and rolled his body over the defender, landing on his feet and running the whole way to the end zone.
Additionally, junior Jadarian Price added another rushing touchdown, his ninth of the season, and in Notre Dame’s final touchdown drive, sophomore Aneyas Williams broke off an impressive 54-yard touchdown run. The Notre Dame running back room continued to impress this week, playing dominant physical football through South Bend’s first snowfall.
Weekly grade: “A+.” Season grade: “A+.”
Wide receivers
The long passing game was firmly established this Saturday for the Irish, as three receivers had catches of more than 20 yards. Fields had an impressive showing again, with four catches for 97 yards, demonstrating his body control and strong catching ability downfield. Additionally, Smith recorded two catches for 29 yards and a touchdown alongside junior Jordan Faison, who added four catches for 27 yards and a touchdown of his own. The Irish wide receiver group demonstrated their depth this week, as five different receivers caught passes on Saturday. This was a strong demonstration of Notre Dame’s vast downfield capabilities, which played a significant role in the dominant victory of the Irish.
Weekly grade: “A.” Season grade: “B.”
Tight ends
Perhaps the quietest of Notre Dame’s offensive position groups, tight ends only recorded two catches for 28 yards on Saturday. However, they still played their usual significant role in the dominant rushing attack, laying down key blocks and staying disciplined. Junior Ty Washington netted the Irish their first red zone touchdown by a tight end this season. Overall, it was a subtle performance by the tight end room this week, but a quality one nonetheless.
Weekly grade: “B.” Season grade: “B+.”
Offensive line
The Irish dominated in the trenches this week, stifling the Navy front seven to no sacks and only two tackles for loss. The rushing attack was powerful and decisive once again, largely due to the quality of blocking up front. The Irish averaged 6.6 yards per rush on 38 attempts, which is a very respectable number. It was the line’s quality pass protection that allowed for such an explosive downfield passing attack. Ultimately, the front of the Irish offense was incredibly impressive throughout.
Weekly grade: “A.” Season grade: “A.”
