Does it seem like basically every Notre Dame trip to the state of North Carolina goes this way? The weather throws a wrench in things and the Irish win in a way where the result never feels in doubt, but the defense allows some weirdness to go on that makes the game look closer than it was while the offense runs the opposition into the dirt to close it out? If we’re acknowledging a pattern then Notre Dame’s 37-26 win over Bill Belichick’s second Tar Heels squad certainly qualifies. It was a survive
and advance week across college football as many teams in the top ten played closer games than one would expect, and for all their flaws the Irish were able to get through it. They may even have found some good things along the way – let’s get into it.
Finding the Running Game
I don’t need to tell you that one of Notre Dame’s biggest unanswered questions through the early part of this season has been how they move the ball on the ground to complement CJ Carr’s mastery of the passing game. Blame has been thrown at the offensive line and the running backs for their failures in this regard, but in this game we saw both finally rise to the occasion in a moment where they were badly needed. Notre Dame ran the ball well throughout, but it was with the rain pouring down in an unexpectedly tight game, with a Carr-led attack off the table, that they truly showed their mettle.
On two consecutive drives the Irish absolutely dominated a Tar Heel defense whose interior line was its greatest strength. In the process they not only sealed the game, but also discovered two things that will prove invaluable in games to come should the Irish be able to hold onto them. First, they found a level of cohesion and unit strength on the offensive line we had not yet seen, as the Irish backs were consistently able to find running lanes. Second and perhaps most importantly, they finally found what looks to be a lead back with both between-the-tackles toughness and home-run speed in Jonaz Walton. On their critical first possession in the driving rain following Carolina’s kick return touchdown, the Irish rode Walton almost exclusively and the freshman showed courage and dynamic running all the way down the field before Aneyas Williams spelled him near the goal line. Nolan James again showed himself to be a capable contributor on the following drive and finished with 65 yards on only 9 carries to complement Walton’s 120 on 23. It is unfortunate that this may come Williams’ expense, but the Irish appear to have found a 1-2 punch that their offensive line can spring for the remainder of the season.
A Mental Test…
Notre Dame fans entered halftime of this game feeling a bit nervous for the first time since Week 1, as the Irish uncharacteristically allowed the Heels to march 97 yards before halftime on a drive where the pass rush and secondary, normally both strengths of this team, utterly failed to contain a rather unimpressive passing attack. That unease was pushed to its limits when North Carolina opened the first half with a kick return touchdown. Suddenly an escalating series of mental errors had allowed an underdog who looked beaten to get right back into the game, at home, the energy on their sideline bumping.
Every week in college football we see favorites give into the changing momentum in response to circumstances like this and allow upset-minded opponents to stay in the game through to the finish or even win. It was likely important for the Irish to get such a test on their relatively easy first-half slate this season to see how they responded – especially given that the Irish showed exactly the response they needed.
And a Mature Response
As mentioned earlier, the Irish responded to the Tar Heels’ 1-2 middle-eight combo by immediately running the ball down their throat, all the way down the field (this despite the Heels knowing exactly what was coming). The defense immediately buckled down and forced a punt in three plays, opening the door for another brutally physical drive to put the game out of reach. While the defense did surrender one additional garbage-time touchdown, what we did not see Notre Dame do was show any sign of being fazed or bothered by the adversity.
We did not see the freshman running back entrusted with carrying the entirety of a drive in a one-point game in rainy conditions fumble the ball. We did not see the offensive line that had struggled in the run game all season suddenly forget their assignments or commit boneheaded penalties. We did not see defenders making half-tackle attempts or, similarly, committing pointless penalties at the end of plays. In a display of maturity and leadership from Notre Dame’s players as much as its coaches, the Irish remained calm, remembered who they were and dispatched their opponent with relative ease after the halftime challenge.
We have one tune-up before things get a lot harder in the second half of the season, and as fans we’ve seen this team grow a lot. Let’s hope this week’s challenge helps this team grow even more.
