Notre Dame has not gotten off to the hot start against Syracuse that many expected. In fact, the Orange have entered Notre Dame Stadium with a full intention to compete. There’s a lot of game left to determine whether that will hold up. For now, the Irish will have to be content with a 3-0 lead after the first quarter.
The Irish took the ball first and put together a nice drive highlighted by lengthy receptions from Avery Davis and Ben Skowronek. They got to the Orange’s 7-yard line, but Ian Book’s two shots at the end zone to Kyren Williams and Javon McKinley were unsuccessful. Jonathan Doerer had to salvage the opening drive with a 25-yard field goal. Success in the red zone remains an issue for the Irish as it has for a while.
When the Irish’s defense came out, they were met by an Orange offense that worked to make things happen quickly. In fact, it barely had to break a sweat getting into Irish territory. Fortunately, the defense kept it from getting beyond the 41-yard line. A early disappointment was dodged.
The teams then traded possessions that ended in punts. No matter what happens, the Orange seem bent on beating the spread at worst as they reached Irish territory again. We won’t be able to speculate if they can pull off the upset until they make a play that really turns some heads. So far, we have yet to see that.