Tag: Notre Dame Fighting Irish fooball

Notre Dame Week 3 highlight: Pick-six builds first-half lead

The defense is getting in on the act against Purdue.

Notre Dame defensive lineman Boubacar Traore was the beneficiary of a baffling decision by Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Hudson Card.

Card tried a desperation flip and Traore easily picked it off and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown with 1:32 left in the first half.

Mitch Jeter hit the extra point as the Fighting Irish are pouring it on against their in-state rivals in the first half. Notre Dame’s offense, especially the ground game, has been effective, and the defense has stifled the Boilermakers all day long.

Card has been struggling with pressure from the Irish, and even potentially serious injuries to three starters haven’t dampened Irish spirits so far.

 

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tim on X: @tehealey

Yahoo! Sports gives Irish strong College Football Playoff title hopes

Do you agree with Yahoo! here?

The preseason previews continue to roll in, and another outlet has put Notre Dame football in its top-10.

Yahoo! Sports is doing a series on teams that it thinks will be in the newly expanded College Football Playoff, and Nick Bromberg has Notre Dame ranked at No. 7.

Unfortunately, he remind us that while the Irish did lose three games last season, they also played Ohio State more closely than in they year before, and that most of Notre Dame’s wins were blowouts, save for a one-touchdown victory over Duke.

Speaking of Duke, Notre Dame added Riley Leonard as a transfer this year — Leonard was in Durham last season. Bromberg uses the addition of Leonard, the return of a deep core of talent (particularly on defense), and a “manageable” schedule as reasons why the Irish will be in the 12-team field.

Bromberg rightly points out that the offensive line will have to replace three starters and that Florida State and USC are the toughest games on the Irish schedule. That said, even a 10-2 team is likely to qualify for the CFP.

As a reminder, if Notre Dame does make it to the CFP, they aren’t eligible for a first-round bye since those will go to conference champions. The possible highest-seed for the Irish is number five.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tim on X: @tehealey

Notre Dame football’s offense has been historically great this season

A very impressive season of scoring from the Irish in 2023

Although it may have seemed like Notre Dame football’s offense has struggled this year, that is not exactly the case.

Yes, there was a 14 and 23 point outputs this season, but as The Athletic’s Pete Sampson points out, this Irish offense has been the best over the last 55 years. You read that right, since 1968, no other Notre Dame team has averaged more points than this year’s version at 37.5 per game.

Sampson expands on the stats, noting that the Irish are also gaining 6.83 yards-per-play, which is just behind the best number of all-time for Notre Dame. The Irish offense ranks No. 10 in the nation in that stat as well.

The defense has played a part in the offense success, but that still shouldn’t distract you from the solid play from the Notre Dame offense in 2023.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen