Notre Dame's Depth Shines in Blowout Victory over Rice
Via USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
As the third-ranked team in the country facing Rice, a program with 11 straight losing seasons, one key is simple: take care of business. Other factors are important such as avoiding major injuries and so forth, but taking care of business is the top priority.
Notre Dame did just that in a 52-0 throttling of the overmatched Rice Owls on Saturday afternoon at Notre Dame Stadium. The game was a flawless performance: the Irish didn’t turn the ball over and asserted dominance from the opening whistle to the final gun.
One aspect that became clear as the game went on is that the Irish are deep and could carry one of the most talented two-deep rosters in the country.
Fans knew going into the season that depth would be a strength for the Irish. While the defensive playmakers were widely discussed like freshmen five-stars Rodney Dunham and Joey O'Brien, it was the offensive depth that was showcased this afternoon.
Following the first drive of the second half, the Irish brought in freshman QB Noah Grubbs. Grubbs was a highly-touted recruit, who went viral for his buzzer-beating Hail Mary for Lake Mary High School in the Florida State High School Championship against Vero Beach.
One could assume that Notre Dame would “play it safe” and ease him into the game, but they did the opposite. He threw quick strikes to wide receiver Elijah Burress, son of former NFL Wide Receiver and Super Bowl champion, Plaxico Burress. He calmly navigated Notre Dame into field goal range, showing decisiveness and pinpoint accuracy on a drive that put three points on the board.
Grubbs completed 7-of-11 passes for 74 yards.
Other Notre Dame underclassmen that stood out included Jerome Bettis Jr., who was key in setting up Notre Dame for their touchdown in the first drive of the second half. Bettis, following an eight-yard reception, caught a 56-yard reception by going up the sideline, hauling in a dime from Carr and making multiple Owls defenders miss to set the Irish up for first-and-goal. He also drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone, which led to a one-yard touchdown pass from Carr to TE Cooper Flanagan.
Even more players chipped in as Saturday saw the return of standout LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa from last year’s season-ending knee surgery. Viliamu-Asa finished tied for a team-leading five tackles, including 1.5 TFL.
Running Back Nolan James Jr. also provided two rushing touchdowns to display that he can be a change-of-pace back behind starter, Anyeas Williams.
One question in many Notre Dame social media circles this offseason has been “What happens if (knock on wood) Carr gets injured” or any other key contributor?
This game provided us a glimpse into the answer of that question. While there is no controversy at the top of the depth chart, this iteration of Notre Dame Football is built for the long haul.
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