Notre Dame vs Arkansas: Grading Notre Dame's Dominate Performance
- Noah Wehby
- Sep 28
- 5 min read
Impressively, Notre Dame dismantled Arkansas on the road, winning 56-13. With such an emphatic win, let's take a look at some of the players and units that shone the most, grading them based on their performance.
Art by The Irish Tribune
Jeremiyah Love - Running Back: A+
As hard as it may seem, Love continues to wow the college football world with another unreal performance. Against a struggling Razorback defense, Love took advantage in what turned into a first-half offensive explosion. In just one half, Love recorded four touchdowns, an impressive feat considering that would be incredible for an entire game. It was the first time in Notre Dame's long history that a player recorded two rushing and receiving touchdowns in the same game. Love has been playing at an elite level ever since week one of last year, making performances like this one feel normal, but it isn't. He is truly playing at a level above the competition, worthy of Heisman conversations. Love's second half was quiet, but by that point, the damage had already been done. In a must-win game on the road, his quick start was exactly what the Irish needed. Although he was dominant on the ground, it was his receiving performance that changed the game, eventually racking up 127 all-purpose yards. It is encouraging to see Mike Denbrock find new ways to get Love the ball, as that is always a good idea. If he continues to be this much of a threat in the passing game, it will make him that much more of a danger to opposing defenses.
The Notre Dame Defense: B+
Although there were still concerning plays on the defensive side of the ball, it is safe to say the group did show some improvement against what was one of the best offenses in the SEC. Arkansas QB Taylen Green has proven to be a hard matchup for defenses for two seasons now. Against Notre Dame, Green looked pedestrian for most of the game, a testament to Notre Dame's play. Coming into the game, Green was tearing up defenses with his 62% completion percentage, explosive deep balls, and back-breaking runs to avoid pressure and pick up big gains. Notre Dame shut all of this down for most of the game. Besides one big run, Notre Dame held Green in check. For the game, Green went 17-32 for 207 yards and an interception. Notre Dame's secondary has struggled all year to reduce the number of big plays in the passing game, so Green's stats are an encouraging step in the right direction. Notre Dame's secondary was also able to force turnovers, a part of the game that also needed to see some improvement. The first one came when Adon Shuler punched a ball loose, while the second occurred when Luke Talich picked off a pass in the back of the end zone. A large part of the defense that needed to improve and did this week is the defensive line. The Irish defensive line controlled most of this game. They kept Arkansas from establishing much of a run game, as they were also finally able to dial up a pass rush. That pass rush produced three sacks, which is a season-high for the team. Yes, Arkansas did a lot in this game to hurt themselves on offense, whether it was unforced drops, penalties, or just a lack of execution. Notre Dame was the beneficiary of these miscues, but overall, this group did show that there is room for them to continue to grow as this season wears on.
CJ Carr - Quarterback: A
CJ Carr continues to stack impressive performance after impressive performance for an offense that is red hot and is as good as any offense in the country. Carr has completely changed the complexion of this Notre Dame offense. With the running backs playing the way they are, Carr has a lot of freedom to let the ball loose, which is exactly what he wants to do. In this game, Carr completed eight passes that went for over 20 yards. In total, Carr went for 22-30 for 354 yards and four touchdowns. Carr has turned what was a slow, methodical offense a year ago into an offense that stretches the field and makes big plays. As a first-year starter, the most impressive part of his game has been his command of the offense. He looked totally in control against Arkansas, taking shots when he could and taking the easy throws when needed to. It is safe to say Notre Dame has found their guy in Carr, as he orchestrates an offense that shows no signs of slowing down after scoring 56 points for the second week in a row.
Wide Receiver Group: A-
This is a group that has quietly become one of the strengths of this team after years of below-average play, and they once again impressed against Arkansas. Although the group did not have a player go for over 100 yards, they were very productive when needed. Whether it was Malachi Fields, Jaden Greathouse, Jordan Faison, or Will Pauling, the receivers were seemingly always breaking open when Carr needed them to. Together, they totaled 326 receiving yards and one touchdown. While Love stole the show on offense, these wide receivers filled their role perfectly, leading to a huge offensive performance. Game by game, these wide receivers appear to be growing more confident in this offense and with their young QB. Greathouse finally saw some more balls thrown his way, Carr was able to connect with him for a big play. With that being said, Greathouse has still been somewhat underwhelming to start the season, but there is still plenty of season left for him to get going. Like Marcus Freeman has alluded to in recent press conferences, this unit is also excellent in run blocking, and they were again in this game. As Notre Dame loves to run the ball, this is a critical part of this Notre Dame offense. That level of unselfishness and toughness is exactly what Notre Dame is going to need if it wants another chance at the College Football Playoffs.
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