Written by Liam Gaudet｜Senior Editor｜Twitter/X: @LiamGaudetIT Photo via ON3 Prior to the beginning of the season, one of the biggest question marks was the receiving core and just how much production we could expect to see. Coming off of a 2022 season that featured very few standout performances from that group (mostly thanks to subpar quarterbacking and Michael Mayer), many fans were interested to see how a receiving core featuring many fresh faces and new weapons for veteran quarterback Sam Hartman would fair. Six games in, I feel we have an adequate enough sample size to grade out the receivers who have taken snaps for the Irish this year. Obviously, I'll be taking injuries and playing time into account when evaluating these talented pass catchers. So with that said, let's evaluate! Jaden Greathouse: A Photo by The Athletic A lot of Irish fans probably didn't have this on their bingo card headed into the season, and that's okay. If you saw my immediate impact candidates article before the season started, you would know that I was extremely high on Jaden Greathouse - and for good reason. Coming out of high school, Greathouse cemented his name in the Texas 6-A division record books at Austin Westlake, winning multiple state titles and is top 10 all time in receiving yardage in Texas high school football history in that division. So far this season, Greathouse has exceeded all expectations. He earned early playing time and never looked back. Greathouse exploded onto the scene in the first game of the season catching two touchdowns, and has been a significant contributor ever since. Through 5 games played, Greathouse has amassed 12 receptions for 166 yards and three touchdowns. Not too shabby for a rotational freshman receiver. Look for Greathouse to continue to build off of a stellar first half of a season before taking on a more significant role either next season or down the stretch. Chris Tyree: B+ Photo via 247 Sports I'll admit that I smiled when I saw that Tyree would be making the change to slot receiver this offseason, as I felt that he was never utilized properly as a tailback. Since his arrival at Notre Dame, The Jet has had a profound reputation as a speedster. He has provided a lot of relief out of the backfield on shorter routes, but we still haven't seen his speed produce any game-breaking results - aside from a long touchdown against a vastly inferior opponent. I'll give Tyree the benefit of the doubt here, as it's difficult to change positions, but I'm hoping the staff can find a way to utilize his speed more effectively. The last thing anyone wants is more wasted speed on the roster. With that said, Tyree has seen some success as a receiver, and currently leads the Irish receivers in yardage at 269 and two touchdowns to boot. Is it too much to ask for more from Tyree? I'd love to see him turn a short route into a long touchdown with the speed and elusiveness that we all know is there. Look to see if his speed is utilized more often as we turn the corner. Jayden Thomas: B Photo by John Lochner (AP) Jayden Thomas is easily the leader of this group, and he has earned every bit of that reputation. A big frame with a great catch radius, Thomas has proved over the last two seasons to be the most reliable target on the Irish offense at the position. I think the part that impresses me so much about Thomas is how sure-handed he is. You never really have to worry about him not catching an easy target - in fact you're often surprised he's able to secure some of the tougher balls thrown his way. I will, however, gripe a bit on his ability to create separation. One of the biggest issues plaguing the room is the receiver's lack of ability to get open. We saw it last week against Duke (although Thomas did not play). If Thomas can sharpen his skills as a route runner, I'd go as far as to compare him to Miles Boykin. His presence was sorrily missed last week, as Hartman and parker had to revert to spamming Mitchell Evans, but his return should provide much more stability. As far as his production is concerned, Thomas has caught 13 passes for 195 yards and one touchdown this season. Expect these numbers to vastly increase in the following weeks, though. Rico Flores Junior: B Photo via Notre Dame Athletics Rico Flores is another young receiver who has me incredibly excited for what the future holds. So far this season, he's seen rotational time at the receiver position, and for the most part, has been as advertised. In camp, Flores was all the buzz and we caught glimpses of what his potential could look like. Outside of a bad drop last week, he's played well consistently. He's an extremely smooth athlete, who is light on his feet and quick off of the ball. This season, he's caught 11 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown - one that gave Notre Dame the late lead over the Buckeyes (I'm not even going to talk about that anymore). He's proven to be a reliable target thus far, and will continue to hone his craft under Chansi Stuckey to be more than just a contributor in the not so distant future. Tobias Merriweather: C Photo via Sports Illustrated I feel like a lot of Notre Dame fans expected Tobias to be THAT guy this season, and just based off of his raw potential alone, I can see why. Tobias has a lengthy frame and glides across the turf - he is built to be a wide receiver. But outside of the long touchdown against Central Michigan, he hasn't really flashed much this season. A key drop last week along with a costly penalty had a lot of fans scratching their heads. Is it a development issue? Who knows, but for now, all we can do is hope that he find his stride. I haven't given up on this insane athlete, and neither should you. So far this season, he has amassed 7 catches for 147 yards and a lone touchdown. Deon Colzie and Matt Salerno: Injured It really isn't fair for me to grade out these guys with the rest considering injuries have dampened their seasons. We have been waiting a while to see Colzie take that next step, and he was off to a hot start against Navy before injuring his knee. Matt Salerno will continue to recover from a broken leg, which likely sidelined him for the season. Colzie may be back soon, and I hope the impact he makes is more than noticeable.

Written By Phil Kowalis｜Writer｜Twitter: @PhilKowalisIT Photo by ON3 What a wild week it has been for Notre Dame football. A week ago the Irish outplayed the Ohio State Buckeyes only to come out on the losing end after the Buckeyes scored the winning touchdown with a second remaining. This week the Irish found themselves outplayed by a Duke team looking to show that they deserved their lofty ranking among the top 25 teams in the nation. Trailing by a point late in the final quarter, the Irish embarked on a 10 play 95-yard drive to score the winning points with less than a minute remaining in the game. The winning drive was kept alive by a gutsy 17-yard scramble on fourth and 16 by Sam Hartman and capped two plays late when Audric Estime broke through the Duke defense for the game winning touchdown. Let's take a look at the grades for the Irish offense and defense after the hard fought 21-14 win over the Blue Devils. Photo by Ben McKeown Offense Offensive Line/ Tight Ends: Grade C- The Notre Dame offensive line turned in their worst performance of the season against the Blue Devils. Notre Dame finished the game rushing for 159 yards on 32 attempts for an average of five yards per carry. Just looking at the numbers it seems the line turned in another solid game. Those numbers are deceiving, however, as 81 of Notre Dame's rushing yards came on just three carries The Irish's longest run of the game, Jeremiyah Love's 34-yard run, came as a result of a fake punt. Take away the three big runs and the Irish only managed 78 yards on 29 attempts, good for only a 2.6 yard per carry average. The interior of the Irish offensive line is beginning to be a concern, as not only did they not generate much push in the running game, but Sam Hartman was under pressure all night long as he spent most of the night running for his life from Duke defenders. The lone bright spot for this group was the effort Even Mitchell turned in. The Irish tight end had the best game of his career finishing with six catches for 134 yards to lead all Irish receivers. Quarterback/Running backs: Grade B- Hartman turned in the worst statistical night of his six game Irish career, completing only half of his passing attempts on the evening. The Irish quarterback finished the game 15-for-30 for 222 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. It was the first time this season Hartman was held without a touchdown pass. Hartman refused to let the Irish lose, turning in several hardnosed runs to help keep drives alive picking up crucial first downs with his legs. Audric Estime again led the Irish in rushing, ending the night with 81 yards on 18 attempts for a 4.5 yard per carry average and scored both of Notre Dame's touchdowns. For the first time this season, the Irish did not deploy their five headed monster approach from the backfield, as both Jadarian Price and Devyn Ford failed to record carries. Wide Receivers: Grade F The Irish played without two of their three leading receivers in this contest as Jaden Greathouse and Jayden Thomas both missed the game because of hamstring injuries. The Wide receivers the Irish did have on the field turned in a miserable performance. Irish receivers had trouble creating separation all night long and when they did have the ball thrown their direction, the group was plagued by drops. Notre Dame's game winning drive was also nearly derailed after Tobias Merriweather was flagged for a 15-yard offensive pass interference penalty, so all in all it was a disappointing effort from this position group. Chris Tyree and Rico Flores Jr. each finished the contest with two catches for 28 yards. Photo By: Jim Dedmon/USA Today Defense Defensive Line: Grade B+ The Irish defensive line turned in an inspired effort holding the Duke running game in check for most of the game, and also generated a solid pass rush against the Blue Devils, as the Irish front four recorded 1.5 sacks on the night. Howard Cross turned in a monster performance for the Irish recording a team best 13 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and also added a sack and two forced fumbles. Rylie Mills also had a strong game for the Irish being credited with seven tackles for the game. Jordan Botelho will be forced to miss the first half of next week's contest with Louisville after being flagged for a targeting penalty. Linebackers: Grade B The Irish linebacking corps continued their good play turning in another solid performance against the Blue Devils. JD Bertrand led all Irish linebackers with 11 tackles. Marist Liufau also continued his strong play adding six tackles and being credited with half a sack on the night. The Notre Dame linebackers also had a strong night in pass defense helping to limit Duke to less than 150 yards passing for the game. Defensive backs: Grade A The Irish secondary continues to show that they are among the best defensive units in the country after delivering another outstanding effort against Duke. Notre Dame held Duke quarterback Riley Leonard to only 134 yards passing, as Leonard only completed 12 0f his 27 pass attempts for the game and was intercepted once. Xavier Watts led the Irish secondary in tackles with eight and also added an interception that led to a field goal to give the Irish a 10-0 lead. Thomas Harper and DJ Brown added five tackles each for the Irish. Special Teams: Grade C The Irish special team's unit continues to have little impact on the season. Spencer Shrader made two of his three field goal attempts on the evening and remained perfect on PAT's through six games. Shrader has unlimited range for a field goal kicker, but needs to improve on his accuracy as he has only converted on half of his attempts on the season. Punter Bryce McFerson averaged 38.8 yards on his six punts, pinning Duke inside their own 20-yard line on two occasions. The Irish kick return unit continues to struggle to make a mark in the return game, averaging just 18.3 yards on three kickoff returns. Overall: Notre Dame escaped Durham with a hard-fought win against a Duke team that showed they were every bit worthy of being a ranked team. The Irish will need to get healthy very quickly at the wide receiver position as the return of both Thomas and Greathouse are key in getting increased production from that unit as Notre Dame continues to navigate through the toughest part of its schedule. improvement along the offensive line will also need to be a must for the Irish offense to return to the form seen in the first four games of the season. Next week Notre Dame will play their third consecutive night game of the season as they travel to Louisville to take on the 5-0 Cardinals, who are ranked 25th in the country.

By Liam Farrell｜Senior Staff Writer｜Twitter @LiamFarrell_IT Via Notre Dame Football In a game in which Notre Dame gets dominated in the trenches on both sides of the ball, as penalties and miscues highlight the night, Sam Hartman leads the Irish to a 95-yard game winning drive, as the Irish's secure their first Top 25 win of the year. In the first half alone, the Irish racked up 40 yards on 7 penalties, with 6 of the penalties being either offsides or false starts. The Irish were also without star wide receivers Jayden Thomas and Jaden Greathouse, and their absence was felt. The Duke defense played stout defense, holding the Irish to 10 first half points, despite Notre Dame's average starting field position being their own 40-yard line. On the flip side of the ball, the Notre Dame defense fell apart in the 2nd half. Let's take a deeper look at this one from Durham. Offense Via Notre Dame Football Penalties and Miscues. Normally in my instant analysis, it starts with Sam Hartman; however, the pre-snap penalties were something that killed Notre Dame drives. In the first half alone, the Irish should've put up at least 20 points. The pre-snap penalties killed drives, and the false starts put the Irish behind the chains. As it pertains to miscues, there were so many drops by Notre Dame wide receivers. Rico Flores had a big drop right after the Xavier Watts interception. Tobias Merriweather had two drops in big spots for the Irish. If it wasn't for Mitchell Evans, the Irish passing game would be nowhere to be found. Mitchell Evans . Evans has turned into an absolute animal for this Notre Dame team. With Holden Staes getting much more of the recognition earlier in the year, Evans waited for his moment. Over the past two weeks, Evans has made an immense impact with a couple of circus catches. After being blessed with the talent that is Michael Mayer, Evans has emerged as a true threat for this Irish offense. Overall Woes . In the middle of the second half, I was just perplexed by this Notre Dame offense. At the beginning of the year, it seemed like the Irish could do and get whatever they wanted on the offensive side of the ball. Tonight, nothing seemed to be working in this slugfest of the game. The run game was nonexistent, receivers were dropping balls, and Hartman had a couple overthrows. It was very uncharacteristic to see the offense struggle in this manner, but when it mattered, Sam Hartman had his Heisman moment and picked up a 4th and 16 to keep the game alive. Lack of Running Game. The internal pressure by Duke limited much of Notre Dame's rushing attack. In a game where two of your top three targets were out for, the Irish needed to establish a competent running game. There were no holes for Estime or Love to find, and the entire rushing game was met with immediate pressure. Leaving Points on the Board . The middle 20 yards of the field has been disastrous for Notre Dame this year. It feels like the Irish normally do a good job getting a couple first downs a drive, until they reach near the center of the field. Especially when they have the ball in enemy territory, it feels like the Irish are leaving so many points on the board this entire season. Defense Via Notre Dame Football Pass Rush. This was the first game where the Irish established some sort of pass rush and sacking the quarterback. For back to back weeks, Javonte Jean-Baptiste played a beautiful game, along with Howard Cross disrupting everything in the middle of the defense. Marist Liufau also made an impact with his linebacker blitz. Secondary . With Al Golden and Notre Dame trying to do everything to limit the run game, the Irish often stacked the box. With this pressure, the Irish cornerbacks and safeties would often be in one-on-one coverage downfield. Besides some gains on the first drive, the Irish secondary did a great job in this solo man coverage. Al Golden . The playcalling and the scheme was great tonight for Golden and the defense. The Duke offense looked absolutely bamboozled in the first half, as the Irish held them to zero points (with two missed field goals). The faith that Golden and his staff has in his secondary allows the defense to be so diverse with exotic pressures and schemes. In the second half, the Notre Dame linebackers went missing, and were nowhere to be found. Miscellaneous Spencer Shrader . I think I've had a segment on Spencer Shrader every single week. The broadcast will talk about the strength of his leg every single pregame, but his inaccuracies are killing the Fighting Irish. He is 5/11 this year, and you have to think when a change is going to be made. A Top 25 Win . Put all the stigmas around Duke Football aside. Mike Elko is a great coach and is doing great things for their program, but when a common college football fan sees Duke on the schedule, it is penciled in as an easy win. At the end of the day, a Top 25 win under the lights on the road is a quality performance; no matter how bad the Irish played.

By Writer: Mike Stacey Twitter (X): @MikeStaceyIT IG:@mikestaceyit Photo Credit: Notre Dame Athletics Well Irish fans, does it still hurt? I know for me personally, today is the first day I have been able to think about football without getting nauseous, so, progress? But what's most important isn't how we feel, but how the team feels. It goes without saying that last week was incredibly disappointing. There were a myriad of self inflicted wounds that cost the Irish a huge victory that was well within their grasp, but you learn more from losses than you do wins. This doesn't just mean X's and O's but something that I think is even more important, and that is character. To be a championship caliber team, you need to be able to handle adversity. No National Championship team goes through an entire season without it, but what separates them from the rest is they don't crumble under it, they harden instead. If Notre Dame is truly a playoff contender, they will come out this Saturday playing with their hair on fire and make a statement that they aren't going anywhere. If they aren't, they can be in for a very long night against an extremely well coached team that is playing terrific football. Either way, as always, we will learn more from last week's loss. I just hope it's favorable. But enough of that, let's get to what we came here for, some predictions. (Let us know your player/game predictions in the comment section!) Offense: Sam Hartman: Getting back to my opening comments, the Irish need resiliency in the face of adversity, and the best place to find it for the Irish is with Sam Hartman. Hartman has been around the block, and should be the most vocal person in the locker room at this time. However, talk is cheap, Hartman also needs to lead by example and go out and ball on Saturday. I expect Sam to take matters into his own hands after a modest night against OSU and hopefully give the Irish a big spark. Prediction: 25-31/ 310 yards/ 3 TD Chris Tyree: With Jayden Thomas Doubtful, and Deion Colzie and Matt Salerno already ruled out for Saturday, the Irish need a thin WR group to step up in a big way. I think Chris Tyree is one of the prime candidates to assume this role. Look for the Irish to try to exploit Chris' speed and for him to put up some numbers in Durham. Prediction: 5 catches/ 110 yards/ 2 TD (One end around for a big first down) Mitchell Evans: Mitchell Evans had a bit of a coming out party last weekend against OSU. He had 7 receptions for 75 yards including an unbelievable one handed grab that should be a candidate for catch of the year. I think that game was a big confidence booster for Mitchell and should carry over to Saturday, especially with some receivers out. Look for Mitch to continue to roll. Prediction: 6 catches/ 70 yards/ 1 TD Defense: Jordan Botehlo: Jordan was a potential breakout player for the Irish coming into this season. Last year he showed flashes of dominance and with him moving into a starting role this year I expected him to take off. So far, not so much. After a disappointing performance last week against OSU, look for us to see the Jordan we know exists against the Blue Devils. Prediction: 4 Pressures/ 2 Sacks Marist Liufau: Marist has been a bit of a roller coaster ride so far at Notre Dame. Last year, many expected him to be a breakout player, but it never materialized. This year, with another year of Golden's system under his belt, Marist has been playing fantastic football. That is, until last weekend where he did not record a single tackle. In his defense, it was reported that he was banged up going into this contest so I will give him the benefit of the doubt. I am hopeful he will turn things around this weekend, assuming he is healthier. Prediiction: 7 tackles/1 fumble DJ Brown: DJ Brown has been having a very good year for the Irish so far this season. Unfortunately, he had a potential game ending interception go right through his hands on OSU's final drive last weekend. DJ is getting more blame than he deserves for that play, but I think this will be a motivator for the experienced leader. Look for him to show up big this Saturday and shut some people up. Prediction: 2 pass break ups/ 1 interception Game Prediction: Another College Gameday appearance for an Irish game in consecutive weeks. These kind of games simply don't happen for Duke football, so you know both players and fans alike are going to be excited and bring an electric environment to Durham. However, what Notre Dame has over Duke in this type of game is experience. For the first time, all eyes will be on Duke football and not their basketball team. Now, they have a great coach and have been very impressive so far this year, so I wouldn't be shocked if coach Elko has them prepared for this moment. However, I suspect some nerves will be in play early, and hopefully Notre Dame will do a better job of dealing with theirs, with last week serving as proper practice. Getting off to an early start will be vital in this one, as the Irish try to show what they are made of. This is a make or break game. If they let last week's hangover last then Duke will absolutely win this game, there isn't a doubt in my mind, but if the Irish come out looking for revenge and to make a statement, it can be a long night for the Blue Devils. I am hoping the latter occurs. ND-38 Duke-17

By: Connor D'Aquila ⏐ Writer ⏐ Twitter: @ConnorDaquilaIT Photo via Michael Reaves | Getty Images It was officially announced yesterday that the head football coach at Michigan State, Mel Tucker, had been fired with cause. This came after an initial suspension and a lengthy investigation into the sexual harassment claims being made against him. Tucker has nearly $80 million remaining on his contract and will be paid none of it under the terms of the firing. For the time being, defensive backs coach Harlon Barnett has taken over as interim head coach. In two games under Barnett, the Spartans have lost both by a combined 76 points. While he remains an option to take over long-term, Michigan State will almost certainly begin a search for outside hires. One candidate circulating the MSU world is none other than Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman. Should ND fans be worried about this possibility? I’ll dive into it below. The Bad for Notre Dame The argument with the most merit on the Spartan side is dependent on the contract. Tucker had a massive 10-year, $95 million deal at Michigan State made possible by wealthy alum Matt Ishiba. With contracts like these, the school has the potential to pay coaches as well as anyone in college football. Notre Dame, on the other hand, has been known to lag behind in this category. While it is a private school and Freeman’s exact details are unknown, we know from tax forms that Brian Kelly was receiving $3.5 million directly from the school and there was surely more coming from boosters and to an LLC under his control. Still, he was not getting what Tucker was getting in East Lansing, and most estimates say Freeman is only in the $3-5 million range. Clearly, Michigan State could beat Notre Dame here, but that is about where their advantages end. They do have a new football-specific facility, but given the new practice facility and the broader resources of Notre Dame, this would be unlikely to sway a coach. The Good for Notre Dame While MSU is a consistent Big Ten threat and a major team in CFB, the status of the program does not compare to that of ND. The school claims six national championships, but since Mark Dantonio left in 2019, they can't claim a conference championship and have only posted an overall record of 25-21. Last season was especially bad, as they posted a 5-7 record and missed out on bowl games. The program is struggling, and the image does not compare to Notre Dame’s. With one of the largest fan bases in the country, there is a luster to the ND job that cannot be found elsewhere. There is a reason Brian Kelly was the first ND coach to willingly leave the program and that was to an LSU program that has won three national championships in the 2000s. They are also paying him upwards of $10 million per year. Michigan State would not be a comparable move in the slightest. Coach Freeman has also made it clear in his first years in South Bend that recruiting is of the utmost importance to him. According to 247Sports Composite rankings, the Spartans have finished in the top 25 in recruiting only once in the last seven cycles. Following Coach Tucker’s exit, they sit at number 62 for the current 2024 cycle, a situation that no coach would want to inherit. Compare this to Notre Dame’s number eight ranking for 2024 and the fact that they have not finished outside the top 20 since 2006 and the difference between programs becomes clear. There are struggles that come with getting elite prospects to South Bend, but the issues do not compare to those of Michigan State. Whether it is because they have to play little brother to in-state rival Michigan or the previously-discussed lackluster level of excitement around the program, the talent they get is not comparable. With continued effort on the recruiting trail, on the field, and with coaching hires, the prospect of a national championship is far greater with the Irish. The final major claim Michigan State pundits have been making is that Notre Dame would be willing to part ways with Freeman, a statement I would call absurd. Barring a complete collapse down the stretch of this season, it would make no sense to let a promising young coach leave so early in his tenure. ND fans have seen dark days in the early part of the 2000s, and Coach Freeman has proven that he can build a team at least capable of competing. They also knew what they were getting into with a hire that had no prior experience leading a program, and giving up this early would be ill-advised. Not to mention, he is just beginning to get his own recruits in the door and early signs indicate that he has been getting the right talent. At the end of the day, very little merit should be given to these ideas found all over Michigan State Twitter. Aside from the contract, Notre Dame does not have much to worry about in terms of retaining Coach Freeman, and we should also hope that if the contract becomes an issue, the athletic department would do what is needed to keep him.

Written by Craig James｜Contributor｜ Photo by Matt Cashore In 2016 Notre Dame had one of the worst defenses in the country under Brian VanGorder. The Irish started off that season by going 1-3 and allowing on average 32 points a game. He was let go after a disaster of a loss on September 24th to the same team the Irish will see this Saturday night, Duke. Mike Elko would be announced as the defensive coordinator the following year in 2017 when he took over for interim defensive cooridinator Greg Hudson. He took over a defense that was not well disciplined and was typically over aggressive, but still had good solid recruits from his predecessor. Elko saw a big improvement from his defense in his one year in South Bend as he looked to right the ship. His defense held a No. 11-ranked USC team and No. 14 ranked NC State team to 14 points, while holding a solid LSU offense to under 20 points in the Citrus Bowl to close out his tenure in South Bend with a win before ultimately taking a job for Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M. During Elko's only season in Blue and Gold, his defense only allowed more than 20 points in 3 of their 13 contests. His defense wasn't ranked very high in the country but it was very effective, and he set the tone for years to come. Elko laid the foundation for Clark Lea when he took over for him in 2018, he recruited well in his singular year and brought a new feel to the Irish defense that they would build off of for years to come. The Irish went 10-3 that year and started off a 5 year run of 10+ wins, that came to an end last year when the Irish won 9 games. Although Mike Elko did not stay at Notre Dame long at all, he set the precedent for the defensive coordinators to follow. He helped Notre Dame get to where they are today. The 2017 season was make or break for Notre Dame. Were they going to go back to the dark days that Irish fans are trying so hard to forget? Elko did not allow that and he helped Notre Dame prove that the 2016, four win season was a one off, disaster of a year. In December of 2021 Mike Elko was named Head Coach of the Duke Blue Devils. Duke was coming off a season where they went 2-9 and gave up 48+ points in their last 4 games. They knew they needed a change in the program and they knew it was a necessity to get a defensive minded coach at the helm. Elko's first year as head coach proved they made the correct choice as he lead the team to 9-4 record and missed the conference championship because of a 3 point loss to North Carolina in week 7. Elko's first big decision as head coach was who to start at quarterback. Going into the 2022 season Riley Leonard and Jordan Moore were in a Quarterback battle but that did not last very long as Leonard ultimately won the job 2 weeks into practice and Moore was moved to receiver. This proved to be the correct choice as Leonard threw for almost 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns to 6 interceptions and 699 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns to top it off. Moore also proved his coaches decision right by hauling in 60 catches for 656 yards and 5 touchdowns. Elko's first order of business was a massive success and has set the program up for a very successful 2023 campaign. The year after Elko left the 46th ranked Irish defense after the 2017 season, Clark Lea who was brought to Notre Dame with Elko from Wake Forrest took over the job and led the Irish to a top 25 ranked defense. Lea's defense carried over Elko's success and only gave up on average 17 points a game while going undefeated and ultimately losing in the College Football Playoffs Semi-Final against a Clemson team who would go on the next Monday to win the National Championship in commanding fashion. The biggest influence Elko has had on the Irish defense is he implemented the 4-2-5 defense. Before him the Irish ran a traditional 4-3 defense for many years. But even after Elko's departure the 4-2-5 has stuck around and has been a large part of the success for the Irish defense. This defense has led the Irish to 2 College Football Playoffs in the last 5 years. Even when current head coach Marcus Freeman took over the defense when Clark Lea left, he kept the 4-2-5 defense intact. Photo via ON3 Now 5 years removed from Elko's time at Notre Dame, the Irish have Al Golden calling the defense. Golden built off of Elko's success with the 4-2-5 and implemented the 3-3-5 defense. Although it is a different formation with an extra defensive back, his philosophy is still the same. He doesn't rush just 3 defenders much and keeps the offense guessing with who will be the 4th rusher. So while it isn't a true 4 down linemen defense, he's consistently bringing somebody who will take over for the lack of the 4th defensive linemen. Although Golden has heard some criticism for being too aggressive sometimes, especially with the double safety blitzes. But this year the Irish defense has stars in the defensive backfield that they haven't had in some time which makes Golden's job that much easier. He can take the chances to pressure the quarterback because he has guys like Ben Morrison and Cam Hart locking down receivers. Photo by Ben McKeown This Saturday night in Durham, North Carolina, the former Notre Dame defensive coordinator will get to showcase his skills as a head coach against his former team as No. 11 Notre Dame comes to town to face off against his No. 17 ranked Duke Blue Devils at 7:30pm EST. Elko showed he could turn a program around in a singular year as the defensive coordinator for the Irish and again with the Blue Devils last season. To start this season, Duke dismantled Clemson 28-7 as Elko made a statement to the country and the ACC that they are for real and they are ready to compete now. Now the stage is set for an undefeated Duke team to really shock the world and add another statement win to the season with a victory over the Irish. Marcus Freeman and Al Golden are coming off an emotional loss to Ohio State last week where both have shared their blame for the mistakes that cost the Irish a huge win on the last defensive drive. Notre Dame can not afford to have the same mistakes this week and waste away a season where many Irish fans still believe they have legitimate National Championship hopes at stake. Last year, as it is well known, the Irish let their season slip away from them after a close loss to the Buckeyes as they lost to Marshall the following week. While the Irish showed strong against the Buckeyes, they only garnered 4 wins the rest of the season. Something that has been in the back of all Irish fans brains. But this Saturday when Gameday again is in town for a Notre Dame game, they look to turn the page and commit to an 11-1 regular season with playoff hopes still looming.

Written by Elias Joyce｜Contributor｜@eliasjoyce7 X/Twitter Photo by Duke Athletics Although most Notre Dame fans are still mourning the loss to Ohio State, it is time to turn the page and look into the next opponent. On Saturday, September 30th the Fighting Irish will head to Durham, North Carolina to take on Riley Leonard as he has led this Duke Blue Devil squad to be the number 17 ranked team in the nation. Through the first 4 games of his Junior season, Leonard has led the Blue Devils to be unbeaten including a week 1 upset over Clemson. He has thrown for 778 yards, and 2 touchdowns, with a 67.7% completion percentage. These numbers seem modest until you look at his rushing stats. Riley Leonard has run the ball 29 times for 238 yards and 4 touchdowns. He's averaging 8.2 yards a carry, for reference the Irish's Audric Estime is averaging 7.7 yards a carry. Leonard is a sneaky athlete who is tough to tackle once he hits the open field. He doesn't have the strongest arm and he isn't the fastest man in the land, however, Riley Leonard is a leader and wants nothing more than to win. Duke Head Coach Mike Elko was the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame a few years back and at the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff said "He's a kid with tremendous work ethic" when asked about his Quarterback. Riley Leonard and the Blue Devils went 9-4 last year with a bowl win over UCF, you can guarantee they would want nothing more than to stun the world and take down the Fighting Irish. So what can the Irish do to contain Riley Leonard and pick this offense apart? First it starts with the secondary - if we learned anything in the matchup against the Buckeyes it was that Benjamin Morrison, Cam Hart, and the rest of the secondary is one of the best in the nation. If they can eliminate the Blue Devil's wideouts early it will make the rest of that defenses job much easier. But as mentioned before, Riley Leonard can really kill you with his legs. That's where the three 5th year linebackers come in to play. With JD Bertrand, Jack Kiser, and Marist Liufau, this linebacking core can cause havoc for Leonard. JD Bertrand is the head of this Irish defense and is one of the best tacklers on the field. Marist Liafau might be the best athlete playing for Al Golden and will need to be flying around, making plays, and punishing Riley Leonard for leaving the pocket - unlike last week where he was unable to record s tackle in over 60 snaps. Jack Kiser will need to use his experience to his advantage in being one step ahead of Leonard all game. With the secondary and the linebackers doing their job, the defensive line has the luxury of playing free. Javontae Jean-Baptiste played outstanding against his former team last week, and will surely build off that for weeks to come. I expect this Irish defense to continue to perform at the level it has all season and be vital in beating Duke this Saturday. My score prediction is 38-6 Notre Dame, GO IRISH!

Written by Liam Gaudet｜Senior Editor｜Twitter/X: @LiamGaudetIT Photo by The Tampa Bay Times I was only 12 years old when Notre Dame football broke my heart for the first time. It was the 7th of January, 2013 when the Irish, a Cinderella story, took the field against an Alabama Crimson Tide team that featured college football's most elite roster. Notre Dame had finished the season 12-0 with marquee wins against Oklahoma, USC and others. Lead by their Heisman finalist linebacker Manti Te'o, they took the field to play for a national championship against a well-established championship roster. From the opening whistle, it was obvious that Notre Dame didn't belong on that field. Eddie Lacy, Amari Cooper and A.J. McCarron proceeded to run the Irish off the field to the tune of 42-14. The game was over before it even started, and I was mortified. How could Notre Dame come this far only to roll over on the biggest stage? I didn't know it at the time, but that would be a question I would continue to ask myself over the course of the next decade. After the events of Saturday night, which I have decided to coin as "The Buckeye Breakdown", one has to wonder if Notre Dame football is hexed. Outside of wins against Clemson (without Trevor Lawrence) in 2020, and again last season in a down year, Notre Dame refuses to rise to the occasion when the lights are the brightest. The loss to Ohio State this past Saturday almost feels like the culmination of all of the factors that have contributed to this pattern of abysmal performance came to a crescendo for the entire world to see. I'd like to take a moment to break down some of the components which have lead to the same backbreaking results over the last decade or so as it relates to Notre Dame in key games. Game Planning and Strategy Photo by Sports Illustrated One of the biggest, and also most warranted complaints I tend to hear from this fanbase after a loss is how the Irish attempted to win these games. Often times, when outmatched in terms of raw talent, Notre Dame employs the comforting tactic of predictable and safe football. This is largely on the offensive staff, as it's been incredibly common to watch Notre Dame trot out onto the field against an opponent and attempt to halfback dive their way to victory. Spoiler Alert: The only time this has ever worked was against Clemson last season, and teams have figured this out. Now I realize this also goes hand in hand with being outmatched in terms of talent - don't worry I'll touch on that too - but for now, I want to make a point of how painfully predictable of a pattern this has become. In every top 10 matchup, college football playoff appearance or new year's six bowl game - it's been run the ball until the wheels fall off. It doesn't always work - every opposing team KNOWS you are going to do this. Why not attack differently? Keep them guessing early? Spread the ball around and attack the perimeter instead of slamming the rock between the tackles into a front seven that's been practicing stopping this scenario all week in practice. It's tiring. It might be our strength, but no team wins a big time game by playing within the confines of their comfort zone. If it's not working - try something else. It's really that simple. That leads me into my second coaching quandry. The absolute lack of adjustments that are made during halftime or on the fly. Einstein's definition of insanity is seared into my brain at this point. Go watch the Fiesta Bowl highlights against Oklahoma State from two years ago and see how both teams came out of the tunnel to start the third quarter as a perfect example. Notre Dame couldn't adjust on the fly, and virtually handed the Pokes a 25 point come from behind win. The Navy game from last year might not have been a "big game" but it's another perfect example of what I'm trying to paint a picture of. Does 12 yards of total offense in the second half against a group of 5 team sound like a team or coaching staff that is capable of making meaningful adjustments on the fly? Stop beating a dead horse and have a plan B when plan A inevitably fails. Or better yet, be a little less predictable, and a little more brazen when the time calls for it. The Talent Disparity I'll start here by saying that I will never question the effort of Marcus Freeman on the recruiting trail. It's my firm belief that if Coach Freeman was at Notre Dame pre-NIL, the Irish would have a top 5 class consistently based on the effort of the staff alone. However, for NIL or other reasons, the recruiting results still aren't moving the needle. This isn't to say things haven't been better under Freeman, but they just aren't where they need to be in order to compete on the national stage. This was incredibly obvious during this weekend's game at Ohio State. The Ohio state defensive line lead by elite talent J.T. Tuimoloau rose to the occasion on the last offensive drive from the Irish, sacking Sam Hartman and almost intercepting a screen pass to secure a final Buckeye possession - the type of output you would expect from a bona fide 5-star talent like Tuimoloau. On the other end of the spectrum, Notre Dame's defensive line was rather quiet outside of a solid - but not gamebreaking - performance from Javontae Jean-Baptiste. It makes me wonder just how much of a difference a Keon Keeley or Elijah Rushing would have made in this game. And of course, outside of Notre Dame hitting the lottery in transfer QB Sam Hartman, the talent at this position in previous big games was often the reason the coaches reverted to such rudimentary game management. I will say, however, the staff is absolutely doing their best to change that narrative with the recent pledges of high 4-star talents in CJ Carr and Deuce Knight, but it was still a persistent issue in the past. Having to send Ian Book or Tyler Buchner out to compete against some of the sport's greatest defenses significantly crippled the passing attack - but it also didn't mean the team needed to be one dimensional either, which relates back to my first point. The Philosophy/Mentality I'm not entirely sure how you quantify "The Freeman Factor", but for me it hasn't really translated to on the field results in year two. Brian Kelly's "business trip" mindset also never seemed to set the tone for big games in any way, shape or form. The mentality and philosophy the coaching staff at Notre Dame has attempted to utilize in make or break matchups has always missed the mark. Often times, the team comes out completely deflated on offense, or looks entirely lost on defense in the early stages of any big matchup. The importance of a fast start can not be understated, especially with so much on the line in these games. Starting fast is the reason the Irish were able to beat Clemson in 2020 and 2022, and in virtually every other big game the past decade, they've come out the gates completely timid and cautious. This stems entirely from the philosophy and mentality preached from the staff downward, and needs a complete overhaul. Do you know how much of a difference a touchdown on the first drive of the game would have made against Ohio State in both last year's game and this year's game? It's time to rethink the mindset and philosophy, because whatever is being said or done prior to kickoff isn't helping the team start fast and physical. The Big Picture The idea that Notre Dame can't compete for national championships, or is irrelevant is completely laughable. The Irish were a yard away from most likely being a top four team in this week's AP poll ranking, yet decided to fold once more when the clock struck midnight on a game where the Irish were the better team through 60 minutes. Cracking down on the items listed above and taking a hard look at the inner workings of the program should hopefully yield more favorable results in the future, but for now - we're stuck in such a familiar and painful situation. Something has to change eventually. The good news? The Irish will have a few more shots under the lights against some serious talent this season, and will look to start mending the wounds of the Irish faithful nationwide. Until that opportunity comes - we must wait patiently and hold firm in the belief that this team is capable of taking that final step forward.

By Cade Harper Contributor｜Twitter/X｜@CadeHarperIT Photo from Matt Cashore Whether you like it or not, Ohio St - Notre Dame will go down as one of the greatest games ever played in Notre Dame Stadium and without a doubt, college football history. Obviously it didn’t turn out the way we all hoped and dreamed it would, but this team played their heart out till the very end and it showed. Giving credit where it’s due, the Buckeyes capitalized on opportunities that were given to them unlike the Irish multiple times by missing their opportunities and conversions. Now that this week is over, the Irish have fallen two spots to #11. So what’s to learn from and how to get past the heartbreak? Photo by Notre Dame Athletics You can blame the referees, the coaches, whatever you want. Notre Dame didn’t capitalize on the opportunities given to them. Was it the controversial failed 4th down conversion on Notre Dame's first drive when they marched down the field? Was it Spencer Shrader's missed 47 yard field goal? Was it multiple missed calls on both sides of the ball, for both teams even? Notre Dame lost this game themselves more than Ohio State won it if you can find a way for that to make sense to yourselves. However, I want to give credit where credit is due, the Buckeyes played their own gutsy, classic Ryan Day, type of game and Notre Dame tried going to the redzone twice in the first half coming out with zero points due to once again, failed opportunities. I want to make it known that I, along with very many other fans I'm sure, are incredibly impressed with how this team played on Saturday night. This isn't the same team 4 years ago where it could've been a blowout with Brian Kelly. Freeman has our guys where we want them, it's only a matter of time. Multiple guys stepped up to the tough challenge being Javonte Jean-Baptiste tying the team high of tackles with 8 total. Top defensive backs Benjamin Morrison & Cam Hart kept amazing coverage all night on the #1 Wide Receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft Marvin Harrison Jr holding him to just 3 catches for 32 yards. Best of luck to him as his ankle continues to heal. As always the running backs showed up after having a slow start. Jeremiyah Love had some electric plays as did Gi'Bran Payne putting the Irish on the board first with a fantastic run out of the Wildcat formation. Audric Estime per usual used his 227 lbs of pure muscle to get us hard fought gains with some strong breakthroughs for big yardage here and there rushing for 70 yards on 14 carries. Hartman is still turnover-less through 4 games and has done an exceptional job protecting the football. Hartman is still Top 10 in QBR with 86.8. Best player on the offensive side of the ball for the Irish on Saturday was easily Mitch Evans. The kid played out of his mind having a SportsCenter Top 10 moment early on with the stunning one handed snag. Not to mention being leading receiver in catches and yards by a decently large margin (7 Catches, 75 yards) Gerad Parker is finally using these tight ends the way we should and it seems like him and Holden Staes are finally starting to breakout of their shell. I'd also love to give an honorable mention to Rico Flores for getting his first collegiate touchdown on the biggest stage with a clean toe tap in the back of the end zone for a clutch touchdown to give Notre Dame the lead in the half way point of the 4th quarter. Photo by FanSided If there’s one thing we learned from this Saturday's game it’s to own our mistakes, which I think we did as Coach Freeman stated in the post game press conference, but it’s time to move on as we have an extremely tough game under the lights in Durham, NC on ABC primetime as the Irish take on Duke. The Blue Devils aren’t to be messed with as they are still currently 4-0 with a nice 40 point win over UCONN this weekend and an impressive blowout ranked win over Clemson in Week 1. The last time the Irish played in Durham was 2019 with Ian Book, it was an absolute massacre of a win (38 - 7). This time, it's a bigger test after an interesting week after all the panic and concern. One of the most talented dual threat QB's in the ACC, Riley Leonard has been nothing short of great so far. The Blue Devil defense is the best defense in the ACC and top 5 across the NCAA allowing just 8.8 points per game, that's 4th in the league to be exact. Much like Notre Dame, they have a very talented pass defense with high pass efficiency numbers. This should be a fun one this coming Saturday. Notre Dame opens up as just -2 point favorites with an over/under set at 51.5, some sportsbooks have the Irish set at -5.5 point favorites. Despite coming off the heartbreaking loss, I'm very confident that this team will not miss a beat and prove their best football is yet to come. It's still early in the year and the mistakes will correct themselves. As fans, we have to stick with these players and do nothing but give them our support and scream our heads off for them in the stands and through our TV's. I truly believe our College Football Playoff hopes are very much still alive and well. Notre Dame's next home game is another ranked showdown against our rivals in Southern Cal, currently ranked 8th in the country again on NBC primetime in two weeks, then we will travel to off brand Death Valley on November 4th to take on Clemson who just fell to a heartbreaker at home as well to 4th ranked Florida State. If we win out, they will end up being two very good wins on our resume if we can make it happen. Let's take it one game at a time though and believe in these boys that they get the job done this week first. Beat Duke. Love Thee. Go Irish.

By: Phil Kowalis ∣ Writer ∣ Twitter: @PhilKowalisIT Photo By: Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch In a game that saw Notre Dame go toe to toe with Ohio State, the Irish somehow managed to make just enough mistakes to once again fall one play short of the much need perception changing victory. Buckeye running back Chip Trayanum scored on a 1 yard run with one second left on the clock to cap a 15 play 65-yard drive and deny the Irish the win. The Irish played the final two defensive plays having just 10 men on the field. Let's see what grades the Irish received after suffering their first loss of the season. Photo By: Michael Caterina/AP OFFENSE: Offensive Line/ Tight Ends: Grade B- The offensive line did not play a bad game and actually dominated the Buckeye defensive front for most of the second half. Notre Dame finished the game with 176 yards on 39 carries for an average of 4.5 yards per attempt. Those numbers on most occasions should be enough to secure an Irish victory in most contests. The Offensive Line came up short on three key occasions. As the Irish offense was unable to convert on fourth and one, inside Ohio State territory, on Notre Dame's first possession of each half. Then with the Irish attempting to run out the clock, Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams was able to break through and drop Sam Hartman for a five-yard loss, leading to Notre Dame having to punt the ball back to the Buckeyes and setting up their game winning drive. Notre Dame tight end Mitchell Evans had the best game of his career catching seven passes for 75 yards on the night. Quarterback/Running backs: Grade B Sam Hartman completed 17 of 25 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown, a two-yard toss to Rico Flores Jr, to give the Irish a 14-10 lead midway through the fourth quarter. In a game that the Irish needed Hartman to be at his best the Irish quarterback fell just a little short, as Hartman was out played by Buckeye quarterback Kyle McCord. Audric Estime led the Irish on the ground rushing for 70 yards on 14 carries and Jeremiyah Love provided a spark for the Irish running game adding 57 yards on just eight carries. While the five headed monster at running back has been a fun story to follow in the early part of the season, I believe it has come time to shorten the rotation at running back, as Estime only getting 14 carries is just not enough. The fact that Estime was not on the field pounding a Buckeye defense that was clearly on their heels as the Irish were trying to run out the clock is simply inexcusable. Wide Receivers: Grade C Irish wide receivers caught eight passes for only 98 yards on the night. The fact that Hartman continues to spread the ball around and take what the defense gives him makes the production of this group hard to evaluate. Flores Jr. led the wide receivers with three catches and Jaden Greathouse had two catches for 40 yards. Flores Jr. and Greathouse were the only Irish wide receivers to catch multiple passes in the game. Photo By: Matt Cashore/USA Today Defense Defensive Line: Grade - B The Notre Dame defensive line turned in their fifth straight strong effort against the run, holding Ohio State to 126 yards on 27 carries a 4.7 yard per carry average. That number is a little deceiving as 61 of those yards came on one carry as TreVeyon Henderson took the first carry of the second half to the house to give the Buckeyes a 10-0 lead. Without Henderson's run the Buckeyes were held to 65 yards on their other 26 attempts for an average of just 2.5 per carry. Javontae Jean- Baptiste was all over the field as he recorded eight tackles against his former team. Howard Cross added six tackles on the night. The defensive line continues to struggle to generate any type of consistent pass rush as the Irish only recorded one sack on the evening. Linebackers: - Grade B- JD Bertrand returned from concussion protocol, to lead the linebacking unit in tackles with eight. The Irish linebackers had a strong game against the run but struggled against the pass as Ohio State tight end Cade Stover exploited the linebacking unit for seven catches on the game. The Irish linebackers also continue to be ineffective in the team's blitz packages. Secondary : - Grade C The Notre Dame secondary faced their toughest test of the season. While Marvin Harrison Jr. was held in check, finishing the game with only 32 yards on three catches, his running mate Emeka Egbuka was able to beat the Irish secondary for two key catches on the Buckeyes game winning drive. Facing third and ten from their own 32-yard line Egbuka hauled in a pass from McCord for 23 yards to keep the Buckeye drive alive. Then facing third and 19 from the Notre Dame 22-yard line McCord found Egbuka again this time for 21 yards to the Irish 1-yard line setting up the Buckeyes winning score. Xavier Watts and Thomas Harper each had five tackles to lead the Irish secondary. Special Teams: Grade - C- Spencer Shrader made both PAT attempts to remain perfect on the season, but Shrader missed his only field goal attempt of the game a 47-yard attempt in the second quarter. Punter Bryce McFerson averaged 46 yards on his two punts as he continues to have a strong season punting the football. Devyn Ford had a return of 23-yards on his only kick return of the game. Overall: Notre Dame suffered from missed opportunities and questionable coaching decisions and somehow snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, in a game the Irish seemed to have control of with less than four minutes remaining. The Irish must regroup quickly as they head back to the road to face the undefeated Duke Blue Devils. The Blue Devils defeated UConn 41-7 to improve to 4-0 on the season.

By Liam Farrell｜Senior Staff Writer｜Twitter @LiamFarrell_IT Via Notre Dame Football This stings. The dictionary definition of a bend, but don't break game tonight in the Top 10 Ohio State-Notre Dame matchup. Both teams in the first half had opportunities to score, but ultimately, the game was 3-0 coming into half. In the second half, both teams went back and forth and Notre Dame fans were stunned as Kyle McCord led Ohio State with 1:26 left and pulled off the come from behind victory. This is the closest thing I have had in my generation to the Bush Push game. Offense Sam Hartman. Hartman had the offense grooving on their first two drives of the game, where Mitchell Evans was clearly his favorite target. Hartman got confused a couple times, in which the Ohio State defense disguised blitz and rattled Hartman into throwing in bad spots. Sam did all he could in the 2nd half, and the Notre Dame offense had the opportunity to end the game. Run Game. The running game for the first two drives of the game was nowhere to be found. The Irish found something as the game progressed, especially with the improved play of Rocco Spindler. All five in the running-back stable were involved in this one. Estime was the leading rusher with 70 yards on 14 carries. Jeremiyah Love also displayed his true speed with a couple rushes off the tackle. Offensive Line. The O-Line was pretty impressive in the grand scheme of things. The running backs had a hard time finding space in the first couple drives, but for the most part Hartman had time in the pocket to find his target. As I mentioned earlier, Coogan and Spindler really picked up their play as the game went on, and got used to what Ohio State was showing them on the defensive line. Tight Ends. Mitchell Evans had the best game of his season in this one, making a couple of extremely impressive catches to keep Notre Dame drives alive. The other option at TE, Holden Staes, went silent and didn't have a catch in the first half, as well. Defense Secondary. Benjamin Morrison vs Marvin Harrison Jr. was the storyline all week, and it lived up to the hype. The two stars went back and forth, going blow-for-blow. Cam Hart and the safety unit also played extremely well. The one big thing at the end of the first half was DJ Brown dropping an interception in the back of the end zone, and he also dropped a game-ending interception during the last drive of the game. Linebackers. The Notre Dame linebackers played extremely well in this one. The defense limited the Notre Dame run game, and JD Bertrand's return to the field was certainly felt. Marist Liufau made great plays in space, but as the primary blitzing linebacker, he couldn't get home against McCord. One of the biggest plays of the game was Jaylen Sneed, on the 4th and 1, breaking up the pass intended for Cade Stover. A phenomenal play, keeping OSU off the scoreboard. Defensive Line . Javonte Jean-Baptiste played his best game of the season, BY FAR. The Notre Dame run defense showed out, in the first half, but the first possession of the second half was a 61 yard touchdown run. However, the tale of the lack of pass rush reigned true in this one. The Irish were lacking pressure on McCord after the first two drives of the game. Miscellaneous Coaching. I love Marcus Freeman and his aggressive playing style. On the 4th&1 on the first drive, I was also yelling at my television to go for it. Hindsight is always 20/20, so it's frustrating when in a low-scoring game we leave points on the board. However, on the 4th&1 to open up the second half, we didn't get the look we should've had. A questionable 2nd and 15 screen pass left more time on the clock for Ohio State to score on their last drive. Kicking . I don't care if Spencer Shrader can make an 80-yard FG, if he can't hit the 47-yard field goal right down the middle, it puts us behind the 8-ball. The missed FG was definitely a back-breaker in this one, especially because of how low-scoring this game was.

By: Mike Stacey ⏐ Writer ⏐ Twitter: @MikeStaceyIT ⏐ IG:mikestaceyit It's that time of the year. The week where Notre Dame plays their first big test of the season and we find out what we're working with, and I could not possibly be more excited for this one. The history, the tradition, the implications, the fanbase hatred of one another, and two teams fighting for elite status in the country. Sprinkle in a College Gameday appearance and night game environment and you have the perfect recipe for an epic college football game. The numbers this game is going to do in viewership is going to be THROUGH THE ROOF. This is why we love college sports, there is simply nothing else like it. With great excitement, however, often comes angst. I certainly will have plenty of that as well as game-time approaches. This is one of those games where you could tell me Notre Dame won in a blow out or Ohio State won in a blow out and I would not be entirely shocked. There are enough question marks going into this game that I could see it going either way. But I am going to try my best to make my predictions and pick the game winner. As always, I love to see all of your predictions in the comment section so let me know what you got! Now let's get to it.... Offense: Sam Hartman: Not to overhype this matchup, but this could be a career defining game for Sam Hartman. He came to Notre Dame for this moment. To be on the big stage and put up a performance to help him climb the draft board. Well, the time is now. In last year's game the Irish did not have a deep pass threat and played a pretty conservative game. I expect them to open it up and attack deep early and often. I expect Sam Hartman to be ready for this moment, and to make a statement that he is one of the best in college football. Prediction: 23 for 31/ 315 yards/ 3 TD's Tobias Merriweather: Blesses self: I may be wishing this into existence more than actually predicting it, but I am hoping that Tobias has a breakout performance in this game. Last week we saw him have a huge 75 yard TD catch where he turned in the 5th fastest speed in all of college football for that week. In total, he accounted for 91 yards and a TD on only 3 catches! I have been a firm believer that if ND is going to be elite, Merriweather needs to be an X factor, and last week we got a glimpse of what can be. I hope that trend continues this week and Tobias joins Sam Hartman in announcing his presence to the country. Prediction: 5 Catches/ 110 yards/ 2 Td's Holden Staes: Following Michael Mayer's footsteps has to be a complete nightmare. He was an absolute stud and all time great for Notre Dame. However, Tight End U is continuing it's tradition and Holden Staes is holding up his end of the bargain in the passing game at Tight End. So far he has 6 receptions for 123 yards and 4 Td's. Not a bad start for a Sophomore who is getting his first taste of real playing time. I don't think Holden is going to put up crazy numbers this game, but I expect him to account for a BIG play at some point. Prediction: 3 catches/ 46 yards/ 1 TD Defense: Jordan Botelho: Jordan Botelho is a bad man. His teammates said he is plain nasty when he is on the field, and is all business. This is the type of player that we need this year to replace some of the production we lost last year. So far, his production has been relatively quiet, accounting for 1 sack and 9 tackles. That being said, we have seen flashes of what he is capable of, and I think we see an inspired and fired up Botelho show up for this game on the national stage. Prediction: 3 Sacks/ 1 TFL Cam Hart: Cam Hart is an underrated corner. He does not get the national attention that he deserves and even has an accomplished senior, he often takes a back seat to Benjamin Morrison. Cam has great size and is sticky in coverage. The only thing he is missing so far is an interception. I expect the Buckeyes to take more chances on Hart than they do Mickey, and I think Cam takes advantage of that. Prediction: 2 Interceptions/ 2 Pass Break-ups JD Bertrand: The Irish clearly missed JD in the middle of the field last week. JD is not only a sound tackler and disrupter, but a great communicator on the field. I think getting him back will give the defense a shot in the arm, and expect JD to show out in front of the ND faithful. Prediction: 9 Total Tackles/ 2 TFL GAME PREDICTION: Dear Lord, give us this one! This is a game that as I mentioned before, I can really see going either way. However, if the Irish D-Line can be disruptive, and the Offensive Line can protect Hartman, I think Notre Dame will pull off a historic win in the Freeman Era this Saturday in South Bend under the lights. At least, I pray.... Notre Dame- 31 Ohio State- 21