Being a Notre Dame football fan is such an interesting perspective. We have hit a point in the Marcus Freeman tenure where we fully understand the identity of this team. It’s going to be a run heavy approach, functioning through the offensive line, and playing great defense.
Whether it is a win or loss, it feels like there is a ceiling that has been created over this football program. You never know what team you are going to get on a week to week basis, and that will always have to come back to the head coach. During Notre Dame’s 31-24 victory over the Louisville Cardinals , it finally feels like we saw just how special this team can be, we just didn’t see it for long.
If you flashback to the first quarter, we saw every aspect of this Notre Dame team we have been wanting to see. You saw quarterback Riley Leonard come out and dominate, completing 6 of 7 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown in that opening quarter. We saw a deep ball touchdown to sophomore Jaden Greathouse, a welcomed sight that has become a more consistent one over the last two weeks.
We also saw a turnover forced on the defensive side of the football, and more importantly, resiliency. It’s pretty much a 50-50 proposition whether this football program can recover from an opening play turnover like they did on the fumble from Devyn Ford on kickoff. You have to give Coach Freeman and the staff credit, they prepared this team to work through that early bump in the road.
With the Irish winning 21-7 at the end of that first quarter, this felt like it could be a statement victory for Notre Dame. They were clearly the more talented team and they had Louisville’s back against the wall. A blowout win was ripe for the taking.
Then stagnation set in. The Cardinals made an adjustment defensively, and brought a ton of pressure to try and confuse the Irish offensive line, and disrupt the early momentum. It worked.
For a long time, it didn’t feel like there were many adjustments. There also was a lot of complacency, best exemplified by the last Notre Dame offensive series. You needed one first down to ice the game, but instead, it was the defense the staff chose to lean on. That decision tells you the full story of this program.
Perhaps the biggest frustration for most Notre Dame fans is we know how talented this team is. You see the flashes, the moments, and the raw ability. We saw it in the first quarter, but the problem is we didn’t see it much more during the rest of the game, which is frustrating.
So how do we get to see that version of this team more consistently? That answer will need to come from the head man in charge. We got a glimpse into the upside of this football team. For whatever reason, we just don’t get to see it nearly enough.
If we ever do get to this identity on a consistent level, watch out. Notre Dame isn't far off from competing with the best teams in college football, but they aren't there yet, and it's uncertain when they may arrive.
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