Notre Dame Survives Sloppy Start Against UNC, Finds Its Rhythm Before Moving On to a 37-26 Win
Photo via Notre Dame Athletics
Notre Dame got the win it wanted Saturday, but the way the game unfolded against North Carolina left plenty for the Irish to clean up.
For the third time this season, Notre Dame came out of the gates looking flat. The offense struggled to find a rhythm, special teams immediately created problems and the defense appeared a step behind. A mistake on the punt team nearly resulted in a blocked punt after a bad handle put punter Porath in a difficult situation. Somehow, he managed to get the punt away.
The defense didn’t provide much relief on the opening series, either. UNC moved the ball and quickly found the end zone, putting Notre Dame in an early 7-0 hole.
It was another slow start from all three phases of football for a Notre Dame team that has repeatedly made games more difficult than they need to be early into games, but then things changed.
Carr-to-Faison Sparks the Offense
Notre Dame responded with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, capped by a beautiful 28-yard strike from quarterback CJ Carr to Jordan Faison.
Carr’s downfield accuracy continues to be one of the most impressive aspects of his game. The throw to Faison was placed exactly where it needed to be, and it immediately gave the Irish the spark they desperately needed.
The defense followed with its best series of the afternoon.
Boubacar Traore got pressure on the quarterback, forcing a mistake that led to a KVA interception. With the offense receiving a short field, Carr made quick work of the opportunity, finding Jaden Greathouse in the end zone.
It was the type of play Notre Dame fans have been waiting to see from Greathouse this season.
Welcome back, Jaden Greathouse.
The Irish defense continued to settle in, and Luke Talich added another interception in his return after missing the Purdue game with a wrist injury.
After a disastrous opening series, Notre Dame suddenly looked like the team many expected to see entering the game.
First-Quarter Breakdown
The opening quarter provided another reminder that Notre Dame cannot continue to give opponents early opportunities. The offense was flat. Special teams were a disaster. The defense was asleep at the wheel.
It was difficult to imagine a worse opening series for all three units.
But Notre Dame responded quickly and showed why it remains a national contender. Once the Irish settled in, the talent and execution began to take over. Notre Dame carried that momentum into the second quarter.
Carr connected with Faison again for a touchdown, although the quarterback slightly overthrew the pass. That didn’t matter. Faison’s closing speed and diving effort allowed him to make the play and extend Notre Dame’s lead to 21-7.
Jonaz Walton Makes His Case
One of the biggest developments of the afternoon came when freshman running back Jonaz Walton entered the game. Immediately, the running game appeared to have another gear.
Walton ripped off runs and helped drive Notre Dame down the field with what seemed like ease. His vision, decisiveness and ability to create yards quickly stood out.
But Notre Dame eventually took the ball out of Walton’s hands on third-and-goal, and the Irish later failed to convert on fourth down. Instead of taking the available three points, Notre Dame elected to go for it from the one-yard line and came away empty-handed.
UNC responded by driving down the field and scoring, cutting the Notre Dame lead to 21-14 heading into halftime.That decision gave the Tar Heels momentum heading into the locker room.
Halftime Breakdown
The beginning and end of the first half were far from what Notre Dame wanted. The offense once again started slowly before finding its rhythm, and once it did, the Irish moved the ball extremely well.
Walton was one of the biggest positives. The freshman’s immediate impact in the running game made a strong case for him to receive an even larger role moving forward. Notre Dame’s decision-making near the goal line, however, left plenty to question.
Rather than taking three points, the Irish went for it in shotgun on fourth-and-goal from the one and failed to convert. UNC immediately capitalized.
Against better opponents, those types of decisions and missed opportunities can become much more costly.
Special Teams Creates Another Problem
Unfortunately for Notre Dame, the issues didn’t disappear after halftime. The Irish opened the second half by allowing a kickoff return for a touchdown, giving UNC another major momentum swing.
Special teams had already created problems in the opening quarter, and allowing a touchdown return coming out of halftime only magnified those concerns. Once again, Notre Dame had made life harder on itself.
Walton, James Provide a Spark
The offense went right back to Walton, and once again the freshman helped establish momentum on the ground.
Notre Dame rode the hot hand down the field before Carr drew a defensive lineman offside on fourth down, giving the Irish a free play. Carr then finished the drive himself with a rushing touchdown.
Later in the third quarter, Nolan James Jr. provided another spark in the running game.
James’ performance late in the game showed that Notre Dame may have something developing in its backfield with James and Walton providing a potentially dangerous one-two punch.
For Walton, however, his performance felt like another step toward establishing himself as Notre Dame’s top running back.
The Offensive Line Was the MVP
The biggest positive from the afternoon may have been the performance of Notre Dame’s offensive line.
After some inconsistent moments earlier in the season, the group stepped up and showed the potential it has.
The line helped create running lanes for Walton and James while giving Carr opportunities to operate the passing game.
That performance could become particularly important as the schedule gets more difficult.
Notre Dame has BYU and Miami waiting down the road, and the margin for error will be much smaller against those opponents.
A Win Is a Win — But There Is Work to Do
Notre Dame ultimately walked away with the victory, but this was far from a clean performance.
The Irish cannot continue starting games slowly, particularly when the schedule gets tougher. Too often this season, Notre Dame has allowed opponents to hang around because of slow offensive starts, special-teams mistakes and questionable decisions.
The saying is that you shouldn’t play with your food.
Eventually, if you do it long enough, it can bite you.
Notre Dame avoided that outcome against North Carolina, but the warning signs were there.
The Irish showed plenty of positives, too. Carr’s downfield accuracy was impressive. Faison continued to make explosive plays. Greathouse looked like himself again. The defense eventually locked in. Talich returned with an interception and blocked an extra point. The offensive line had one of its better performances.
And then there was Walton.
The freshman running back made a significant statement with his performance and appears to have earned an opportunity for an even bigger role moving forward. At the end of the day, Notre Dame did what it needed to do: it won the game.
But with tougher opponents approaching, the Irish will need to clean up the mistakes, especially on special teams and in the opening minutes.
For now, the focus shifts west.
ONWARD TO STANFORD…
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