Notre Dame football continued its winning streak on Saturday against Louisville. A 12-7 victory seemed too close for comfort for many Irish fans across the country. Coming into the game, the Irish were ranked fourth in the nation. Compared to a non ranked Louisville football program, there was a lot more Notre Dame could have given to prove it deserve to be ranked right behind teams such as Clemson, Alabama and Georgia. Clemson beat Georgia Tech 73-7. Seventy-three points in any football game is incredible. Sure, Clemson is the team everyone is afraid of. But if Notre Dame football continues to allow weaker football teams to put points on the board then there might be a bigger issue to discuss regarding the actual potential of the Irish.
AP Top 25
Notre Dame football has been in the top five for over three weeks. Just today, it moved up to claim the number three spot. Sure, it is still undefeated and Georgia had a tough loss to Alabama losing 41-24. That loss moved Georgia down to four. Looking at the top three, Notre Dame is now sitting with arguably two of the best college football programs in the country. Clemson and Alabama have been to the playoffs almost consistently over the past five years. They are undoubtedly the powerhouses of the south and prove their undeniable talent year after year. That being said, does Notre Dame truly fit into this trio? Or is it more fit being ranked in the top 10 or 15?
A Solid Pro
To give Notre Dame the benefit of the doubt, it was set back tremendously in the beginning of the season. It is not easy to halt all football related activities right after it started off the season relatively strong. Although it bounced back, I do believe the COVID-19 outbreak did impact the team dynamic.
There has been one player that has really stepped up and represented what Irish football should be. Running back Kyren Williams continues to show off his abilities. Rushing 127 yards on 25 carries against the Cardinals, Williams is no doubt the best running back the Irish have and the only player that has steadily improved. Since the offense is inconsistent at times, Williams has been the only true light on the field and gives Irish fans something exciting to watch.
Areas of Improvement
I have mentioned this before but I feel as if it has to be mentioned again. Ian Book has to show consistency in order for the offense to improve. Unfortunately, we did not see that improvement against Louisville. This was a chance for Book to capitalize on his skills, especially since Louisville is known for its weak defense.
The Irish also truly struggle in the redzone. Settling for field goals is not a mentality the No. 3 team in the country should have. Against Louisville, Notre Dame only managed one touchdown on four redzone possessions. Simply put, the Irish do not have a realistic chance against top tier teams if they cannot fix their inability to capitalize in the redzone.
Notre Dame has two more games until its biggest matchup of the season. After this weekend’s poor showing, Irish fans should be concerned. Can Notre Dame football prove its doubtful fans wrong or will this season turn out to be a mediocre performance by the Irish?
Photo by Notre Dame Athletics | The Observer
My name is Claire Frego and I am a senior at the University of Dayton. As an aspiring journalist, I love to share my passion of sports with everyone. This college football season, I will be focusing on Notre Dame. Whether you are an Irish fan or just want to keep up with football this season, I invite you to follow along on my journey as I continue to write and gain knowledge about this crazy world of sports!