Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1506910
26 SEPT. 9, 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED Notre Dame beat Tennessee State 56-3 on Sept. 2. The Irish were not 100 percent perfect, but they did what they were supposed to do against the first FCS opponent to visit South Bend. Here are five thoughts on the Notre Dame home- opening win. 1. Slow Start On Defense, Got It Corrected Notre Dame got off to a bit of a slow start on defense, and that's okay. The team just completed a transatlantic trip. Even against Tennessee State, there was bound to be a hiccup or two early. The Irish let the Tigers' quarterbacks break contain a couple times, gaps in the run game opened up and graduate student defensive back Thomas Harper committed a pass interference penalty to extend the first TSU drive, which ended in a field goal. It was not the most physical pass interference you'll ever see, but Harper got there early. It was the correct call. After that first drive, though, Notre Dame gave up nothing the rest of the way. "I thought after that first series, they were able to really just settle down, stop making the careless mistakes," Notre Dame head coach Marcus Free- man said. "I always say, 'Don't beat Notre Dame,' and there were a couple times in that first series we were beating Notre Dame. I thought they were able to really settle down and go and do a better job." 2. Notre Dame Briefly Became 'Tight End U' Again After targeting tight ends zero times through nearly six quarters, graduate student quarterback Sam Hartman hit junior tight end Mitchell Evans three times in a row for a combined 49 yards dur- ing the 80-yard, 38-second touchdown drive to end the second quarter. Said touchdown was caught by sophomore tight end Holden Staes. "We just decided we're only throwing to tight ends— nah, I'm just kidding," Hartman said. "That's in the back of your head, but there were times last week when they could have gotten the ball. … They put in a lot of the dirty work and you like to see them get reciprocated." Evans wound up with 4 grabs for 61 yards on the afternoon, nearly matching team leader Jayden Thomas (the junior receiver had 4 for 62). He also had a nasty-looking block on Thomas' 23-yard reception in the second quarter. That performance from Evans, even every other game, would be more than welcome for the Irish. 3. Audric Estimé Is Different Many running backs would have gained 4 or 5 yards on the first play of the second quarter. Notre Dame running back Audric Estimé gained 50. A drive and a half later, he shrugged off two tackles like they were nothing on his way to a 5-yard touchdown. Estimé breaks tackles as well as any back in col- lege football right now. He is incredibly difficult to bring down one on one, and all-body or all- arm tackles won't do it. You have to hit him with your shoulder and wrap him up. Even then, he'll probably fall forward for an extra yard if he has a head of steam. He's also shown signs, though two games, that he improved as a receiver. Power backs tend to be a dime a dozen in today's game, but Estimé — at least at the college level — is different. 4. No One Knows What Targeting Is This is an issue that is bound to come up again for Notre Dame this season, because it comes up for every team, multiple times, every year. The Irish came out on the wrong side of two close targeting calls versus Tennessee State: grad- uate student running back Devyn Ford's kickoff return fumble and subsequent injury, as well as graduate safety Antonio Carter II's forced fumble in the second quarter. Carter was disqualified. By rule, it was likely the right call; he did lead with the crown of his helmet and make helmet-to-helmet contact. Ford's wasn't even reviewed, which is the most objectionable part of all of this. Marcus Freeman had a long con- versation with the officials after the play. "They said he did not hit with the crown [of his helmet], he hit with his forehead," Freeman said about the hit on Ford. "I can agree to disagree, but it is what it is." 5. This Is Where The Fun Begins Notre Dame passed its test in the first two weeks of the season — "Can you blow out a significantly less talented opponent?" — with flying colors. A combined score of 98-6 is as dominant as domi- nant gets. Now, to steal a line from the best fighter pilot in the galaxy, this is where the fun begins. The Irish visit North Carolina State in Week 2. The Wolfpack are a tough out, and they've had Hartman's number in the past. Notre Dame's first Atlantic Coast Conference game should be a good one in Raleigh, N.C. FIVE THOUGHTS BY JACK SOBLE The Irish defense — including, left to right, Marist Liufau, Joshua Burnham and JD Bertrand — limited Tennessee State to just 156 total yards and 2.7 yards per play. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER