Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1530074
24 DECEMBER 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 1. This Is A Special Football Team Think about everything Notre Dame went through this season. NIU. Losing its starting left tackle and center, two best edge rushers and No. 1 cornerback/top NFL Draft prospect to season-ending injuries. Heck, the Irish began their "are you a serious team or not" litmus test by fumbling the opening kickoff. Week 14 at USC was no different. All-America graduate student defensive tackle Howard Cross III tried to give it a go, but could not. Notre Dame's best offensive player, sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love, suffered an appar- ent lower-leg injury in the third quarter and didn't return. Its best unit, the vaunted pass defense, decided now would be a good time to turn into pudding. And through it all, the Irish never backed down. Notre Dame is a balanced team, making game- defining plays on both sides of the ball. It earned every bit of its 11-1 record, winning road games against quality SEC, Big Ten and ACC (Georgia Tech) competition despite a lackluster overall schedule. And it is as resilient as any blue-and-gold group in recent memory. "Leadership," Irish head coach Marcus Freeman said when asked what allowed his team to win 10 straight games. "Great leadership from our captains, our players, our coaches. Belief. Trust in each other." That's what this team will be remembered for, regardless of what happens in December. 2. Think Back To Week 1 At Texas A&M Notre Dame won that game 23-13 in a grind-it- out, first-to-21 kind of night. The Irish relied on their defense, protected the football, won the field position battle and put together a methodical drive for the dagger. Ninety-one days later, Notre Dame beat USC in a game that could not be less like that one if it tried. This was a shootout, where you felt like the Irish couldn't afford not to score on any given possession in the second half. Where a 14-point lead early in the fourth quarter never felt safe for a second. Where a team could gain 557 yards of total offense and lose. Where Tyler Buchner could complete his first pass with the Irish in nearly two years on a fake punt and you kind of forgot about it by the end of the day. The one similarity: Notre Dame made more plays in the fourth quarter and came out on top. "Somebody asked me earlier in the week, 'Are you worried that your team hasn't been in close games the past few weeks?'" Freeman said. "I said, 'No!' Because the mentality is one play, one life. This play is the only play that matters." One of the hallmarks of a great team is being able to win games in different ways. Notre Dame is a great team. 3. There's Still One Big Concern, And You Prob- ably Know What It Is Notre Dame's kicking game is still a complete train wreck. That sounds harsh, but the Irish are now 5 of 15 (33.3 percent) on field goals since Week 1. After graduate student kicker Mitch Jeter pushed a 48-yard field goal to the right in Week 13 against Army (and had one blocked, but that was a protec- tion issue), Freeman claimed it gave him more con- fidence in Jeter because he struck the ball well. But one week later, Jeter missed a 27-yarder — again, pushed to the right. The Irish are fortunate that kicking did not cost them the game. They might not be so lucky in the College Football Playoff. 4. For Those Of You Who Like To Complain About RB Touches If Love and/or junior running back Jadarian Price were 25-carry-per-game players, that game might have gone a different way. Love was jumping over and running through people. Price was as explosive as ever when he found open space. Senior quarterback Riley Leon- ard continued to be a big-play and short-yardage machine. And when Love went down, the offense didn't miss a beat. Why? Because all three are fresh as a daisy right now. The three-headed monster is, was and will con- tinue to be the best thing for the Irish. They proved that in Los Angeles. 5. Riley Leonard Is The Right Quarterback At The Right Time Leonard's game against USC was his season, from start to finish. He efficiently distributed the ball to Notre Dame's playmakers, giving them a chance after the catch and downfield when possible. He deferred to the running backs when necessary and knew when to take it himself. He threw an interception that he acknowledged was heinous, but he came right back out on the next offensive possession and made his best throw of the game. "He continued to battle," Freeman said. "He contin- ued to prepare. And I knew from the beginning that he was the right quarterback to lead this program." Freeman was right. Leonard fits the system. He fits the offensive personnel. He fits the culture. And the Irish wouldn't be dancing without him. FIVE THOUGHTS BY JACK SOBLE Senior quarterback Riley Leonard's toughness and perseverance were on full display in the victory over the Trojans. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER