Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1540307
22 OCT. 18, 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED TURNING POINT Tyler Buchner's back-burner role for the Notre Dame football team is a lot more of an everyday thing, according to Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr. In the 36-7 victory over North Carolina State, the former No. 1 Irish quarterback got a chance to shine in converting a fake punt into a critical first down that fueled a second-half offensive surge for Notre Dame. The Irish labored to a 10-7 lead over the Wolf- pack, and the nation's 77th-ranked defense, into the third quarter before Buchner helped turn things around. Notre Dame's first possession was a three- and-out that netted 0 yards. The next Irish drive started on their own 10-yard line and stalled at the 38 with 2 yards to go on fourth down. The Irish shifted out of punt formation, and Buchner took the snap and ran up the middle for 3 yards and a first down. The Irish completed the 90-yard, 11-play drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Carr to KK Smith. "T-Buch, that's my guy," Carr said. "It was awesome to see him just kind of get out there and have success. He's really brought the quar- terback room together, which I don't think a lot of people know because they just don't see it. "But he's a guy you want to be around, and there's always a smile on his face. So, it was great to see him kind of get rewarded out there for that." STATS OF THE GAME In Notre Dame's first three games this season, the Irish defense gave up an average of 32.7 points per game. In the last three games — wins over Arkansas, Boise State and North Carolina State — they've given up a total of 27 points. And those three teams came into the week- end ranked eighth, 14th and 31st, respectively, in total offense. No. 2 in total offense rolls into town Oct. 18, in Southern Cal. The 51 yards rushing the Wolfpack labored for against the Irish is the lowest total a Notre Dame defense has given up since it held Purdue to 38 last September. And the 233 yards is a sea- son low for the Wolfpack and the Irish defense. FLAG DAY AGAIN? At least Notre Dame was back into single dig- its for penalties (6) and double digits for pen- alty yards (55) after amassing 11 for a Marcus Freeman-era high of 112 yards against Boise State Oct. 4. But Freeman still wasn't happy. And he was more upset with the infractions his team committed than the replay reviews that didn't go Notre Dame's way, though he said he would submit those disputes for clarity and review to the ACC office on Sunday or Monday. THREE OBSERVATIONS BY ERIC HANSEN QB TYLER BUCHNER It's seriously worth asking, how would this game have gone if not for Notre Dame having the guts to manipulate its punt formation to put the redshirt senior Buchner behind center for a direct snap — and a direct plunge up the gut for 3 yards on fourth-and-2 from the Fighting Irish's own 38-yard line, only leading by three points early in the second half at the time? Head coach Marcus Freeman said it himself in his postgame press conference. Notre Dame needed a spark. Buchner provided it. The Irish took their first two-score lead of the afternoon on the same posses- sion not long thereafter, and they never looked back. Buchner only got the ball one time (outside of his responsibilities as the holder for placekicks). But one time was all he needed to get a game ball from Blue & Gold Illustrated. TE ELI RARIDON This is the guy Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock warned everybody about all offseason. The senior had 7 catches for 109 yards on 7 targets. Those numbers are right in line with everything and everyone that's made Notre Dame earn the moniker of "Tight End U" over the years. The only thing that's missing with Raridon's season-long résumé of 20 catches for 342 yards is a touch- down. If he keeps playing the way he did versus NC State, it's only a matter of time before he gets one. Or two, three, four, etc. You get the picture. DE BOUBACAR TRAORE Any time you have multiple sacks in the same game, you're bound to get a game ball. They're hard to come by. Unless your name is Boubacar Traore. With his 2-sack performance against the Wolfpack, Traore is up to 5.5 for the season. If you're getting nearly a sack per game, or are on at least a double-digit pace for the regular season like Traore is, you're doing something right. The redshirt sophomore has been living in opposing backfields lately. His presence absolutely had a factor in NC State quarterback CJ Bailey, a very capable signal-caller, looking very uncomfortable versus Notre Dame. GAME BALLS BY TYLER HORKA Senior tight end Eli Raridon had 7 catches for 109 yards against the Wolfpack, both single-game career highs for him. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER