(Photo: Joe Weiser/Fighting Irish Preview)
Forget the hype. Forget the rankings. Forget the ghosts of 1988.
Saturday night, Notre Dame has a chance to do something far more important than relive its glorious past. It can make a statement about its future.
The No. 1 Miami Hurricanes are coming to South Bend. College GameDay will be on campus, and Notre Dame Stadium will be rocking. It’s a matchup between two programs with plenty of history, but this game is about much more than that.
The Irish have put themselves in this position. They started the season 6-0 and looked dominant throughout that stretch. CJ Carr was playing with confidence, the running game was finding its footing, and the defense was making life difficult for opposing offenses. Notre Dame had answers on both sides of the ball.
Then BYU happened.
The 28-24 loss was frustrating because the Irish had chances to win. They couldn’t make enough plays when it mattered, and BYU took advantage. Notre Dame’s defense got off to a slow start, and the team never did enough to make up for it. The Irish bounced back against Navy, but Miami presents a much bigger challenge.
Notre Dame has the talent to compete for a national championship. Now it has to show it can put everything together against one of the best teams in the country.
Miami is the chance to do that.
The offense needs to set the tone
Notre Dame has plenty of weapons. Carr has shown what he can do, Jordan Faison has been a playmaker, and the running back room gives the Irish different ways to attack defenses. Nolan James Jr. and Jonaz Walton bring their own strengths to the ground game.
The Hurricanes rank first nationally against the run, allowing just 60.8 yards per game. Notre Dame cannot expect to line up and run the ball whenever it wants. The offensive line has to win its matchups, and James and Walton have to find ways to create yards even when the openings aren’t there. James brings a physical presence, while Walton can make defenses pay when he finds space.
But the Irish cannot abandon the run if Miami makes things difficult early. Keeping both backs involved will help keep the defense from focusing entirely on Carr and the passing attack.
That is where Carr has an opportunity to make a difference. Miami ranks 121st nationally against the pass, and Notre Dame has to take advantage of that weakness. If the Hurricanes load the box to stop the run, Carr needs to recognize it and make them pay through the air.
He doesn’t need to force the big play or try to win the game by himself. He needs to trust his receivers, take care of the football and make the throws that are there. Notre Dame had to rely heavily on Carr’s arm down the stretch against BYU. That cannot happen again.
Faison, Jaden Greathouse and Micah Gilbert have to win their matchups and give Carr reliable options. Notre Dame has the receivers to challenge Miami, but they need to make plays when their opportunities come.
Jerome Bettis Jr. deserves more opportunities as well. He had six catches for 78 yards against Navy. That’s production Notre Dame can use, especially if Miami makes it difficult to get the ground game going.
Most importantly, the Irish need to finish drives. Against a team like Miami, settling for field goals or coming away empty-handed after moving the ball can change the entire game. Notre Dame needs touchdowns.
The defense has to answer the challenge
Miami brings the nation’s highest-scoring offense to South Bend, averaging 47.6 points per game. The Hurricanes have playmakers across the offense, led by quarterback Darian Mensah and all-world wide receiver Malachi Toney. Mensah has been productive all season, and his connection with Toney gives Miami a dangerous passing attack.
Notre Dame counters with the nation’s No. 1 defense, but the performance against BYU showed that even the Irish have their vulnerabilities.
Notre Dame has to make Mensah uncomfortable. The defensive line needs to create pressure without losing its assignments. If the pass rush gets too aggressive and gives Mensah room to escape, he can extend plays and find receivers downfield.
The linebackers have to stay disciplined, and the secondary cannot give Miami easy plays. Toney is a major threat, but Notre Dame cannot focus so much on one receiver that it leaves opportunities for everyone else. The defensive backs have to communicate, stay in position and make Miami earn its completions.
Tackling will matter just as much. Miami has too many playmakers to give away extra yards. A missed tackle or blown assignment can turn a routine play into a big gain.
The first half against Navy was another reminder that Notre Dame cannot afford to take time to settle in. The Irish eventually took control, but Miami is a much tougher opponent. A slow start against the Hurricanes could put Notre Dame in a hole it cannot climb out of.
The defense does not have to shut Miami down completely. But the Irish have to make the Hurricanes work for everything and come up with stops when they need them.
It’s time to show what Notre Dame can be
Last season, Miami beat Notre Dame 27-24. Now the Hurricanes are coming to South Bend, and the Irish have a chance to answer that loss in front of the Irish faithful.
Notre Dame has the playmakers to compete with anyone. But the Irish have to take advantage of their opportunities, respond when things get difficult and make the plays needed to win.
Saturday matters.
As if the stakes weren’t already high enough, the College Football Playoff committee has inexplicably placed Notre Dame at No. 11 in its initial rankings, leaving the Irish with precious little, if any, margin for error. A victory over No. 1 Miami would send a powerful message to a committee that apparently still needs convincing.
Notre Dame doesn’t need another reminder of 1988 or another lesson from BYU. It needs a defining victory, one that puts the rest of college football on notice.
Miami comes to South Bend ranked No. 1. The Irish have a chance to change that Saturday.