Notre Dame Football: Position report card for the Irish in Week 4

Notre Dame football recorded its third win of the season with their best overall performance up to this point. Here are position grades for each unit in Week 4.

Notre Dame played their most complete game Saturday against one of their biggest rivals in Michigan State. The defense came prepared, jumping on just about every potential turnover. The offense was no less impressive, finishing with 355 total yards and 31 points worth of offense.

This was a big win for an Irish squad that was easily handled by a similar Michigan State team last year, indicating that their blowout wins over Temple and Boston College were not flukes. Coach Kelly has clearly effected this team in a way he failed to last year, and we are already seeing the results.

On the other hand, as good as this victory felt, it’s important to note that Michigan State still looks similar to the 3-9 caliber team it was last year. However, both sides of the ball played exceptionally, leaving little to complain about. Regardless, here are report cards for each Notre Dame unit in their Week 4 victory.

Notre Dame’s offensive line once again executed this game to perfection, allowing only one sack in addition to three quarterback hurries. Of all the units on the Irish, this offensive line has served as one of the strongest groups on the team. While quarterback Brandon Wimbush’s mobility and running prowess contributes to the lack of sacks, the stats still manage to speak for themselves.

If the pass blocking wasn’t good enough, the Notre Dame line once again opened things up for a dynamic rushing attack. The Irish rushed for 182 yards as a team on Saturday, keeping their streak of solid running play alive and well.

With Notre Dame’s passing game surfacing in a way it hasn’t before, Notre Dame’s rushing stats weren’t as padded as they usually would be. Also, with numerous turnovers putting the Irish in good field position on multiple occasions, there wasn’t a whole lot of yardage to accumulate. However, it only took watching the game to see just how well this line performed.

With Michigan State boasting a decent defensive line, Notre Dame came into the game unfazed despite their previously small sample size against capable competition. Look for this group to try to build on their matchups against Miami of Ohio and North Carolina before a tough matchup against USC.