Notre Dame football: 3 takeaways from victory over NC State

3. The Irish offense can survive on its own

One of the most prominent attacks against Notre Dame’s offense has been their dependency on a great defense. The majority of these criticisms stemmed from a poor offensive outing against Georgia, but a strong defensive performance amidst a mediocre rushing attack against Michigan State also drew criticism despite the win.

The Irish put up totals of 265 and 355 yards against Georgia and Michigan State, respectively, by far their two lowest totals of the 2017 season. Outside of the Bulldogs and Spartans, Notre Dame’s lowest yardage total (487) came without quarterback Brandon Wimbush in a contest against North Carolina.

However, the Irish were able to put most of those criticisms behind them against NC State, finishing with 423 total yards. What was even more impressive was their success on the ground. The Irish have struggled greatly against solid run defenses, but were unfazed against one of the nation’s most stout defensive lines in NC State, rounding out the evening with 318 rushing yards.

NC State entered the game allowing only three yards per carry, but were not nearly as effective against an Irish offense that averaged 5.9 yard per carry on the day. While Notre Dame didn’t exactly blow the doors off as they have at other times, they were still able to manage a successful outing at the end of the day. The Irish will look to pile it on against Wake Forest when they take the field next weekend.