Notre Dame football: 3 takeaways from heartbreaking loss to Ohio State

3 of 4

Sep 23, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) makes a catch as Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Benjamin Morrison (20) defends in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. The catch was reviewed and ruled an incomplete pass, and Morrison was given a pass interference penalty. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Defensive takeaways for Notre Dame football

The Irish did a pretty good job of bottling up Marvin Harrison, Jr. before the ankle injury. They limited what Ohio State wanted to do offensively. Defensive coordinator Al Golden strategically sent pressure to get Kyle McCord off platform when needed. Henderson ran for over 100 yards, but 61 came on one run.

Without that run, he averages 3.3 yards per carry. However, Notre Dame did not tackle well. Ironically, a team coached by a former linebacker tackled as poorly as it did tonight. Missed tackles were a slight difference in what turned out to be a close game.

Defensive takeaways for Ohio State

The Buckeyes ensured that Notre Dame receivers did not beat them deep. The fastest player on the team, Chris Tyree, had one catch. The Buckeyes did not get much pass rush against the Irish, but they kept everything in front of them. They did give up some yards in the running game, however.

However, two big plays by defensive lineman JT Tuimoloau were the turning point in the game. Tuimoloau blew up an option read on back-to-back plays and broke up a screen pass. Despite Notre Dame’s ability to get the running game going, they managed just 14 points.

Home/Notre Dame Fighting Irish