Game Observations For The Notre Dame Defense From The 41-24 Win Over Syracuse

My thoughts and analysis of the Notre Dame 41-24 victory over Syracuse

Notre Dame put together a big time performance by going on the road and blasting Syracuse 41-24. The Irish defense had some brilliant moments, but also some moments when they made some mistakes, but overall the unit did what was needed to get a dominant win.

Here are my thoughts on the game.

*** Notre Dame safety Brandon Joseph started the game off with a bang. Manned up on the inside receiver on a three by one set, he was able to break on an inside slant and return it 29 yards for a touchdown. He also pulled in another beautiful interception working over then top in the fourth quarter that was erased by an offside penalty. Those are the type of game changing plays that Irish fans have been waiting for from the Northwestern star this season.

*** That wasn't the only Syracuse turnover forced on the day. In the fourth quarter, defensive tackle Howard Cross tipped a pass from backup quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson. Linebacker Marist Liufau was able to corral the pass for a huge interception to stall momentum. Cross continues to be an unheralded member of the defense and has been a consistent performer throughout the season. 

*** The interior defensive line played a fantastic first half, and were steady and consistent throughout the second half as well. Defensive tackles Chris Smith and Gabriel Rubio both made big plays at the point of attack for tackles for loss. The rest of the group was rock solid across the board. Syracuse's only success in the run game came off losing contain and quarterback runs from Del Rio-Wilson in the second half.

*** Defensive lineman Rylie Mills played both inside and at the big end. He was disruptive all game, making things difficult for the Syracuse run game. The box score will not adequately indicate just how good Mills was during the contest. Over the last few games, he has evolved into a force wherever he lines up for the Irish. 

*** Junior defensive end Jordan Botelho has some flash plays as a pass rusher. After some sporadic opportunities during the last couple of weeks, he played his best game of the season, recording two sacks.

*** This was unquestionably linebacker JD Bertrand's best game of the season. He sniffed out a screen beautifully in the first half and was a consistent performer in the run game. His eye discipline was good all day. 

*** Coverage for the secondary was mostly very good during the first half. Syracuse attempted to pick on freshman cornerback Benjamin Morrison early on, leading to giving up inside leverage on a touchdown pass to Oronde Gadsden II and pass interference call. Morrison had great coverage on a deep shot that should have been an offensive pass interference call in the second quarter.

*** Cornerback Cam Hart was quiet from a box score perspective but there is good reason for that. The senior was sticky in coverage throughout the contest and was rarely tested. Hart made an impressive pass breakup in the second half squatting on a hitch that was almost intercepted. 

*** Senior nickelback TaRiq Bracey was also good in the football game. He made things difficult for Gadsden when he was working from the slot. 

*** The second half was a much different story for the Notre Dame pass coverage. They played a much more aggressive style in the first half, but were extremely passive after halftime. They allowed some easy completions and were overall just not nearly productive enough in that phase of the ball during the second half.

*** While Joseph was awesome during this football game, the rest of the safeties left a lot to be desired. Senior DJ Brown had a rough day, missing a tackle on a third and eight that gave Syracuse a big first down in the third quarter. He also tried to undercut a seam route that went for a big game.

*** The Edge position was very up and down during the game. Both Isaiah Foskey and Justin Ademilola had some very positive plays but were both inconsistent setting the edge and finishing plays. They must stay disciplined in the run game. 

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Ryan Roberts
RYAN ROBERTS

Ryan Roberts is the Director of Recruiting at Irish Breakdown, where he covers all aspects of the Notre Dame recruiting efforts. A former college football player and high school football coach, Roberts is also the owner of Rise N Draft, which covers the NFL Draft. Ryan was a key contributor to Irish Breakdown before taking over Fighting Irish recruiting and NFL Draft coverage. You can email Ryan at risendraft@gmail.com Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more. BECOME A MEMBER Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time! Follow Ryan on Twitter: @RiseNDraftLike and follow Irish Breakdown on FacebookSubscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channelSubscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter