Notre Dame's Next Level November: Key Areas That Need Improvement

Notre Dame gears up for a critical November. Here's what the Fighting Irish need to improve to finish the season strong.

The Notre Dame Leprechaun celebrates a touchdown scored during a NCAA college football game against Florida State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What wrinkles can the Notre Dame offense add?

Notre Dame has cruised through the middle portion of its season on the back of a seven-game winning streak leading to Marcus Freeman's best record at this point in the calendar in any of his three years as the head man in South Bend.

Today I want to take a look at how the Irish can accomplish two things at once. Win the rest of their November games and prepare for playoff football while doing it.

Offensively, we know by now the Irish are a run-first team, led by Jeremiyah Love, JD Price, and Riley Leonard. How can Notre Dame maximize the stress on the opposition?

My answer? Two back sets with Love and Price on the field, getting them both more involved in the short passing game, and simply giving them both more carries overall since they are the two biggest weapons on the team.

In terms of the passing game, it was really nice to see Mitchell Evans get back in the end zone against FSU. Its obvious that he has not been 100% this year and has not been nearly as big of a part of this offense as he was last year. If he can start being a valid threat again, this will open the Irish offense up in a major way.

Notre Dame's defense has been elite, but can still get better

Notre Dame's defense is elite. It sits in the top five or ten in nearly every critical statistical category one could name. This unit is and has been the backbone of the Irish program for some time now. Most impressively to me, even through major injuries to pass rushers up front like Traore and Botelho and even with losing Benjamin Morrison from the secondary, there's been no drop-off.

If there is one thing to nitpick with this unit it'd be its propensity to allow the opponent success on their first offensive drive. This is now more than a trend, it's almost a weekly occurrence. To Notre Dame's credit, it usually locks up teams after the first drive,

I'd just like to see Notre Dame tighten this up before postseason play where the Irish will not want to allow better teams a chance to move the ball so well and put up early points.

The fact that this is one of the only critiques I have of the Irish defense says a lot. This unit is elite.

For more Irish news & notes follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and or your preferred audio podcast provider.

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