Notre Dame Opponent Roundup - Week 2: Irish Opponents Have A Strong Weekend

Irish Breakdown looks at how Notre Dame's 2023 opponents fared this weekend on the college football gridiron

Week two of the college football season featured some heavyweight matchups around the county, with Texas notching a huge win in Tuscaloosa, Oregon winning a weird one in Lubbock against Texas Tech, and Miami staking a claim as a challenger in the ACC with a convincing victory over Texas A&M. There appears to be a power shift going on in college football right now with the Alabama and Clemson dynasties wavering, as NIL and the transfer portal have allowed teams to hold onto experienced players who otherwise may have tested the NFL waters in the past.

Notre Dame’s opponents had a strong week and finished with an overall record of 9-2 (not counting NC State’s 45-24 loss to the Fighting Irish). USC, Louisville, and Duke displayed plenty of offensive firepower, while there’s still cause for consternation in Columbus and Clemson despite blowout victories.

Notre Dame Opponent Overall Record: 17-6

Let’s take a look at the Week 2 action for Notre Dame opponents.

NAVY MIDSHIPMEN

Record: 1-1
Week 2 Result: Won 24-0 vs. Wagner

Recap: Coming off a bye after the loss to Notre Dame in Dublin, the Midshipmen debuted some new wrinkles to their triple option offense. Navy still rushed for 245 yards, with 5 players rushing for over 20 yards, but QB Tai Lavatai also threw for 161 yards and a touchdown on 13 passing attempts.

TENNESSEE STATE TIGERS

Record: 1-1
Week 2 Result: Won 24-14 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Recap: Tennessee State picked up their first win of the season with a 24-14 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Tigers raced out to a 17-0 lead and held off the Golden Lions’ attempt at a fourth quarter comeback.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS

Record: 1-1
Week 2 Result: Won 45-42 vs. New Hampshire

Recap: The Chippewas knocked off FCS New Hampshire with a 47-yard field goal from Tristan Mattson at the buzzer. QB Bert Emanuel Jr. accounted for four total TDs and 294 total yards, but even with that effort, Central Michigan needed the aforementioned field goal to avoid blowing a 14-point fourth quarter lead. The defense will need to be better with a trip to South Bend coming up next Saturday.

#6 OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

Record: 2-0
Week 2 Result: Won 35-7 vs. Youngstown State

Recap: Ohio State played better in the victory over outmatched Youngstown State than they did in the opener against Indiana, but Ryan Day’s team still hasn’t found its stride. QB Kyle McCord threw for three touchdowns – two to All-American Marvin Harrison Jr. – but the running game was limited to just 123 yards by the Penguins. All that remains between the Buckeyes and a huge showdown in South Bend is a date with Western Kentucky at the Horseshoe next weekend.

#21 DUKE BLUE DEVILS

Record: 2-0
Week 2 Result: Won 42-7 vs. Lafayette

Recap: There was no hangover for the Blue Devils after the huge victory over Clemson in the opener, as Duke QBs Riley Leonard and Henry Belin IV combined to go a perfect 20-20 passing for 254 yards and 2 TDs. Duke also put up 261 yards on the ground and on defense limited the Leopards to just 213 total yards. The Blue Devils host a bad Northwestern team next weekend before a tricky visit to UConn.

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS

Record: 2-0
Week 2 Result: Won 56-0 vs. Murray State

Recap: Jeff Brohm’s Louisville team piled up 690 total yards and raced to a 56-0 win over Murray State. The Cardinal offense was the epitome of balance, with 346 passing yards and 344 rushing yards. Two turnovers and seven penalties provide things to clean up, but with home dates against Indiana and a terrible Boston College team up next before a road trip to NC State, there’s a very real chance Louisville could head to South Bend with a 5-0 record.

#5 SOUTHERN CAL TROJANS

Record: 3-0
Week 2 Result: Won 56-10 vs. Stanford

Recap: While Caleb Williams and the Trojan offense continue to make things look easy, the performance of the USC defense still provides some pause when evaluating this team. They only surrendered 10 points to Stanford, but they surrendered 20 first downs and allowed the Cardinal to rack up 209 rushing yards. USC made a living last year forcing turnovers, ending the 2022 season ranked first nationally – by far – with a +21 turnover margin, and they won the turnover battle 3-0 against the Cardinal on Saturday. However, is that sustainable when the schedule turns? After a road trip to Arizona State next weekend, 6 of the next 8 Trojan opponents are ranked in the top 25.

PITTSBURGH PANTHERS

Record: 1-1
Week 2 Result: Lost 27-21 vs. Cincinnati

Recap: Pitt fell to 1-1 on the season with a 27-21 loss to Cincinnati in a game that was nowhere near as close as the score indicated. The Bearcats held a 27-7 lead entering the fourth quarter and two late touchdown passes from Phil Jurkovec slightly masked an otherwise brutal performance (10-32 passing). The Panthers need to get it back in gear for the Backyard Brawl next weekend in Morgantown.

CLEMSON TIGERS

Record: 1-1
Week 2 Result: Won 66-17 vs. Charleston Southern

Recap: There appeared to still be some lingering effects from the loss to Duke, as Clemson trailed Charleston Southern 14-7 in the first quarter and led just 24-17 at halftime, but Cade Klubnik and company found their stride in the second half to cruise to a 66-17 victory. Klubnik finished with 315 yards passing and a wide receiving corps in desperate need of someone to step up may have found that player, as Beaux Collins caught 7 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown. FAU provides one more tune-up before a huge matchup with Florida State.

WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS

Record: 2-0
Week 2 Result: Won 36-20 vs. Vanderbilt

Recap: The Demon Deacons improved to 2-0 in the post-Hartman era, as QB Mitch Griffis led an efficient offensive attack. Wake Forest held the ball for 24:17, racked up 29 first downs and 484 total yards, went 10-15 on third down, and won the turnover battle 3-1. Both RB Demond Claiborne and RB Tate Carney surpassed 100 yards rushing for a team with a very manageable first-half schedule. Don’t be shocked if Wake Forest is 6-1 heading into the final stretch of Florida State, Duke, NC State, Notre Dame, and Syracuse.

STANFORD CARDINAL

Record: 1-1
Week 2 Result: Lost 56-10 at #5 USC

Recap: Despite the blowout loss to USC, there are still some positive takeaways for Troy Taylor’s team. Stanford won the time of possession battle, racked up 20 first downs, and rushed for 209 yards on 5.1 YPC. For a team short on playmakers on both sides of the ball, the focus in future weeks should be built around that blueprint – control the ball, be efficient on offense, and win the line of scrimmage. Sacramento State – Taylor’s former team – should provide Stanford a good chance to do just that. 

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Irish Breakdown Content

2023 Scholarship Chart
2023 Football Schedule

Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers

2024 Commit Rankings - Offense
2024 Commit Rankings - Defense

2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense

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