Notre Dame Opponent Roundup - Week 3

A look at how Notre Dame's 2023 opponents fared in week three college football action

Week 3 looked sleepy on paper, with no matchups between ranked opponents on the docket, but we should have know better. This is college football, the home of 61-yard field goals, upset alerts, and the Pac-12 after dark. 

When the dust settled, teams like Georgia, Michigan, Florida State, and Texas may still have been standing, but it was far from pretty. But hey, at least those programs aren’t waking up in Tuscaloosa or Knoxville today.

Notre Dame’s opponents had another strong week and finished with an overall record of 7-3 (not counting Central Michigan’s 41-17 loss to the Fighting Irish). Duke continued its impressive start to the season, NC State rebounded, and Ohio State and Clemson appear to be rounding into form – but it’s best to avert your eyes from what’s going on at Stanford and Pitt.

Notre Dame Opponent Overall Record: 24-9

Let’s take a look at the Week 3 action for Notre Dame opponents.

NAVY MIDSHIPMEN

Record: 1-2
Week 3 Result: Lost 28-24 at Memphis

Recap: The Midshipmen fell just short on the road against Memphis on Thursday night, with the potential game winning drive ending on downs on the Tiger ten-yard line. Navy out-gained the Tigers 432-408 and won the time of possession battle, but they were unable to overcome two turnovers. The Midshipmen do figure to be a tough matchup as the season goes on though, with QB Tai Lavatai and the new passing wrinkles in the triple option scheme finding success in back-to-back weeks.

TENNESSEE STATE TIGERS

Record: 2-1
Week 3 Result: Won 27-25 vs. Gardner-Webb

Recap: Tennessee State won in dramatic fashion on Saturday night, as James Lowery kicked the game-winning 50-yard field goal with just 9 seconds remaining. In a back-and-forth affair, Garner-Webb regained a slim 25-24 lead with just 4:50 remaining, but the Tigers came through in the clutch.

NC STATE WOLFPACK

Record: 2-1
Week 3 Result: Won 45-7 vs. VMI

Recap: QB Brennan Armstrong rebounded from an uneven performance against Notre Dame by completing 84.3% of his passes for 264 yards and a touchdown, and NC State jumped out to a 31-0 halftime lead and cruised to the easy win. If Armstrong continues to mesh with a young – but deep – wide receiving corps, the Wolfpack could be a tough out in October and November. Next up is a trip Friday night trip to Virginia, which will serve as a homecoming for Armstrong and offensive coordinator Robert Anae.

#6 OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

Record: 3-0
Week 3 Result: Won 63-10 vs. Western Kentucky

Recap: Ohio State finally showcased the offensive firepower we expected to see this season by shaking off a slow start and exploding for 35 second quarter points against a pretty decent Western Kentucky team. Also encouraging for the Buckeyes was a defensive performance that held the high-flying Hilltopper offense scoreless in the second half and forced 4 turnovers. The level of competition takes a big jump next weekend though, as Ohio State travels to South Bend for the much-anticipated matchup with #9 Notre Dame.

#18 DUKE BLUE DEVILS

Record: 3-0
Week 3 Result: Won 38-14 vs. Northwestern

Recap: Duke continued its impressive start to the season by cruising to a 38-14 win over Northwestern that was not as close as the score indicated. The Blue Devils gashed the Wildcats on the ground, running for 268 yards and 5 touchdowns, with QB Riley Leonard leading the charge with 97 rushing yards and 2 scores. If Duke wins at UConn next weekend and Notre Dame beats Ohio State, the matchup with the Fighting Irish in Durham on September 30th would probably be the biggest game in modern program history.

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS

Record: 3-0
Week 3 Result: Won 56-0 vs. Murray State

Recap: Saturday provided the full Louisville experience we’ve grown accustomed to seeing, as the Cardinals started fast, racing out to a 21-0 halftime lead, yet allowed Indiana to sneak back into the game and needed a fourth quarter goal line stand to hold onto a 21-14 win. Jeff Brohm’s squad has plenty of playmakers, and RB Jawhar Jordan ran for 113 yards and a touchdown while WR Jamari Thrash also had 159 yards and a score. The Cardinals should take care of Boston College next weekend before a very intriguing trip to Raleigh to take on NC State.

#5 SOUTHERN CAL TROJANS

Record: 3-0
Week 3 Result: Bye

Recap: The Trojans travel to Tempe to take on Arizona State next weekend.

PITTSBURGH PANTHERS

Record: 1-2
Week 3 Result: Lost 17-6 at West Virginia

Recap: The Backyard Brawl with West Virginia turned into a rock fight. Neither Pitt nor West Virginia tallied 100 yards passing, but the Mountaineers still played largely mistake-free football in contrast to the Panthers. Pitt QB (and Notre Dame transfer) Phil Jurkovec continued his rough start to the season, going 8-20 for 81 yards and 3 interceptions. In the past two losses to Cincinnati – who just lost to Miami (OH) – and West Virgnia, Jurkovec is only completing 34.6% of passes, has turned the ball over 3 times, and has taken 6 sacks. There’s an absence of playmakers across the board for Pat Narduzzi’s team, but you have to wonder whether Jurkovec will still be the starter when Pitt visits ND on October 28th.

CLEMSON TIGERS

Record: 2-1
Week 3 Result: Won 48-14 vs. FAU

Recap: Clemson continues to round into form, as QB Cade Klubnik accounted for 4 touchdowns en route to a 34-0 halftime lead. In contrast to the past two games, Clemson started fast in this one, as Nate Wiggins returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown on the first drive of the game. The win sets up a massive showdown with #4 Florida State next weekend – one which will determine the trajectory of the Tiger season.

WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS

Record: 3-0
Week 3 Result: Won 27-24 at Old Dominion

Recap: The Demon Deacons may have snoozed the alarm one too many times and trailed 17-0 at the half and 24-7 midway through the third quarter after a pick-six. However, QB Mitch Griffis led Wake Forest to 20 unanswered points in the last 18:50 to squeeze by the Monarchs. Griffis ended up with 312 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air, but Wake Forest is going to need more from its offensive line, which surrendered 4 sacks and struggled to get a push in the running game, averaging just 2.3 YPC.

STANFORD CARDINAL

Record: 1-2
Week 3 Result: Lost 30-23 vs. Sacramento State

Recap: Oh boy. It’s never a good look to lose to the FCS school that your now-head coach just departed, but that’s what Stanford and Troy Taylor did on Saturday night, falling to Sacramento State in a game watched by dozens of fans. Taylor built a strong FCS program at Sacramento State but this still shouldn’t happen – and the result was no fluke. The Hornets outgained the Cardinal, converted 11-16 third downs, and took the lead with 1:32 remaining on Kaiden Bennett’s 49-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Fulcher. 

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