At one point, this was considered the game of the year for Notre Dame. Florida State was supposed to be a national championship contender, and it would be used as a measuring stick. How good was this Irish team, and could they hang with the best? However, this game lost much of its luster due to the Seminoles’ abysmal season. The Irish added another painful chapter to this Flordia State season, crushing the Seminoles 52-3.
Notre Dame did exactly what good teams do to inferior opponents. Which makes the game not even competitive. Sure the first quarter saw Florida State put up a little fight ending the quarter only down 7-3. However, after that, it was all Irish as their offense flourished and their defense shut down the Seminoles’ offense completely.
Lots of credit has to be given to Marcus Freeman and the coaching staff. After the loss to NIU, this season could’ve gone off the rails. The team was booed off their home field and everything felt like it was going in the wrong direction. A poorly coached team easily would’ve let that game ruin the season. However, Freeman used the game as motivation. He didn’t want to let his team forget the pain of the loss and made them never want to feel that way again. That messaging is a big reason for Notre Dame to turn around. It’s why they improved week in and week out, and why Freeman has proved himself as the right man to lead Notre Dame. Here are the other major takeaways.
The Notre Dame Pass Rush Is A Game Wrecker
When talking about the Irish defense, people often bring up the secondary. Which is fair because they’re arguably the best in the country. However, this great secondary overshadows a strong defensive line/pass rush. A unit that was receiving national praise as well. Pro Football Focus had them ranked sixth best in the country before the season started. Saturday night, they showed why they were deserving of that ranking.
The unit recorded eight sacks, a new season high for the Irish. They were led by Rylie Mills who was able to get to Flordia State Quarterbacks three times. This performance allowed Mills to jump Howard Cross III for the team lead in sacks. However, it wasn’t just Mills, Donovan Hinish also had a multiple-sack game. While Bryce Young, Jaiden Ausberry, Jaylen Sneed, and Junior Tuihalamaka split the other three sacks.
Sure Flordia State has a bad offensive line and that’s why the sack number was so high. However, if Notre Dame can build off this, it’ll help them make a deep run. If you can get to the quarterback and disrupt him, you’re going to be in a good position to win the game. It’s a lot harder for an opposing quarterback to wait for a play to develop and get his receivers downfield when you have pass rushers in your face. Thus taking the big play away, and allowing Notre Dame to not have to play catchup.
Riley Leonard Finally Had The Game We Expected
The most scrutinized player this season has been Riley Leonard. Although he’s improved every week he played, he still didn’t reach the expectations Irish fans had set for him. When he transferred from Duke, he was seen as the missing piece. A dual-threat quarterback who can change the game with one throw. However, he’s left a lot to be desired from a passing perspective. He was seen as a good quarterback but nothing different than what Notre Dame already had.
However, we saw the quarterback we thought Leonard could be Saturday night. He completed 14 passes on 27 attempts, for 215 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 70 yards and two touchdowns. These were the types of performances we were expecting from Leonard. One where he has impressive numbers through the air and on the ground. Again this was against a bad Florida State team, but it’s a positive sign for the rest of the season.
One of the main criticism, I and many Notre Dame fans have brought up is they don’t have a dynamic quarterback. Someone who can win the game by themselves, like you see at Alabama and other top programs. It was the biggest gap between Notre Dame and the top tier of schools. However, if Leonard continues to perform like he did on Saturday, it closes the gap. It makes Notre Dame a much more formidable opponent, and a team that can make a deep run.
Brian Germinaro is a sportswriter for Belly Up Sports. Follow him on Twitter/X for more sports coverage and Belly Up Sports for even more college football content. Feature image credit: Icon Sportswire.
