As Notre Dame looks to move forward after their triumphant week one victory, there are many facets within the game for the Irish to improve upon.
Photo by The Irish Tribune
As the dust settles in East-Central Texas, Notre Dame is back in South Bend, sitting at 1-0 and ranked fifth in the nation.
Though far from perfect, Notre Dame did enough to secure a gutsy Week 1 victory.
First, let's look at the good:
Young Offensive Line Matures on the Spot
The key narrative throughout fall camp was the matchup between the Texas A&M pass rushers and Notre Dame's inexperienced offensive line.
When the final whistle blew, the Fighting Irish hadn't allowed a single sack. While there were many plays that were blown up due to pressure and a handful of tackles for loss, when the game was on the line late in the fourth quarter, the five guys up front got it done.
Anthonie Knapp was terrific holding his own against one of the nation's top pass rushers in Nic Scourton.
After some first-drive jitters, center Ashton Craig settled in and snapped back into form to deliver a great game.
Sam Pendleton likely had the weakest performance on the line, but the redshirt freshman still delivered several key blocks on the go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter.
This Texas A&M front seven will most likely be the best group they face all year, and in a loud environment where communication is pushed to its limits, the young offensive line did enough to get it done.
Secondary Shows it's Teeth
The backend of the Notre Dame defense is the core strength of this team. While Marcus Freeman might say Notre Dame's identity is the strength up front, the defensive secondary of this Fighting Irish defense is what strikes fear in their opponents.
Redshirt freshman Adon Shuler had a career game, recording a crucial interception, three solo tackles, and providing pressure on the quarterback.
Shuler, who earned his spot in fall camp, has shown great strides since first arriving in South Bend last year. He also complements fellow safety and reigning Nagurski award winner, Xavier Watts, beautifully. Watts, the graduate senior captain, also tallied an interception as he looks to beat his career-high seven interceptions from a season ago.
The cornerback tandem of Benjamin Morrison and Christian Gray played fantastic. For his first career start, Gray showed the poise of a veteran. He ultimately put the game on ice with a 4th and 2 pass breakup that killed Texas A&M's last hope.
Transfers Rod Heard and Jordan Clark also showed great promise, and were both excellent in coverage along with stopping the run.
Running Back Tandem
Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price showed the ability to be the nation's best running back tandem.
Love ended the game with 91 yards and a touchdown, while Price ended the game with 44 yards and a score.
Both players showed their unique blend of speed, size, and elusiveness, with two long touchdown runs.
It will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock gets both players in space, along with how running back coach Deland McCullough chooses to handle the rotation between each player.
Devyn Ford has also taken the role of the third-down back, replacing Gi'Bran Payne who was injured during the Blue-Gold Spring game.
Mitch Jeter: Mr. Consistent
The biggest breath of fresh air was the consistency in the kicking department. Mitch Jeter was perfect from the field, nailing three kicks from 46, 26, and 46 yards.
Jeter was clutch and put the game away with his final 46-yarder that extended the Irish lead to ten with less than two minutes left in the game.
Now, let's look at areas for improvement.
Mike Denbrock Opening Up the Offense
While Marcus Freeman displayed his aggressive nature during the game, the overall offensive play calling by Mike Denbrock was rather reserved.
Ultimately, the plan worked, but I expect Denbrock to open the offense quite a bit more in the coming weeks.
Apart from a one-on-one back shoulder throw to Beaux Collins on the game-winning drive, there were no real throws downfield, and there was no play action, at all.
Denbrock was attempting to neutralize the defensive pressure by the Aggies' line, and didn't want Leonard to make a game-altering mistake, as A&M quarterback Connor Weigman did on a few occasions.
Regardless of the Aggies' game plan, Mike Denbrock needs to be more aggressive in his downfield attack as the Irish offense takes shape.
Riley Leonard's Field Vision
While Riley Leonard will be the first person to tell you he didn't play good enough, Leonard made the plays when he had to, especially with his legs.
However, Leonard missed several passes that needed to be hit. After Jaden Greathouse drew a defensive pass interference penalty, the Irish's redzone three-and-out was subpar.
On second down, the miscommunication from Leonard and Love was costly, but even more so, Leonard missed a wide-open Eli Raridon in the middle of the field. No one around him.
He also missed two open receivers on the next play between Devyn Ford and Mitchell Evans. These missed opportunities, especially in the red zone, will be the difference in other big games down the line.
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The Notre Dame players were in excellent shape compared to the A & M players whom often cramped up during play. Congratulations to Notre Dame's weight room and overall conditioning program. It made a difference! Stan