It’s hard to imagine anything being good after Notre Dame’s loss to BYU. The loss looked and felt so devastating, that it’s easy and understandable to get lost in a sea of negativity. It would be easy to throw this team under the bus and dismiss anything good — and maybe it’s the most honest, but I doubt it.
While 7 games is more than half of 12 (amazing math) we’re in the bye week, so let’s break out the midterm grades for the offense.
QUARTERBACK A-
This is, of course, a grade that reflects almost entirely the play of CJ Carr. I do want to say, however, the backups for the Irish have done a really great job when given the opportunity to get some snaps.
Carr gets an A-, but he is mostly an enigma to me right now. While he is among the nation’s leaders in passing touchdowns (1oth/16) he is is just 21st in the country in passing efficiency (which could be a little misleading as he has only thrown 1 interception this season).
Carr’s biggest question marks are his ability to take over a WIN a big game, and I still am not convinced that the constant checks and audibles are a good thing or even necessary half of the time.
He throws touchdowns and doesn’t throw interceptions. I’d like to see a little more of him using his legs, but he is clearly the driver of this offense which is scoring over 41 points a game.
OFFENSIVE LINE B+
This is a probably a little harsh for this unit. CJ Carr has only been sacked twice this season, and keeping him upright is priority one for this unit and this team. And yet… it took a few games for this line to come together.
It was a slow start for the Irish big boys, but once the personnel switch happened (Sullivan Absher for Styles Prescod) you could tell they should get better over the weeks — and they did. Will Black, for example, has gotten better over the course of the year, but he’s still a first year starter who has had his own moments of struggle. Anthonie Knapp has been good enough to earn All-American status, but my boy Ashton Craig… his snaps continue to be low, over and over again.
TIGHT ENDS C+
I’m very aware of the importance of Notre Dame’s tight ends when it comes to the running game, but their impact in the passing game is virtually nonexistent. The tight ends have a combined 20 receptions for 140 yards and 3 touchdowns. This is a far cry from the production Notre Dame is used to as “TEU” and that lack of production was on full display against BYU.
WIDE RECEIVERS B-
Only three Notre Dame wide receivers have double digit receptions through 7 games, and obviously that’s Jordan Faison, Micah Gilbert, and Jaden Greathouse. It’s been a really solid year for Faison and Gilbert so far, and Greathouse is starting to look more like 2024 playoff Jaden Greathouse. And yet… in non-garbage time, the Irish don’t rotate the way a high caliber offense should, and it shows throughout the course of the game. The group has been good, but they need more from someone outside of that leading trio.
RUNNING BACKS B
Notre Dame is just a little bit shy of averaging 5 yards per carry as a team, but Jonaz Walton is averaging 7.5 YPC by himself… but for whatever reason, he wasn’t trusted enough to get the bulk of the carries against BYU. That job went to Nolan James, and while he performed well, it’s hard not to imagine that if the carries were flipped with Walton — the freshman is breaking a few of those for big, big gains. The group gets a B, but should be more like an A if the load was managed differently.
COACHING C+
With maybe the exception of Joe Rudolph, the offensive staff just hasn’t produced a product yet that demands respect as a national championship contender. Whether it’s the lack of a real WR rotation, the slow roll of getting Jonaz Walton more carries, tight ends not being very Notre Dame like in the passing game, numerous 3rd downs when the pass catcher is in front of the sticks, too many CJ Carr checks — or just a lack of imagination overall, I can’t, in good faith, offer a better grade than this.
OVERALL B-
It may seem a bit harsh considering the offense is averaging over 40 points a game after 7 games, but Mike Denbrock has a real problem on his hands when facing top teams. The drive after intercepting Bear Bachmeier, or lack there of, is an indictment on whatever it is they are trying to do.
They have to get better if they have any hopes to playing in the college football playoff this season.