Notre Dame walks into this weekend with a defense that has spent four games looking downright suffocating. The Irish are giving up just 8.3 points per game, 199.3 yards per game and 3.6 yards per play, all while ranking fifth nationally against the run at 53.6 rushing yards allowed per game. They’ve given up only three touchdowns all season.
That kind of profile changes the entire conversation against North Carolina. On paper, the Tar Heels don’t look built to stress this unit, but there are enough moving parts in Bobby Petrino’s offense to make this more than a simple numbers game. Notre Dame’s defense will have to handle a multi-back run game, a dangerous pass-catching duo and a coordinator matchup that carries some real history.
North Carolina’s ground attack isn’t flashy, but it can wear on a defense if it’s allowed to stay on schedule. The Tar Heels rank 81st nationally in rushing yards per game at 155.0, 45th in yards per rush at 4.9 and 130th in runs of 20 yards or longer with just one. Still, Demon June, Benjamin Hall and Jaylen McGill give them three different backs to rotate through, and that can turn into a steady stream of body blows if Notre Dame loses its edge.
The passing game is where the more obvious stress points show up. The Tar Heels may have the best one-two punch the Irish have seen so far, even if there’s a case to be made for Purdue’s pair from last week.
The difference is that Purdue’s top threats did most of their damage from the slot. North Carolina can attack in different ways with tight end Jelani Thurman and wide receiver Jordan Shipp, who was on our All-Opponent team this offseason.
Both the cornerbacks and safeties will be asked to keep that duo from taking over the game.
There’s also a familiar sideline matchup worth watching: Notre Dame defensive coordinator Chris Ash against Petrino, who arrived from Arkansas earlier this offseason in January. Last season, the Irish pointed to their defensive turnaround coming against Petrino’s Arkansas offense, and now the two are back at it again.
The individual battle that jumps out first is Bryce Young against Jordan Hall. Notre Dame’s defensive end has been one of the team’s best players to open the season, and the numbers back it up: 14 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and 11 pressures according to Pro Football Focus. The 6-6, 260-pound North Carolina native leads the Irish in tackles for loss and sacks, and he should have a favorable matchup against a left tackle who has struggled in pass protection.
Another key spot is in the back end, where Notre Dame’s safeties will have to keep Thurman from becoming the kind of safety valve that changes the game. Billy Edwards leans on the 6-6, 235-pound tight end when North Carolina wants to get rolling, especially when Edwards gets outside the pocket and looks for easy yards after the catch. Thurman has become a heavy target and a red-zone option for a quarterback who has thrown only three touchdowns this season.
Senior captain Adon Shuler has a lot riding on this one. He’ll matter in coverage against Thurman, and he’ll also be part of the answer against a North Carolina run game that keeps coming with three backs and plenty of contact balance. Shuler has been strong in run support all season, and Notre Dame will need that again if it wants to keep the Tar Heels from finding any rhythm on the ground.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Stayed At No. 3 But A Bigger Concern Is Growing
Notre Dame handled North Carolina 37-26 and kept rolling in the polls, staying at No. 3 in both the AP and Coaches rankings for a fifth straight week. The win also pushed the Irish to 22-2 all time against the Tar Heels, another reminder that the program has usually taken care of business in this matchup even when the game has not always looked clean.
The bigger issue is what comes next, because the ranking steadiness has not quieted the questions around a team that still has to sharpen up before the end of the regular season. With college football around it shifting in the standings and Stanford up next, Notre Dames margin for error is getting thinner, and the next stretch will say a lot more about its national standing than the poll number did this week. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Had To Earn This One Against Bill Belichick
Bill Belichicks postgame takeaway from North Carolinas 37-26 loss at No. 3 Notre Dame was familiar to anyone who watched it unfold: the Tar Heels were competitive, but they left too much on the field. Notre Dame still had to grind for this one, leaning on a strong rushing attack while quarterback CJ Carr helped steady things for the Irish in a game that stayed uncomfortable longer than the home side probably wanted.
Billy Edwards Jr. gave North Carolina enough offense to keep the pressure on, throwing three touchdown passes in defeat, and that was part of what made this one feel more like a test than a stroll. For Notre Dame, the result matters more than the style points, but it also served as a reminder that even against a team coming in under Belichick, nothing is getting handed over in South Bend. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Defense Just Got The Wake-Up Call Fans Feared
Notre Dames defense came out of its 37-26 win over North Carolina with plenty to unpack, and not all of it was comfortable. The unit gave up three long touchdown drives, even as it also produced stretches that looked like the kind of disruptive football the Irish have been trying to build around. On the other six Tar Heel possessions, Notre Dame held firm, limiting North Carolina to 41 yards and forcing two interceptions.
Senior safety Luke Talich was right in the middle of it, making an interception and blocking an extra point while playing with a wrist brace. Defensive coordinator Chris Ash still had execution issues to sort through afterward, and the bigger takeaway was less about celebration than correction. For a defense heading into a tougher stretch, the game looked like a reminder that the floor is higher when the unit is focused, but the margin for error is still too thin to ignore. [Read more 🡒]