Notre Dame left no doubt against Michigan State, and the biggest reason the Irish are sitting at 3-0 is the way CJ Carr and a surging receiver group kept the offense moving while the ground game still searched for answers.
The Irish beat the Spartans 27-10 and stretched their winning streak to 13 games, with every one of those victories coming by at least 10 points. Notre Dame led the whole way, and even on a night when the offense wasn’t always clean, the result never really felt in doubt.
Carr has been the steady force behind it all. He’s completing 72.6-percent of his passes and averaging 9.9 yards per attempt through the first three games, and over the last two contests he has gone 34 of 44, a 77.3-percent clip.
The numbers only tell part of the story. He had two throw aways and three drops among those 10 interceptions, and his deep ball against Michigan State was described as arguably the best he’s ever thrown.
His overall placement was excellent, too.
That makes Notre Dame’s stubborn commitment to the run game stand out even more. Head coach Marcus Freeman and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock clearly want the ground attack to drive the offense, but the production still isn’t matching the plan.
The Irish managed 161 rushing yards against Michigan State, their best total of the season, yet they still averaged only 3.7 yards per carry. Notre Dame has not hit 4.0 yards per carry in a game this season, a sharp contrast from the last three years, when the Irish averaged at least 5.3 yards per carry each season.
Even the 2021 offense, with all its line trouble, finished at 4.1 yards per carry.
There were at least some signs of life. Notre Dame showed a few new wrinkles, including center pull snaps and a Midzone tendency beater where the back got the ball from the call side.
The East-West emphasis that has been a little puzzling also looked better in the second half. Still, the overall push up front remains a concern.
Sophomore running back Nolan James Jr. was the bright spot on the ground. He finished with 121 rushing yards and a score, though it took 26 carries to get there.
The blocking issues made him work for everything, but his performance still stood out. And when Notre Dame needed to close the game, James was the one who delivered.
The Irish got the ball with 5:02 left and used every second of the clock on the final drive. James handled all eight carries, rolling up 52 yards and 6.5 yards per carry.
Seven of those eight runs were efficient, and Notre Dame’s line produced its best consistent movement of the season at exactly the right time, even with Michigan State selling out to stop the run. James ran patiently, with authority, and finished the job.
The pass game, meanwhile, keeps looking more dangerous. Junior receiver Micah Gilbert took advantage of the attention Michigan State gave to the run and to Jordan Faison, and he erupted for a career night.
Gilbert opened with a 61-yard catch on the first play of the game, then finished with career highs in receptions and yards, catching eight passes for 170 yards. That was the most receiving yardage by an Irish receiver since Chase Claypool had 180 against Wake Forest in 2017.
It was the second straight strong showing from the wideouts, and that matters because Carr is playing well enough to make the passing game the engine of the offense. The Irish staff may still want the run game to set the tone, but the best piece of the offense so far this season is the part that hasn’t been used enough.
The tight ends are the clearest example. After seeing only three targets and one catch in week two, Notre Dame’s tight ends weren’t targeted at all against Michigan State.
Of those three targets, only one went to Cooper Flanagan or James Flanigan, while five-star freshman Ian Premer still hasn’t played a meaningful down. With Carr throwing like this, the lack of involvement at that position stands out.
Michigan State seemed to recognize that, too. The Spartans didn’t have to worry much about tight ends threatening them in the passing game, which let their linebackers attack downhill without much hesitation.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Suddenly Has Another Safety Concern Before Purdue
Luke Talichs status is suddenly worth watching as Notre Dame turns the page toward Purdue, after the safety left a recent game early and never returned. The Irish have not said whether Talich is dealing with an injury or what his availability looks like for the matchup ahead, which leaves one more small uncertainty in a secondary that already has plenty to manage.
Joey OBrien, a freshman, could be the next man up if Talich cant go, and that would put even more on his plate at a position where every rep matters. For Notre Dame, it is the kind of late-week question that can change depth charts quickly, even before the first snap against the Boilermakers. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame's Rotation Battle Just Got Harder To Ignore
Notre Dames 3-0 start has plenty of reasons for optimism, but the latest win over Michigan State also sharpened the competition for playing time. A few players helped themselves with noticeable steps forward, including Micah Gilbert, Nolan James Jr. and Boubacar Traore, giving the staff more evidence that the depth chart is starting to sort itself out on merit.
At the same time, not everyone came out of the game with the same momentum. Keon Keeley, Jaiden Ausberry and Aneyas Williams were among the players whose nights were less impactful, and that matters on a roster where every snap is being evaluated closely. The result is a rotation picture that feels a little less settled now, with some roles looking more secure and others suddenly up for grabs. [Read more 🡒]
Micah Gilbert Just Changed What Notre Dame's Passing Game Can Be
Micah Gilberts breakout against Michigan State gave Notre Dame a different kind of passing-game jolt, one that showed up immediately and kept building from there. He finished with eight catches for 170 yards, the best receiving total by a Notre Dame player since 2017, and the evening started with a bang when CJ Carr found him for a 61-yard gain on the first play. Gilbert kept winning after that, turning a contested 39-yard catch into another key moment and finishing with a career high while continuing a strong start to his season.
For Notre Dame, the performance mattered beyond the box score because it hinted at a more dangerous and more flexible offense when a receiver can stretch the field and make tough catches in traffic. Gilberts night against Michigan State was the kind of showing that can change how a defense has to line up, and it left the Irish with a new wrinkle to build around as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]