Despite constant criticism, the Notre Dame defensive line thrived against Louisville, with a standout taking home a national honor
There has been some heavy criticism around the Notre Dame defensive line so far this season, and a lot of it is justified. The interior duo of Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills had an argument as the top pairing in college football, with a lot of expectations put on them. Irish fans expected them […]
There has been some heavy criticism around the Notre Dame defensive line so far this season, and a lot of it is justified. The interior duo of Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills had an argument as the top pairing in college football, with a lot of expectations put on them. Irish fans expected them to be excellent.
So far this season, that has largely not been the case. Cross has had some really nice moments, but he has been too up and down. Mills has also been a huge disappointment, failing to record a tackle for loss or sack the first four games of the season.
Those two did enjoy an impactful game against Louisville last weekend, helping the team come out with a 31-24 victory at home. It was their best game of the season, and it wasn’t overly close. Mills had some flash plays, and Cross was quietly very good. So much so that Cross earned another national honor this week.
The senior was named as the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week, given to the best interior defensive lineman in college football. It’s obviously a tremendous honor.
For those who just like to look at the box score, they would have convinced themselves that Cross was largely ineffective. He finished that game against the Cardinals with just two total tackles. When you really dive into the film, Cross was a lot more impactful than the stat line would indicate.
According to Pro Football Focus, Cross finished that contest with five total pressures and hurries on quarterback Tyler Shough. That is a strong number for a player who is playing nose tackle, a position that does not typically collect a lot of backfield production. Cross also finished that contest with a 89.2 defensive grade, and a 90.2 pass rush grade from PFF.
The 6-1, 288-pound defensive tackle had a tremendous season in 2023. During that campaign, he collected 66 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, and two sacks. While he isn’t on pace to emulate that tackle number, Cross has recorded four tackles for loss and two sacks so far this year. He should be able to best his numbers from last season barring some sort of injury or setback.
