The Notre Dame storyline we watched during the Fighting Irish victory over Boise State that everyone needs to talk about
The Notre Dame defense put together a nice defensive performance against Boise State. That side of the ball had one of the biggest storylines of the game.
While it wasn’t the prettiest Notre Dame home win of all time over the Boise State Broncos on Saturday, the Fighting Irish were still able to come out on top with a 28 to 7 margin of victory. It was a sloppy game overall, but there was one critical storyline that some people aren’t paying enough attention to. The Irish secondary was allowed to play man coverage and play aggressively on the back end.
Notre Dame defensive coordinator Chris Ash has been the brunt of criticism so far this season, and it has been very much deserved. We saw some growth last week against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the second half, and even more against the Broncos this weekend. That included some second-level pressures, four interceptions, and a ton of man coverage.
It was quite the sight for sore eyes.
Notre Dame’s secondary lives
The talented Fighting Irish defense welcomed back All-American cornerback Leonard Moore after missing the two previous games. The 6-2, 195-pound athlete is your best defender, and his presence was felt as he reeled in two huge interceptions. Getting Moore back was certainly a huge boost on the back end. It made everything seemingly run even smoother.
Moore, along with the rest of the Irish secondary, was allowed to play a lot more man coverage. It wasn’t overly surprising to see Notre Dame was a lot more aggressive with their second-level pressures as a result. We saw Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and Drayk Bowen make pressures, and star pass rusher Boubacar Traore was everywhere. When a secondary is playing at a high level, it can make a pass rush that much better, and we saw that tonight.
If you ask anyone what made the Notre Dame defense so good over the last couple of years under the departed Al Golden, it was that feeling of assertiveness. This was a unit that played with urgency, aggressiveness, and always seemed to be creating negatives and big plays. Over the first few games of the season, Coach Ash’s unit has been a zone-heavy team that plays a lot more passively. We were promised the same Irish defense that we have seen previously, and we finally got it in Notre Dame Stadium against Boise State.
Opinions should never be made off of a one-game sample size. So far in 2025, we have seen more negative from this Notre Dame defense than positive. There does appear to be a shift that is happening, but it will only be proven to be sustainable if they can stack performances. NC State and USC are next up on the schedule and will provide a deeper understanding of just how improved this defense really is.
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Past Notre Dame demons show themselves once again during the Fighting Irish home victory against the Boise State Broncos
Notre Dame football came out with a home victory against the Boise State Broncos. The Irish continue to let some past demons surface.
