Potential changes that Notre Dame football should consider during the bye week to prepare for final stretch
Notre Dame football enters their second bye week, and it’s going to be an important one. They have four games remaining in the season, and the college football players are on the line. What the Irish staff does during this week could set them up for a strong finish. When you’re eight games into the […]
Notre Dame football enters their second bye week, and it’s going to be an important one. They have four games remaining in the season, and the college football players are on the line. What the Irish staff does during this week could set them up for a strong finish.
When you’re eight games into the season, you shouldn’t expect a ton of drastic changes. There are, however, several things that should be worth monitoring. Here are some changes that Notre Dame should at least consider.
Get healthier… again
There is one main priority during bye weeks, get your team as healthy as possible. Even before this week, things started to trend in a great direction. Notre Dame got offensive guard Billy Schrauth back from injury, which was huge for the team. Wide receiver Jordan Faison also looked as healthy as we have seen him this past week. That’s on top of the general nagging injuries that almost every player goes through this time of year.
One key player that the Irish could get back from injury is kicker Mitch Jeter, who is essential for the late stretch of this season. The last three games of the season might not need a last second pressure kick, but they very well might if the team makes the playoffs. Notre Dame will more than likely need Jeter in a big moment in the future, so getting him back from the hip injury would be huge.
Ramp up the touches for Jeremiyah Love
Over the last two games, we have seen Love get more involved in the offense. That included 17 touches against Georgia Tech, and 13 against Navy despite playing only three quarters in the blowout. There’s no questioning how special of a talent Love is, and his importance to this offense should they make a playoff run. Beginning to ramp up his touches should be of utmost importance the last few games.
Let the competition continue up front
We saw a change on the offensive line against Navy, and it was an interesting one. Schrauth returned from injury, but was at left guard instead of right guard. That sent Sam Pendleton to the bench in a slight surprise, albeit the correct decision. Starting right guard Rocco Spindler also hasn’t been great over the last few games. With this break in action, it will be curious if any other positions are up for competition. Could someone like a Sullivan Absher challenge for reps there? It will be interesting to watch.
Find the best pass rush recipe
The Notre Dame defense is an elite group, and continues to force opposing offenses into some really bad situations this season. One spot that the Irish could get better is from an outside pass rush perspective. The team has been dealt with a couple of tough blows, losing Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore for the season due to injury. That was a huge loss to their pass rushing unit.
Going down the stretch, and potentially in the playoffs, Notre Dame will need to create consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. We know that the interior pressure will be good, but some finishers at defensive end is also a priority. Could that simply mean that Joshua Burnham takes a step forward? Could a couple of the younger options like Bryce Young and Loghan Thomas take on a larger role? Do we see even more of someone like Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa rushing off of the edge? What it looks like is unclear, but there are options on the table.
