what we learned: boise state
A day after Notre Dame's 28 to 7 win over Boise State, it is clear this game was not pretty, and it did not need to be. This was a game about whether Notre Dame could beat a genuinely good opponent even when its own execution was far from perfect, and the answer on Saturday was a resounding yes.
The Positives
The defense was the story of this game, and it is the clearest sign yet of how far that unit has come since the 0 and 2 start. Notre Dame intercepted Boise State quarterback Maddux Madsen four times and sacked him four more, completely shutting down a Broncos offense that had been averaging over 500 yards per game entering the contest. Christian Gray came away with two of the four interceptions, and even Karson Hobbs, who had struggled in coverage through the first month of the season, picked off a pass of his own, a small but meaningful sign of progress for a player who had been a target for opposing offenses all year. Malachi Fields and Will Pauling both caught touchdown passes from CJ Carr, and Jadarian Price's 49 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter put the game away for good.
The Negatives
The offense, by contrast, was uncharacteristically sloppy on Saturday. Notre Dame committed 11 penalties for 112 yards and repeatedly stalled promising drives with self inflicted mistakes, finishing with only 389 total yards, its lowest offensive output since the Miami loss in Week 1. Anthonie Knapp was flagged for two false starts in the first half alone, and Guerby Lambert was beaten for a hold that erased a long gain in the second quarter, part of a broader pattern of the offensive line pressing rather than playing loose. Marcus Freeman was visibly frustrated after the game, not just with his own team's execution but with several officiating calls, including a roughing the passer penalty that wiped out a Notre Dame interception.
The concerning part of this performance is how heavily Notre Dame had to lean on takeaways to win comfortably. Four interceptions do not happen every week, and a team cannot count on bailing out a penalty riddled offense with that kind of defensive performance against every opponent remaining on the schedule, starting with NC State next weekend.
Who Shined
Notre Dame's secondary was the unquestioned star of this game, turning in the best takeaway performance of the season and validating the defensive progress that began the week before against Arkansas. Christian Gray's two interceptions and Karson Hobbs' bounce back turn were the individual headlines, and CJ Carr's efficiency, while unspectacular in terms of yardage, kept the offense on schedule enough to finish drives when it mattered.
Who Disappointed
Anthonie Knapp and Guerby Lambert both had uncharacteristic penalty issues up front, and the offensive line as a whole struggled with drive killing mistakes throughout Saturday, contributing to the offense's total yardage dipping noticeably compared to the two blowout wins that preceded this game. Notre Dame got away with an inefficient offensive performance because of an outstanding defensive effort, but that formula will not work against every remaining opponent.
