Style points came early and often for the Irish in South Bend against overmatched Syracuse on a clear and crisp fall afternoon. Notre Dame’s defense did not just set the tone in the matchup’s first minutes; it delivered the knockout blow in a 70-7 triumph. On two of the game’s first three possessions, the defense scored two pick-sixes off freshman walk-on quarterback Joseph Filardi, who started for a Syracuse team lost without injured starter and former Irish quarterback Steve Angeli. On the other, it forced a three-and-out, and the special teams pitched in with a score of its own.
More than 30 players walked on Senior Day. They and the rest of the Irish cohort looked like a team that hopes to keep playing well after next Saturday’s season finale against Stanford. Here is where things stand for the Irish on the precipice of the postseason.
Stock up: Jalen Stroman
When senior safety Jalen Stroman transferred from Virginia Tech in the offseason, he likely did so with the expectation that he would be a full-time starter and a key cog in the Irish defense. With the emergence of freshman Tae Johnson as the featured free safety, Stroman found himself in the role of part-time reserve. Johnson’s left-hand injury sidelined him for the Syracuse game, and Stroman took over, proving why he was so highly regarded when recruited.
On the third play of the game, Stroman opened the scoring by taking an interception 44 yards untouched for an Irish touchdown. He followed that up on the next drive by blocking a punt that fellow safety Luke Talich caught and returned 22 yards for the second score. Stroman finished a banner day with a team-leading eight tackles, including two for loss.
Stock up: second-team depth
Stroman was not the only reserve to shine against the hapless Orange, spotlighting Notre Dame’s continued improvement after a difficult start to the season. On offense, sophomore backup quarterback Kenny Minchey ran for 59 yards and a touchdown, including a 34-yard bolt on a read option in the third quarter. Sophomore backfield mate Aneyas Williams, who has been caught in a numbers game playing behind the country’s best one-two running back punch, scored a touchdown of his own on a 30-yard run that showed off his talented blend of quickness and power. Even senior wide receiver Leo Scheidler got in on the act, earning his first two career catches.
On defense, the benefits of head coach Marcus Freeman’s recruiting prowess ensured that even the third-team defense stifled Syracuse. On the day, 11 players totaled at least three tackles, and 13 participants were credited with a tackle for loss. Freshman safety Ethan Long shined in his first extended action of the season, as he recorded one pick-six that was called back due to a roughing the passer penalty and quickly grabbed another on the same drive.
Freshman Madden Faraimo, who continues to earn time in a crowded linebacker corps, also flashed his talent with five tackles; Faraimo may be needed to step into a bigger role if sophomore Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa is out for an extended time due to a knee injury.
Stock up: Jeremiyah Love’s Heisman chances
For his final regular-season performance in Notre Dame Stadium, junior running back Jeremiyah Love totaled 171 yards on eight carries with three touchdowns; his first score came on a 45-yard run on Notre Dame’s second offensive snap, extending the Irish lead to 28-0 midway through the first quarter. If Saturday proves to be his last home appearance, Love’s final carry befits his career, as he sliced through a hole and outran the Orange secondary on his way to a 68-yard touchdown. It was his 20th touchdown of the season, tying Irish legend Jerome Bettis’ longstanding record. He has at least one more game to break it.
Love came into Saturday as a long shot for the Heisman Trophy. The last running back to win the award was in 2015, by Alabama’s Derrick Henry. Though his performance against the Orange may not have moved the needle enough for him to be considered one of the frontrunners, the trophy is supposed to be awarded to the most outstanding player in the sport. If you can find a better one, let us know.
Stock up: team focus
After coming off a big win over Pittsburgh on Nov. 15, the Irish’s matchup against a struggling Syracuse presented the chance of a letdown akin to their pedestrian 25-10 victory against Boston College on Nov. 1. However, the Irish continued their trend of dominating the final home game under Freeman.
Over the past four seasons, Notre Dame has outscored its opponents 194-28 on Senior Day, an average margin of 41.5 points. It underscores a Freeman trend of the Irish playing their best football at the end of the season. Notre Dame has won 13 of its 15 November games under Freeman. The team appears locked in for the long haul, with the Syracuse victory perhaps the most complete performance of the season thus far.
Stock down: the ACC’s campaign against Notre Dame
Notre Dame is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in all sports but football and hockey. Even in football, it has an agreement to play five games against ACC opponents. Yet, the conference’s media apparatus overtly advocates for Miami and critiques Notre Dame in pursuit of ensuring the ACC gets a second lucrative College Football Playoff bid for the conference. While it is understandable that the conference wants to see the Hurricanes earn a spot in the field, the campaign to diminish the Irish is bad form, given all that they bring to the ACC in revenue and increased prestige.
Rest assured, the ACC will not be pointing out this week that the same Syracuse team that Notre Dame destroyed by 63 points lost by 28 two weeks ago at Miami. The Orange played Miami to a scoreless draw through the game’s first 28 minutes. The Irish led 49-0 by that time. The ACC should ask coaches with playoff contending teams who they would prefer to play in the first round.