Instant Analysis: ND's lines synch up with Freeman's vision in upset win
Bottom Line
The identity Marcus Freeman envisioned for his first Notre Dame football team finally moved from concept to reality Saturday at Syracuse.
The Irish offensive and defensive lines dominated when it mattered, and sometimes when it didn’t, and offset another regressive performance by quarterback Drew Pyne in a 41-24 upset of the No. 16 Orange at the JMA Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.
Notre Dame’s special teams chipped in with its modern school-record-breaking fifth blocked punt of the year, setting up a two-yard scoring run by Audric Estimé, who had a redemptive Saturday of his own after being benched last week against UNLV with fumblitis.
Estimé rushed for 123 yards on 20 fumble-free carries and two TDs for the Irish (5-3) in the most impressive game to date of the Freeman coaching era. Overall, ND outrushed Syracuse (6-2), 246-61.
Al Golden’s defense had a hiccup in the third quarter, allowing 118 yards with backup quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson running the show. But with interceptions from Marist Liufau and Brandon Joseph — and another by Joseph wiped out by an offsides penalty —and a smothering first-half performance when Syracuse starting QB Garrett Shrader was in the game, this represented real progress for a unit that’s yo-yoed between encouraging and meh for most of the season.
Big Picture
The Irish moved to within a game of bowl eligibility, but probably still won’t show up in the top 25 when the College Football Playoff committee’s first set of rankings is revealed on Tuesday night on ESPN. Nevertheless, this was a clear step forward for Freeman and Notre Dame.
Questions Answered
Is Deion Colzie still on the roster? Emphatically he is. The sophomore receiver garnered his first three receptions of the season, including a critical catch to convert a third down after the Orange had closed to within 24-17. Can the Irish defense be disruptive? Two turnovers and four sacks was a move in the right direction.
Questions Lingering
What can Freeman and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees do to get Pyne more comfortable running the offense? For the third straight week the 6-0, 198-pound junior couldn’t break 50 percent in his completion percentage. Pyne, in career start No. 6, was 9-of-19 for 116 yards with a TD pass to Jayden Thomas and an interception.
The Road Ahead
No. 5 Clemson (8-0) comes to Notre Dame Stadium Saturday night (7:30 EDT; NBC) coming off a bye week. Two years ago, the Irish upset a No. 1-ranked Clemson team 47-40 in double overtime before a pandemic-reduced crowd of 11,011 that, nevertheless, stormed the field afterward.
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