Bottom Line
This was never about something redemptive or changing perceptions, given the competition.
But it was an opportunity for Notre Dame to build some confidence and momentum, and to exorcise some perplexing bad habits heading into back-to-back clashes with ranked teams.
The host Irish dabbled in all of that, especially during an explosive first quarter, but looked incomplete often enough — though never broken — in a 44-21 conquest of UNLV (4-4) Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium in the first-ever football meeting between the two schools.
Defensive end Isaiah Foskey looked like the first-round draft choice he is purported to be next spring, with three sacks and two blocked punts. Tight end Michael Mayer looked the part too in the first half. And Logan Diggs rushed for a career-high 130 yards on a career- high 28 carries, helping ND play keepaway after building a sizable lead.
But it was hard not to wonder at points during the game what freshman backup quarterback Steve Angeli could bring to the equation for the Irish (4-3).
He actually did make a cameo Saturday, the first of his career, with 4:18 left in the first half after junior starter Drew Pyne took a hit to the head at the end of a long scramble near the goal line.
Tight end Mitchell Evans also played some quasi-QB, taking a couple of direct snaps. They resulted in a first down and a TD for the former high school quarterback.
Pyne finished 14-of-28 for 205 yards and two TDs and one interception. His pass-efficiency rating will drop for a second straight week in the national rankings after posting a 127.9.
Among the defensive standouts beyond Foskey were linebacker JD Bertrand (7 tackles) and cornerback Clarence Lewis (6 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery).
Big Picture
The games that will move the needle one way or another are next Saturday at Syracuse and the following Saturday, Nov. 5, at home against Clemson.
Questions Answered
Notre Dame's special teams showed up big time with two first-half blocked punts. The Irish have four this season, tying the single-season modern school record. The defense got gashed for a handful of big plays -- again. But there are signs overall of taking two steps forward with the one step back. Most impressive, the Irish held UNLV to 0-for-11 on third down.
Questions Lingering
For the second straight week, against a less-than-impressive defense, you have to wonder if we've seen Drew Pyne's ceiling.
The Road Ahead
Notre Dame heads to Syracuse, N.Y. to face the 14th-ranked Orange (6-1). The Irish have a 25-game win streak in regular-season matchups against ACC competition, with their most recent loss coming in 2017 at Miami (41-8). Since the Irish started their scheduling agreement with the ACC, they're 37-7.
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