Notre Dame's offense has far surpassed my expectations through the first five games of the regular season. Redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr is playing well beyond his years as a passer, the running back duo of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price has been unstoppable and the wide receiving corps has been what we hoped it would be. This week, they'll be tested against a talented but struggling NC State defense. We've broken down the three biggest storylines, two biggest position battles and one player to keep your eye on for the offense in Saturday's matchup.
Three Biggest Storylines
1. Will The Offense Get Back On Track? - In back to back weeks, against Purdue and Arkansas, we watched this offense put on a clinic and combined to score 105 points across two games. Last Saturday, we saw this offense struggle to sustain and finish drives throughout the afternoon. The Irish moved the ball well on Boise State's defense, but only put 28 points on the board, their lowest output since week one against the Miami Hurricanes. That's not to say that this unit played poorly, they just didn't execute and play to the level we had grown accustomed to seeing over the last month. Saturday afternoon will be an excellent opportunity to get on track before they host the USC Trojans on October 18.
2. Pass Protection Has To Remain Steady - Notre Dame's offensive line got off to a rocky start to begin the season. There were obvious signs of regression against Miami's defensive line and they struggled to protect the quarterback against Texas A&M the following game as well. The past two weeks, however, have been a different story entirely. The offensive line hasn't allowed a single hit or sack on the quarterback in the last two games against Arkansas and Boise State and combined to only allowed eight total pressures. The offensive line will have to continue this dominant performance against another talented front this Saturday when they host the NC State Wolfpack.
3. Who Else Gets Involved? - By now, it's not a secret what Notre Dame will try to do on offense. Love and Price have been a dynamic duo in the backfield, Carr has been clean and is willing to take shots down the field and receivers Malachi Fields and Jordan Faison have been exceptional. At some point, teams will look to take away some threats on the perimeter. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock will eventually have to start getting other weapons involved in the offense. Tight end Eli Raridon, receivers Jaden Greathouse and Will Pauling or potential a second tight end in the passing attack are all viable options to breakout on Saturday.
Two Key Battles
1. Notre Dame Running Backs vs NC State Linebackers - The running backs have been used significantly more in the passing game this season. Love has 14 receptions on the season for 160 yards and leads the team in receiving touchdowns. Price only has one reception on the year, but it went for 35 yards and a touchdown. NC State's linebackers have struggled in pass defense. They've been targeted 52 times, allowed 390 receiving yards and over 200 yards after the catch. Denbrock will have to do what he's done every week since Miami and get his playmakers the ball in space. Love and Price will have to continue being effective in the passing game against these NC State linebackers.
2. Center Ashton Craig vs Nose Tackle Brandon Cleveland - Cleveland, without a doubt, their best interior defensive lineman. Craig has been one Notre Dame's best pass protecting offensive lineman. He's only allowed eight total pressures on the season, hasn't allowed a hit on the quarterback and only allowed one sack that came against Texas A&M. Craig will have to continue playing aggressive and fundamentally sound against the 6-4, 315-pound Cleveland Saturday afternoon. He has the ability to blow up run plays in the backfield and get after the quarterback. The other interior offensive lineman, left guard Billy Schrauth and right guard Guerby Lambert, will also play a factor in containing Cleveland as well.
One Player To Watch: Tight End Eli Raridon
This game has Raridon written all over it. As we've stated in the past, the 6-7, 252-pound tight end is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses and NC State's secondary has struggled this season. Wolfpack linebacker Sean Brown, if healthy, will match up against Raridon to the field; Brown has allowed 20 receptions on 26 targets for 256 yards, 178 yards after the catch and two touchdowns. When Raridon is lined up to the boundary, he'll likely be covered by 5-9 safety Ronnie Royal who has allowed 16 receptions on 20 targets, 211 receiving yards and one touchdown. Raridon has had been relatively quite the last three games compared to his start to the season. Saturday is a prime opportunity to impact the game down field and potential haul in his first touchdown of the season.
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