What can the Irish improve on heading into their weekend home stretch?

As Notre Dame enters its final week of the season before heading into its final four-game stretch, being as healthy as possible is the Irish’s top priority, but not their only one. The Irish also look to continue improving by playing their best ball in November.

Offensively, after a rocky start at times early in the season, Riley Leonard is now back on track and looks more comfortable running the Irish offense heading into the week and has the numbers to back it up.

The offensive line is starting to play much better as a unit and they were able to get Billy Shrauth back into the lineup last week.

If Denbrock’s confidence in Riley Leonard is growing along with his increasingly impressive stat line, perhaps he can try to open up the offense a little more in the remaining four games. Expand the area further. Find more creative ways to get the not-yet-shown talented group to support the ball.

This offense deserves investigation into whatever the “next step” is for the Denbrock offense. He won this with his game.

Ireland’s defense also has more to prove

Notre Dame’s defense has been the backbone of the program for many years. It’s a tribute to the culture of Notre Dame, and ultimately it’s a tribute to Al Golden, whose team recently allowed the opponent a measly 12.1 points per game. Even while dealing with a handful of serious injuries to key players at key positions, this group never gave up.

Perhaps this extended break will allow Christian Gray to become more accustomed to being the leading cornerback on the field due to Ben Morrison’s injury, and allow Leonard Moore and Karson Hobbs to further ingratiate themselves into important secondary roles. I expect other young players such as KVA and Bryce Young, one of the most talented athletes of the team, to shine in this process.

As the weather gets colder, the Notre Dame defense gets bolder. This group is relentless and holds itself to a high standard every week. A standalone set. This unit will lead the Irish to whatever happens the rest of this season.

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