(Photo: Matt Cashore, USA TODAY Sports)
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Breaking down No. 11 Notre Dame’s 38-3 win against Texas.
THE BIG PICTURE: The case for Notre Dame as a College Football Playoff contender has its first piece of evidence. The Irish didn’t merely beat Texas; they embarrassed the Longhorns. In doing so, Notre Dame showcased a level of sideline-to-sideline athleticism — on both sides of the ball — that supports the theory that suggests Coach Brian Kelly has successfully recruited and developed the sort of talent needed to compete for the national championship.
This is seen clearest in the play of sophomore quarterback Malik Zaire, who played far beyond in his years, and in the aggressiveness of a defensive front seven brimming with next-level ability. Zaire, who replaced former starter Everett Golson, is only scratching the surface of this potential. The same might be said of the defense, which has one clear All-America contender in linebacker Jaylon Smith but is littered with underclassmen. Texas looks average — if we’re being kind — but the Irish did what very good teams do against opponents of lesser means: they put the Longhorns in a hole early and then pulled away with ease in the second half.
WHAT WE’LL BE TALKING ABOUT: It’s not all about Notre Dame. Though the Irish proved themselves worthy of their preseason hype, the Longhorns’ performance yielded enormous concerns over the validity of an offseason transitioning toward a spread-based foundation. Not the defense was without its own concerns: Texas had its moment of activity in the Notre Dame backfield, but the inept play of this secondary is confusing, given Charlie Strong’s defensive background.
But the offense is a disaster, and the main reason why Strong’s second season may resemble his first — in the standings, at least. Nowhere will the lack of punch be more evident — and more of an Achilles' heel — than during league play, when the Longhorns will be forced to score in bunches to keep pace with Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma and the rest of the Big 12 Conference.
WHAT WE’LL BE TALKING ABOUT: It’s not all about Notre Dame. Though the Irish proved themselves worthy of their preseason hype, the Longhorns’ performance yielded enormous concerns over the validity of an offseason transitioning toward a spread-based foundation. Not the defense was without its own concerns: Texas had its moment of activity in the Notre Dame backfield, but the inept play of this secondary is confusing, given Charlie Strong’s defensive background.
But the offense is a disaster, and the main reason why Strong’s second season may resemble his first — in the standings, at least. Nowhere will the lack of punch be more evident — and more of an Achilles' heel — than during league play, when the Longhorns will be forced to score in bunches to keep pace with Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma and the rest of the Big 12 Conference.
BREAKOUT PLAYER, PART II: Notre Dame lost starting running back Tarean Folston to injury just three carries into the first quarter. With Folston sidelined, the Irish turned the running game over to C.J. Prosise, a converted wide receiver shifted to the backfield during the offseason. At the very least, Prosise’s TK98 yards on 20 carries alleviated any concerns Notre Dame’s coaching staff had over its depth at the position.
KEY STAT: The Longhorns’ offense never had a chance. The first five Texas drives spanned a total of 32 yards, with only one lasting longer than three plays. Texas had two completions as a team at the end of the first half; Zaire had thrown just two incompletions, with one a drop.
