Notre Dame vs. NC State: Post Game Thoughts

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish, ladies and gentlemen.

Take a bow, boys.

After a pretty shaky start to the game, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish ended up getting their groove back. After going down 14-7 to the N.C. State Wolfpack in the first quarter, the Irish proceeded to rattle off 28 unanswered points over the rest of the game. Final score: 35-14.

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Main Highlights

Josh Adams:

Once again, Josh continues to amaze us. He ended with 202 yards and 1 TD. That one TD was a 77-yard explosive run (again), up the middle (again), where he went untouched on the way to the end zone (again). It’s the same story, but it never gets old. Led by the O-Line domination once again, Josh continues to show why we have that official Heisman campaign for him (#33Trucking).

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The Irish Defense:

Ryan Finley came into the game with 300+ straight passes without an interception. NC State had only 3 turnovers on the year. One of the huge plays from the defense came from Julian Love jumping a route and intercepting a Ryan Finley pass. Not only did he intercept it, but he ran it for a 69 yard pick six. That pretty much put the nail in the coffin for the Wolfpack. The rest of the defense, though, contained the NC State offense to only one touchdown drive.

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Brandon Wimbush:

Brandon became first on the all-time Irish QB list today for the number of rushing TDs for a QB. He now has 11 on the season, and we still have a third of the way to go. He’s the conductor of the well-oiled machine of the offense.

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Final Thoughts

This team is very, very fun to watch. That’s now 6 straight wins, and all 7 wins have been by 20 points or more. The domination is evident. The Irish are a good football team, and a damn good one at that. There are still some obstacles to overcome in the final third of the season, but this team has shown so much resiliency that it’s pretty clear they can play to win against almost anyone in the country right now.

Besides the resiliency and dominance, I am so pumped about this team. It seems to be a team of very likable guys who add such a positive attitude on and off the field. A true togetherness as a team is extremely evident with this Fighting Irish football team.

Also, adding onto the culture of the team, I want to address the changes that Coach Kelly made during the off-season. He wanted to change the way the team went about business. It has extended way beyond a lot of personnel changes. His different way of life and connection to the players has made the dominance and unity paramount. I’m very much a fan of what has occurred on the team, not just because we’re 7-1 and seemingly control our destiny for the College Football Playoff, but because of the connections that the team has. It’s a special group here, and we’re along for the ride. It’s been a fun ride, and let’s continue it without taking our foot off the accelerator.

Huge game and win for the Irish (now winners of back-to-back top-15 games). It’s fun. Enjoy it, Irish fans.