Bagpipe Monday: Can Notre Dame’s passing game improve over the next couple of weeks?

Welcome to another Bagpipe Monday on One Foot Down! Friends, last Saturday we spent a little less than 3 hours watching one of the strangest games in recent memory as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish beat the Louisville Cardinals 12-7. Strange — but also a win, so the whole thing just hits different.

@phillykelly

I mean... the team played really well. The Irish defense held a dangerous Louisville tam to 219 yards and 7 points, while the Notre Dame ground attack racked up 232 yards and a touchdown.

Just good old fashioned football y’all.

If there was one thing the Irish MAYBE didn’t execute so well, it was in the passing game. Ian Book was 11-19, and... I can’t.

I tried — I really did. I was trying to have some fun in this post (and maybe see who was going to actually bite on the tone) but I just can’t do it. This is serious business, and there is something seriously wrong with Notre Dame’s passing game.

• Is it Ian Book?
• Is it a lack of playmaking receiver play?
• Is it Tommy Rees and his playcalling?
• Is it karma from back when Notre Dame couldn’t run the ball or play defense?

Or maybe it’s a combination of many things, which makes the prospect of improvement even more daunting. It means that perhaps it won’t come together all at once, but over the course of a few weeks (if at all).

Regardless of how Notre Dame fixes things, we can all agree that they are going to have to improve if there is to be a serious run at the college football playoff (which likely runs through Clemson — twice).

Can they begin to improve this week against the Pittsburgh Panthers? Is that a real possibility, and how can they go about accomplishing that improvement?

Will it even matter if Notre Dame only gives up 7 points to Pitt?

Contemplate those questions and whatever else while you vibe out to one of my guilty pleasures this year.