CFB Data: Notre Dame’s 2022 Football Season In Review

It’s officially the point of the college football season for the nerds to shine!

I spend way more time than I’d ever admit thinking about data and working in the data analytics and visualization space. While the regular season was underway, it was great (and exhaustive at times) because every week you get a fresh canvas to work with. As things are going along, though, my mind was very often thinking about the big picture and what big insights we’ll be able to walk away with from the 2022 season. Granted, the way things went this year by the time we got to the end of the Stanford game the desire for the big picture look was significantly diminished.

But now that the regular season is fully in the books we can run some more comprehensive analytics. Think Notre Dame Football Wrap Up, only much less creepy and intrusive into our personal lives.

When and Where Did You Play Your Football

Your team played 12 games spread out between September and November. In the first weekend of October, the team caught their Bye Week and breather in between the North Carolina and BYU opponents.

The majority 58% (7) of your team’s games kicked off during the afternoon while the remaining 42% of games got started at night. 7:30 PM was the most popular time slot for the season’s kickoffs with 2:30 PM being a close runner up.

Fifty percent of their games this season were played at home and 33% were “officially” away. Your team played 2 neutral site games, one against BYU (Shamrock Series) in Las Vegas and the other against Navy in Baltimore.

Who Did You Play

This season the bulk of your team’s opponents, 33% (4), claimed membership to the ACC. Pac-12 member schools accounted for the second largest group, taking up three slots on the 2022 schedule. The remainder of your team’s opponents were scattered across the American, Big Ten, Independent, MWC and Sun Belt conferences.

Your team finished out the regular season with an overall record of 8 wins and 4 losses. They beat all of their ACC member opponents and the season’s losses came by the way of Big Ten, Sun Belt and Pac-12 opponents. The Pac-12 was special, and the Irish lost two games this season it member schools and beat the remaining one on your schedule.

30,000 Foot Performance Review

In aggregate for your team’s 8-4 season, they outscored opponents 368-261. The team scored an average of 31 points per game while opponents put up an average of 22 points per game.

The biggest point difference for your team’s victories was +44 in the Week 12 shutout of Boston College. The largest point difference for their losses was -11, and they hit it twice. The games in which this low was hit bookended the season with a Week 1 Ohio State loss (10-21) and Week 13 USC Loss (27-38).

Role of Passing

Attempts

Your offense averaged 25 passing attempts per game with a notable high of 38 coming in the Week 2 loss to Marshall.

Your defense saw an average of 29 passing attempts by opponents per game. They were attacked through the air the most intensely by Ohio State (loss), California, Stanford (loss) and Clemson. They saw the least aggressive passing attempts from BYU and Navy.

Completions

Your offense averaged 16 passing completions per game. The squad completed the most passes against Marshall (loss), UNC, BYU and USC (loss).

Your defense allowed an average of 17 passing completions by opponents per game. Ohio State (loss), Stanford (loss) and Clemson completed the most passes against the defense. BYU, Navy and Boston College completed the fewest passes against the Irish defensive unit.

Completion Rates

Your offense saw its best passing efficiency against California, UNC, BYU, Nay and USC (loss). Passing efficiency hit a game-level floor of 48% in the 35-32 win against Navy in Week 11.

Ohio State (loss), Marshall (loss), Stanford (loss), Clemson and USC (loss) had the highest passing efficiency against Notre Dame’s defense. California, Syracuse and Boston College had the weakest pass efficiency against your defense this season.

Total Yards

Your team’s offense passed for an average of 200 yards per game during the 2022 regular season campaign. It hit a season high of 318 yards in the Week 13 loss to USC and a season low of 85 yards in the 35-14 win over Clemson.

The Irish defense allowed an average of 191 yards through the air per game. They allowed 200+ passing yards against Ohio State (loss), UNC, Stanford (loss), Syracuse and USC (loss).

Touchdowns

Your team’s offense scored an average of 2 passing touchdowns per game. The unit hit a season high of 4 touchdowns through the air against Navy and a low of zero in Week 1 against Ohio State.

Your team’s defense allowed an average of one passing touchdowns per game. They allowed the most passing touchdowns, five, by UNC and shut out Stanford (loss), UNLV and Boston College from scoring through the air.

Role of Rushing

Attempts

Your team’s offense averaged 35 rushing attempts per game. They utilized the rushing game the most against Marshall (loss), Navy and Stanford (loss). The Irish rushing unit saw the least action, 26 the back-to-back Syracuse and Clemson victories.

The Irish defense saw an average 41 rushing attempts per game. They experienced the most aggressive rushing attacks in the UNC and Syracuse victories. They experienced the least aggressive rushing attack in the Week 13 loss to USC.

Avg. Yards per Attempt

From an efficiency standpoint, your team’s best rushing outing was against Boston College, where the collective group of rushers put up 7.4 yards per attempt. The worst rushing efficiency outing came in the prior week against Navy when the team rushed for an average of 1.9 yards per attempt.

BYU had the best rushing efficiency success against the Irish defense. The Cougars averaged 5.7 yards per attempt in an ultimate Notre Dame victory. Boston College had the worst rushing efficiency against the defensive unit. The Eagles averaged 1.6 yards per attempt.

Total Yards

The Irish offense averaged 183 yards per game on the ground. They had their best rushing showings against UNC, Clemson and Boston College and struggled the most against Ohio State (loss), Navy and USC (loss).

Notre Dame’s defense allowed an average of 137 rushing yards per game. Navy had the highest production, 255 yards, on the ground with Marshall (loss) and USC (loss) being runners-up.

Touchdowns

Your team’s offense averaged two rushing touchdowns per game. It hit a season high of four against Boston College and a low zero against BYU.

The Irish defense allowed an average of 1 rushing touchdowns per game. They allowed a season high of four in the Week 13 loss to USC and hit a season low of zero twice. Those rushing touchdown shutouts were attained against UNC and Boston College.

Player and Position Deep Dives

Quarterbacks

Some high-level stats from the two quarterbacks, Tyler Buchner and Drew Pyne, that led the Irish offense throughout the season.

Receiving

Some high-level, position-level and player-level stats from Notre Dame’s 2022 receiving game. Incredible job Michael Mayer. Incredible job.

Rushing

Some high-level, position-level and player-level stats from Notre Dame’s 2022 rushing game. Very solid showing by the three headed machine of Logan Diggs, Audric Estime and Chris Tyree.

Defense

Some high-level, position-level and player-level stats from Notre Dame’s 2022 defense. Major shoutouts to defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey and cornerback Benjamin Morrison.

Kicking & Punting

Some high-level stats from your 2022 placekicker, Blake Grupe and punter, Jon Sot

Cheers and Go Irish!!