How Notre Dame’s 2016 opponents fared: Week 3
By Greg Hadley
See how Notre Dame’s 2016 opponents, both past and future, played in Week 3 and how that could affect the Irish moving forward.
In a relatively mild Week 3, Notre Dame’s 2016 foes played mostly as expected, racking up a 7-4 record against mediocre competition. Of course, given the Irish’s defensive woes against Michigan State this weekend, ND fans have every reason to worry seeing the high point totals in lots of these contests.
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Week 1: California 50, Texas 43
The last thing Notre Dame fans wanted happened Saturday night, as No. 11 Texas fell victim to the same upset bug they gave to the Irish in Week 1. The two games were actually eerily similar, with plenty of scoring, controversy and lead changes. Ultimately, the Golden Bears pulled it off thanks to a controversial fumble recovery that wasn’t.
Ultimately, Texas, now ranked No. 21, put up big rushing numbers (307 yards to be exact), but Shane Buechele looked more like a regular true freshman with only 196 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Perhaps more worrying for Charlie Strong though, is how the Texas defense has shown Notre Dame-esque ineptitude against any viable opponent.
In Week 4, the Longhorns will face Oklahoma State on the road.
Week 2: Nevada 38, Buffalo 13
Nevada bounced back in a major way following its loss to Notre Dame, thrashing Buffalo early and then coasting through the second half en route to its second win of the year.
The Wolf Pack’s success came from its ground game, where they collected 352 rushing yards on the night. James Butler, the team’s feature back, exploded for three touchdowns and 174 yards. Two of those scores came before halftime, at which point Nevada had a 24-0 lead.
The Wolf Pack return to the Midwest in Week 4 to face Purdue on the road.
Week 4: Northwestern 24, Duke 13
Another week, another Duke loss to a mediocre team. The Blue Devils were considered at least in the discussion for a Coastal Division title at the beginning of the year. Now they’re 1-2 and staring down a potential 1-3 hole.
Northwestern didn’t do anything too fancy: The Wildcats were just about even with Duke in most statistical categories. But the Blue Devils made things easy for their hosts, turning the ball over twice, which led to two Wildcat touchdowns, going 2-for-4 in the red zone and giving the ball up twice on downs.
Duke faces Notre Dame in a key matchup for both teams in South Bend this Saturday.
Week 5: South Florida 45, Syracuse 20
A week after getting embarrassed by Lamar Jackson and Louisville on national TV, Syracuse failed to right the ship this weekend, blowing a 17-point lead to South Florida.
Things started well for the Orange, who scored three times in the opening quarter thanks to some long passes from QB Eric Dungey and 214 yards of offense. But after that, USF went to work, racking up 239 yards on the ground and 215 through the air. Running back Marlon Mack collected 115 yards and two scores on just nine attempts. (Are you listening, Josh Adams?)
Meanwhile, Syracuse scored just a single field goal the rest of the way, turning the ball over three times. Not exactly inspiring.
Syracuse hits the road in Week 4 to face UConn and former Irish assistant Bob Diaco.
Week 6: North Carolina State 49, Old Dominion 22
A week after stumbling against a surprisingly game East Carolina, NC State returned to the win column this past weekend, handling another small FBS school, Old Dominion.
The Wolfpack did so using a balanced offensive attack that utilized both starting QB Ryan Finley and his backup Jalan McClendon. While Finley passed for 281 yards and three touchdowns, McClendon ran for two scores and tossed another. Twelve different North Carolina State players caught a pass, and nine had at least one rushing attempt.
NC State also excelled on third down, going 7-for-11 on the day, and then converting both times it went for it on fourth down.
North Carolina State will face Wake Forest at home in Week 4.
Week 7: Stanford 27, USC 10
Stanford came off its bye week and eased past USC at home for its second win of the season. Christian McCaffery scored twice, once on a 56-yard pass in which he was ludicrously open, and then on a one-yard rush at the goal line. All told, he finished with 260 all-purpose yards.
Meanwhile, Stanford’s defense did a good job of limiting USC’s playmakers, as JuJu Smith-Schuster had just 34 yards receiving and Adoree Jackson was unable to break out for a long return. The Trojans struggled on third down, going 4-for-12, and lost the possession battle by a wide margin.
All of this does not bode well for Notre Dame, who will need to find answers on defense quick or risk a humiliating McCaffery romp.
No. 7 Stanford travels to Los Angeles in Week 4 to face UCLA.
Week 9: Miami 45, Appalachian State 10
Miami made sure it did not fall victim to the same almost-upset at the hands of Appalachian State that Tennessee did, scoring three touchdowns in the first quarter and never looking back in a rout.
QB Brad Kayaa threw for 368 yards and three scores, while running back Mark Walton added 130 yards and two TDs on the ground, including an 80-yard spring that started off the scoring. Even on the road, Miami could not be slowed, scoring in every quarter and thoroughly deflating a record crowd at App State.
The Mark Richt era in Miami is off to a rollicking start, and the Hurricanes have soared to No. 15 in the AP poll. They have an off week coming up before facing Georgia Tech on the road.
Week 10: Navy 21, Tulane 14
A week after escaping UConn by the very slimmest of margins, Navy had an easier go of it in Week 3, topping AAC foe Tulane to stay undefeated on the season.
Still, the contest was not without drama, as the Midshipmen took two leads early, only for Tulane to rally and make things interesting both times. Finally, quarterback Will Worth led Navy on a 72-yard drive in the closing minutes, plunging in for the game-winning score with less than three minutes to play.
Worth tallied 111 rushing yards on the day, one of four Navy players with 40 or more rushing yards. The Midshipmen finished with 287 rushing yards.
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Navy will stay on the road this week, facing fellow service academy Air Force.
Week 11: Army 66, UTEP 14
For the first time in two decades, Army is 3-0.
The Black Knights took the field this weekend against UTEP with heavy hearts, still mourning the loss of starting cornerback Brandon Jackson, who died in a car crash this past week. But they quickly poured their emotion into a beatdown of the Miners, racking up 426 rushing yards and 13 players recording positive yardage on the ground.
Army’s rushing attack was so strong, it even opened up opportunities in the passing game, as the Knights attempted just eight passes but collected 174 yards and a touchdown through the air.
On defense, Army forced two turnovers, an interception and a fumble, and held UTEP to 269 total yards, compared to 600 for themselves.
Army will face Buffalo on the road in Week 4.
Week 12: Virginia Tech 49, Boston College 0
Following the “Battle of Bristol,” Virginia Tech needed a palette-cleanser to get its second win of the season and return to form. Cue Boston College, one of the most hapless teams in the ACC.
The Hokies did not skip a beat, thrashing the Eagles with at least a touchdown in every quarter. Jerod Evans tossed five touchdowns on 253 yards, while VT added 223 yards and a pair of scores on the ground. Boston College, meanwhile, managed just 124 yards on offense and is now the third-worst team in the FBS in yards per game.
Virginia Tech will face a feisty East Carolina team that upset NC State earlier this year in Week 4 at home.
Week 13: Stanford 27, USC 10
USC simply had no answer for Stanford on the road. The end result certainly wasn’t as lopsided as it could’ve been, but the Trojans never led and never generated much in the way of offense. Perhaps the biggest area of separation was time of possession, which the Cardinal dominated, 34:14 to 25:46.
USC will face Utah on the road in Week 4.
Next: Is Brian Kelly holding Notre Dame back?
Outlook: All told, Notre Dame’s opponents are now a combined 24-10 on the year. That’s a pretty good record all told, buoyed by 3-0 starts from the likes of Navy and Army. Miami is looking more and more like a premier opponent, while USC and Duke are fading fast. Once conference play begins the whole scene will become a lot more clear. Still, as many people have pointed out, Notre Dame is going to beat much of anyone unless it fixes itself first.