Syracuse Orange at Notre Dame Football: 3 things we learned

Notre Dame football capped off a perfect regular season on Saturday against Syracuse, and here are three things we learned in the game.

Notre Dame football went into their game against the Syracuse Orange needing to make a statement, as they had already punched their ticket to the ACC title game. With College Football Playoff rankings on the line, the Irish needed a standout game to secure their spot in the final four, and though they started slow, they certainly finished strong.

Now, the Irish have one more chance to impress the voters, as they have a rematch with Clemson in the ACC Championship Game on deck. On Saturday, they erased a tough start to dominate Syracuse, and we learned a few things along the way.

Cannot afford that kind of start against Clemson

Early on during the Syracuse game, the Irish were playing some of the more sloppy football we had seen from them in a while. It took longer than expected for Book and the offense to get going, and while the defense hung tough early on, the Irish cannot afford a start like the one they had against Syracuse to happen against Clemson in two weeks.

Clemson is going to have Trevor Lawrence back in the rematch, and he has the ability to put up points in bunches as the presumed No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Notre Dame may have to match them blow-for-blow early on, so a stagnant start is not going to work against that kind of offense.