Notre Dame football vs. North Carolina: Offensive Grades in Week 9

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Oct 30, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Avery Davis (3) scores in the first quarter against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

Notre Dame football vs. North Carolina: Offensive Grades in Week 9

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

The numbers in the passing game were a little quiet given the score, but the wide receivers were still solid all night long, scoring when they needed to and coming up clutch for the most part. Michael Mayer was quieter than you’d normally expect, but you can also credit North Carolina for forcing him to be quieter. Avery Davis had a big day in the passing game, coming up clutch and scoring a touchdown. He did drop a pass, though, the only drop on the day for this unit.

Braden Lenzy was injured early in the game. This opened up space for freshman wide receiver Lorenzo Styles to get more playing time. Styles flashed talent and skill that Lenzy was supposedly going to show for years now. He was quick and explosive in a way the Irish need to stretch the field. Kevin Austin, meanwhile, was solid and had a great back shoulder catch for a touchdown.

All in all, this unit is what it is going forward. They’re a solid group, but they’re not an outstanding group. They could do well to get open more and hold onto passes more consistently, but they’re better than most other teams in the country and there is a lot of young talent to get excited about going forward.

Grade= B-

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