Notre Dame football vs Cal review: Studs and Duds
By Ryan Shanko
Notre Dame football won on Saturday, a sentence that much of the Irish nation was unsure would be said at any point this year, mainly due to the anemic offense and uninspiring run defense. Fortunately, Coach Marcus Freeman made the necessary adjustments on offense and made sure backup Drew Pyne would be prepared to lead the team on Saturday, and Notre Dame defeated Cal 24-17.
Who helped the Notre Dame football team get it done, and who left more to be desired in the week three victory? I’ll dive in and find out.
Notre Dame football vs Cal review: Studs and Duds
Notre Dame football Studs on Offense
RB Chris Tyree: It was made very evident that Chris Tyree was going to be a big part of the Irish game plan this week. No lies were told, as Tyree handled the biggest workload of his career in the win, and finished with a team-leading 5 catches for 44 yards, including a 21-yard TD.
He also had 17 rushes for 64 yards for a total of 22 touches on the day. Tyree looked explosive and will be a focal point of the Irish offense going forward.
OC Tommy Rees: Tommy Rees makes the Studs section of this article because of the strong leadership skills he showed when QB Drew Pyne was struggling early on against Cal. Rees lit Pyne up over the phone after he made yet another mistake early in the game when ND’s offense was struggling, using some strong choice words that ended up having a positive impact.
Pyne finished with 2 TDs and no turnovers after being yelled at by Rees.
Irish Duds on Offense
RB Logan Diggs: In the win yesterday, Logan Diggs played 0 offensive snaps. After a promising freshman year, Diggs completely disappeared from the offense in 2022.
Every Wide Receiver: ND’s wide receiver room combined for 7 catches and 53 yards against Cal, and this lackluster performance is a continuation of a theme that has gone on all year so far. ND hasn’t been able to push the ball downfield all season throwing, but even on short and intermediate routes, Irish WRs have struggled to make plays. This is a trend that must stop if Notre Dame wants to improve on offense. Someone, anyone, needs to step up.
Irish Studs on Defense
DE Isaiah Foskey: Isaiah Foskey had been quiet this season, until Saturday’s win. Foskey burst back onto the scene against Cal with a plethora of clutch plays. He finished with 1.5 sacks and 2 tackles for loss. Foskey’s impact goes beyond the stat sheet though, as he consistently found ways to rush Jack Plummer into bad throws downfield.
The Ademilola Twins: The Ademilola twins had one heck of a game on Saturday, combining for 8 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 2.5 tackles for loss.
DL Jacob Lacy: Lacy came out of nowhere on Saturday, bursting onto the scene to the tune of 2 sacks and 2 tackles for loss. Notre Dame finished the day with 6 sacks and 8 tackles for loss.
Irish Duds on Defense
CB Cam Hart: Hart played a good game and did a good job to not let up any big plays, but I simply want to see more out of a veteran corner who has all the tools to be a great CB on Sundays.
LB JD Bertrand: Bertrand was having a good game for all intents and purposes until late in the 4th quarter when Clarence Lewis intercepted Cal QB Jack Plummer to seal the game for ND, or so it was thought. Bertrand committed a targeting foul that extended Cal’s drive and almost led to a game-tying Hail Mary. Bertrand will miss the first half of ND’s tilt with North Carolina next week.
Final Thoughts
There is a lot to improve upon for the Irish, but it is very important to savor wins, especially the first win for a new head coach. Notre Dame has to ensure they can clean up some of the offensive line penalties, as well as make sure the defense doesn’t make any more crucial mistakes late in games.
Overall, though, it was a great Saturday in South Bend, and the Irish pick up that elusive first W under Marcus Freeman.