Notre Dame football vs UNLV: Things we learned in Week 8
By Andrew Hall
The Notre Dame football avoided derailment and got back on track against UNLV with a 44-21 victory, so what did we learn?
The Notre Dame football team found themselves on the correct side of the win column on Saturday after defeating UNLV. The 23-point rout showed a lot about the direction of the team for the remainder of the year. Here is what we learned about the Irish on Saturday afternoon.
Notre Dame football vs UNLV: Things we learned in Week 8
The special teams unit represents the best crew since the early 2000s
Senior captain Isaiah Foskey blocked back-to-back Rebel punts in the first quarter of Saturday’s contest. The impressive effort by special teams coach Brian Mason helped Notre Dame gain an early advantage.
The Fighting Irish blocked punts in multiple games this season. The emphasis placed by head coach Marcus Freeman and the aforementioned Mason helped Notre Dame greatly improve its special teams units. It cannot be understated how well they are playing in this phase of the game. The impact is probably lessened by the fact that these plays came in losses and victories against inferior opponents.
This group is probably the best since the early 2000s when the Irish won games almost based solely on their special teams effort. Their effort in this phase should give fans hope for upsetting some of the best teams remaining on their schedule.
Logan Diggs is the feature back of the Irish offense
Based on his effort in the first few games of the season, sophomore Logan Diggs appeared uninterested and lethargic. However, Diggs represents the best running back in the trio of Diggs, Audric Estime, and Chris Tyree. His 28-carry, 130-yard effort helped Notre Dame ice away the game.
Diggs runs with purpose and power. When Pyne hands off to Diggs from the pistol or under center, he appears shot out of a cannon. Moving forward, Diggs will continue to garner more carries.
Problems still apparent – may sink the Irish from bowl eligibility
Despite a 23-point victory, the Notre Dame football team appeared to continue to struggle. Tommy Rees’ offense only produced 5.71 yards per play against the Rebels. The defense allowed 21 points and a 142-yard rusher – a less-than-impressive performance.
Saturday’s game did not give fans any confidence that Notre Dame resolved their issues and would play well for the rest of the year. With games against Syracuse, Clemson, and USC still left on the schedule, there is no room for error if the Irish want