Slap the Sign
Fansided

Notre Dame football at Syracuse: Irish with a chance to make a statement

By Brad Weiss

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 08: Wide receiver Greg Mailey #43, defensive lineman Joshua Burnham #40, linebacker Jack Kiser #24, head coach Marcus Freeman, linebackers JD Bertrand #27 and Prince Kollie #10 and wide receiver Tobias Merriweather #15 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish sing the school's alma mater "Notre Dame, Our Mother" after the team's 28-20 victory over the Brigham Young Cougars in the Shamrock Series game at Allegiant Stadium on October 08, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 08: Wide receiver Greg Mailey #43, defensive lineman Joshua Burnham #40, linebacker Jack Kiser #24, head coach Marcus Freeman, linebackers JD Bertrand #27 and Prince Kollie #10 and wide receiver Tobias Merriweather #15 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish sing the school's alma mater "Notre Dame, Our Mother" after the team's 28-20 victory over the Brigham Young Cougars in the Shamrock Series game at Allegiant Stadium on October 08, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Notre Dame football team has been up-and-down all season long, but on Saturday, they have a chance to make a statement against Syracuse.

This was not the way the first season at the helm of the Notre Dame football program was supposed to go for Marcus Freeman. Sure, beating Ohio State in Week 1 seemed like a longshot, especially with a quarterback making his first collegiate start, but the road was supposed to be easier after that matchup.

Then came the loss to Marshall, a loss that threw the Irish season into an upheaval, before three straight wins against Cal, UNC, and BYU. The win against BYU was against a ranked team, and with a down Stanford team on the horizon, the Irish could have easily snuck back into the top-25 conversation.

However, we all know how this played out, as the Irish lost to Stanford, moving to .500, and it was their second bad loss at home this season. They rebounded against UNLV last weekend, but with a ranked opponent ahead in Syracuse, can the Irish make a statement?

Notre Dame football could make a statement on Saturday

UNLV was a terrible team, and someone that the Irish should have dominated, but that has not been the case all season with this squad. However, they took care of business, moving over the .500 mark, and now have their sights set on handing the Orange their second loss of the season.

Last weekend, Syracuse went into their matchup with Clemson undefeated and played them tough in a road loss to the Tigers. Playing at home, they will have an advantage against the Irish, but a win against a second ranked opponent can help this program continue to move in the right direction.

There have been a lot of lows, and some highs for Freeman in Year 1, but going on the road to beat the Orange would be a signature win and a statement win in the 2022 season. Clemson and USC still await the Notre Dame football team later this season, but for now, the focus has to be on squeezing the Orange Saturday afternoon.

Home/Notre Dame Football