The Notre Dame Fighting Irish couldn’t have asked for a much more dominant result against Rice, but Marcus Freeman still isn’t satisfied with everything he saw from his offense. Notre Dame cruised to a 52-0 victory over Rice on Sept. 12, improving to 2-0 after opening the season with a 41-13 win over Wisconsin. The Fighting Irish have outscored their first two opponents 93-13, but those lopsided scores haven’t stopped Freeman from searching for areas that could become problems later.
One of those areas is Notre Dame’s rushing attack. Freeman made it clear ahead of the Fighting Irish’ matchup with Michigan State that generating more explosive plays on the ground remains something Notre Dame needs to improve. For a team with championship aspirations, finding a potential weakness while everything else is going right could prove important later in the season.
Marcus Freeman Wants More From Notre Dame’s Offense
Notre Dame hasn’t been unable to run the football, but the concern is whether the Fighting Irish are creating enough game-changing plays when they do it. Aneyas Williams rushed for 90 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries against Wisconsin before recording 29 yards on nine attempts against Rice. Notre Dame never needed to lean heavily on its rushing attack against Rice because the game quickly became one-sided, but that doesn’t mean Freeman is willing to ignore an area that could eventually matter.
Putting up 52 points makes it easy to overlook almost anything that didn’t go perfectly. Notre Dame won’t have that luxury every week, especially if the program intends to contend for a College Football Playoff berth and ultimately a national championship. Eventually, quarterback C.J. Carr could have a Saturday when explosive passing plays aren’t coming easily, and Notre Dame’s defense might not dominate every opponent it faces. When that game arrives, the Fighting Irish could need their rushing attack to create offense rather than simply complement everything else that’s working.
That’s what makes Freeman identifying the issue now encouraging rather than alarming. Championship-caliber teams can’t wait for weaknesses to cost them a game before addressing them, particularly when early-season blowouts provide opportunities to diagnose problems without paying for them in the standings. Notre Dame has been dominant enough through two games that the challenge is no longer simply winning, but figuring out which parts of its formula will still work when an opponent finally pushes back.
Notre Dame Gets Chance to Answer Freeman’s Challenge
Michigan State provides Notre Dame’s next opportunity to show progress. The Spartans have also opened the season 2-0, earning victories over Toledo and Eastern Michigan, and Freeman has emphasized the challenge presented by a team capable of playing disciplined football. Notre Dame will carry considerably higher expectations into the matchup, but the rushing attack gives the Fighting Irish something more specific to prove than simply adding another victory.
The Fighting Irish have already demonstrated that they can overwhelm opponents. Carr has helped give Notre Dame an explosive passing element, while a defense that surrendered only 13 points through the first two games prevented either contest from becoming particularly uncomfortable. The next step is eliminating the weaknesses that can hide underneath dominant results, because those are often the problems that become much more noticeable when the schedule gets tougher.
There is something telling about a head coach looking at a 52-0 victory and immediately finding an area that needs to improve. Notre Dame isn’t chasing respectable results this season, and Freeman’s concern about generating more explosive runs doesn’t mean the offense is suddenly in trouble. It means the Fighting Irish understand there will eventually be a game when 52 points aren’t coming easily, and fixing the issue before that Saturday arrives could help determine whether Notre Dame merely looks like a contender or actually becomes one.
Marcus Freeman Sends Strong Warning About Notre Dame Offense Despite 52-0 Blowout