Notre Dame’s tale of two halves should scare Carolina.

Early in Notre Dame’s eventual victory over Cal, Tar Heel fans might have been encouraged by the mistakes made by the Fighting Irish, who had lost their first two games and were facing an 0-3 start for one of the few times in their storied football history.

Second-string quarterback Drew Pyne appeared scared to death in his first college start, badly missing receivers and fumbling a snap after it hit him in the face mask. Pyne was now running the ND offense after starter Tyler Buchner was hurt in last week’s loss to Marshall.

At first, even the vaunted Irish defense did not look like a unit that could shut down UNC’s high-powered offense Saturday afternoon in Kenan Stadium on national TV.

However, despite trailing at halftime 10-7, Notre Dame took command of the game early in the third quarter behind both interior lines, whose play is likely to decide the outcome in Chapel Hill.

The offensive line began opening holes for their two solidly-built running backs who on the day combined for 35 carries and 147 yards, which in turn helped Pyne end up completing 17 of 23 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns.

Usually, 24 points and 297 yards of total offense would not be enough to outscore the Tar Heels, who have averaged many more points and yardage in their first three games, all wins.

But wait till you see the size, the girth and depth of this Irish defense, which is every bit as physical as their interior lines that decided close wins over Carolina the last two years.

By the fourth quarter, the Cal offense and defense had been thoroughly beaten down as Notre Dame managed to escape with a much-needed win.

Without a doubt, how well the Irish can contain UNC’s ground attack will put the onus on Drake Maye to beat their athletic secondary that plays mostly man-on-man coverage.

This is the first ‘must’ game that comes up regarding both teams’ respective national aspirations. Rarely would two unranked opponents beginning the season under such scrutiny play so early to help determine how they stand in late November.

Notre Dame (1-2) almost has to win to get back on track for a customary bid to a major bowl. Carolina (3-0) has to stay unbeaten to forge its own path to the same place.

Ironically, for the Tar Heels, a victory over this celebrated program won’t carry quite as much weight as in most other years, unless the Fighting Irish make a stunning reversal after such a loss.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Michael Conroy

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