Key Questions The Notre Dame Offense Must Answer Down The Stretch

The Notre Dame offense has been an odd group this season, and there is no doubt that unit playing better is key to the Irish finishing the 2023 season on a strong note. If you break the season down into four-game stretches you'll see the offense was a bit Jekyll and Hyde, but that has the change.

In the first four games the Irish offense scored 46.0 points per game, 508.8 yards per game and 8.3 yards per play. In the next four games the offense averaged just 25.8 points per game, 320.3 yards per game and 5.3 yards per play. The lowest total of the first four games was 444 yards and 7.5 yards per play, the highest total of the second four game stretch was 381 yards and 6.1 yards per play.

So what will we see in the final four games? I have no idea, but I do know that if Notre Dame is going to run the table, and do so in the strong fashion it can and should, that unit needs to find answers and make adjustments during the bye week.

Notre Dame got some much needed physical and mental rest during the bye week, but that period also needed to be one in which the offensive coaching staff is able to recognize the issues, find the right answers and then do what it takes to get the players to execute at a level that allows the offense to play at a high level.

1. What Adjustments Will Be Made - The first question that I have, and that I'll be looking for is what adjustments the staff made during the bye week. There were several issues that plagued the offense in the last four games, especially the last three. There are personnel issues (including injuries), schematic adjustments that are required, and the execution was subpar at most positions. When there are the number of execution issues we saw from the offense it means there were preparation issues as well, which must be addressed.

Offensive coordinator Gerad Parker and the offensive staff need to be self reflective about how they go about preparation and be willing to adjust how they are practicing. Getting the wide receivers back to good health is a good first step, but there's more to it than just that, a lot more. The offense needs to do a better job using the entire field, find more balance from a play-calling and execution standpoint, and become a better situational football team.

2. Can The Pass Game Get Back On Track - After four games with Sam Hartman at quarterback it seemed as though Notre Dame had finally been able to find a dynamic and explosive pass offense. The Irish were averaging 304.3 passing yards per game and 11.4 yards per attempt, and the Irish were one of the most explosive offenses in the country.

They did a complete 180 in the last four games, with the offense averaging just 194.3 yards per game and 6.8 yards per pass attempt. An offense that was willing to attack down the field and create big plays became one that looked completely unwilling - and unable - to push the ball down the field. That has allowed teams to reduce their boxes, and play tighter coverage, which allowed them to not only shut down the short pass game, but it also allowed them to more easily insert numbers into the box against the pass game.

Parker and the offensive staff have to figure out ways to be more effective in the pass game. I realize Notre Dame wants to be a power running team under Marcus Freeman, but the program cannot compete for championships playing the game the way we've see in the last four games when the competition got tougher. An efficient and explosive pass game is a must, and this staff needs to figure out ways to get that back.

Getting the wideouts back to good health is helpful, but there is more to it than that. Parker and staff need to use more of their weapons in the pass game, get some of the struggling weapons with unique skillsets going, and find ways to get the ball down the field and more quickly to the perimeter.

3. Can The Offensive Line Be More Consistent - The staff can come up with all types of great schemes and play calls in the pass game, but it won't matter if the offensive line doesn't protect the quarterback. They did a great job of this against USC, but they struggled to protect against Duke and Louisville. That type of inconsistency from the front has been an issue all season. The unit will look great one week and get whipped the next.

Notre Dame's run game has suffered a great deal because of it, with the offense averaging just 126.0 rushing yards per game over the last four games. There are pass game adjustments that are needed that will help the run game, but the offensive line needs to be a far more dominant and cohesive unit a well. Ironically, the best performance of the season was arguably during the recent four-game struggle, with the line opening up holes to rack up 176 yards against Ohio State, a defense that has allowed just 88 yards per game on the ground against its other six opponents, including just 49 yards by Penn State.

When this line plays together and is physical they can be that kind of unit, and they'll be challenged the next two weeks against Pitt and Clemson, teams geared towards stopping the run, and teams with strong front sevens. Now we need to see if they can be that unit again, and do so week to week.

4. Can The Offense Be More Explosive - Notre Dame was on pace for one of its best seasons over from a big play standpoint after the first four games, but the unit has produced just 13 plays of 30+ yards in the last four games. Notre Dame's poor execution, struggles at receiver and blocking inconsistency have been the primary issues. If those questions get answered then we should see positive results in this department. It's important to get here because it's very, very difficult to consistently put together long drives against the best defenses, which we saw the last four games. You cannot score at a high level against the best teams if you aren't able to generate big plays.

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