Notre Dame Opponent Recap: Week 13

Rivalry Week did not disappoint, sending some contenders into a euphoria, others into disappointment, and one Ohio-based fan base into an existential crisis.

#1 Georgia was tested by upstart Georgia Tech, but never was in danger of losing, as the Bulldogs pulled it out 31-23.
#3 Michigan bullied Ohio State in the fourth quarter en route to a 30-24 victory in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines played arguably the weakest schedule in modern college football history until November, but in the end validated their preseason ranking with an undefeated regular season.
#4 Washington was tied 21-21 with rival Washington State in the Apple Cup facing 4th and 1 from their own 29-yard-line with just 1:11 remaining. Rather than punt, Kalen DeBoer put the ball in WR Rome Odunze’s hands on a reverse, and Odunze ran for 23 yards and the first down. The Huskies capped that drive with Grady Gross’ game-winning 42-yard field goal, setting up a massive rematch with Oregon next weekend in Las Vegas.
It wasn’t a performance that will pass the eye test, but #5 Florida State overcame a 12-0 first half deficit and pulled away with a 24-15 win at Florida despite gaining only 224 yards of offense in their first full game without Jordan Travis.
#6 Oregon obliterated a really good Oregon State team 31-7 in a game that was not as close as the score indicated. Bo Nix was once again almost perfect, putting up 398 total yards, 3 touchdowns, and completing 82.5% of his passes. In all likelihood, Nix will set the all-time single-season record for completion percentage.
#7 Texas blew out Texas Tech 57-7, setting up a Big 12 championship game against Oklahoma State. The Longhorns need some help to make it into the CFP though.
In a play they’ll be talking about in the Yellowhammer State for the next century, #8 Alabama converted fourth-and-goal from the 31-yard line to pull out an improbable 27-24 win over an Auburn team that lost to New Mexico State last weekend.

It was a rough week for Notre Dame opponents, who finished with an overall record of 3-6, not counting Stanford’s 56-23 loss to the Fighting Irish. Clemson and North Carolina State head into their bowl games with a ton of momentum after November winning streaks, but for programs like Pitt, Wake Forest, and Stanford, the end of the season is a mercy.

Notre Dame Opponent Overall Record: 78-64

Let’s take a look at the Week 13 action for Notre Dame opponents.

NAVY MIDSHIPMEN

Record: 5-6
Week 13 Result: Lost 59-14 at SMU

Recap: Navy spotted SMU a 28-0 first quarter lead and trailed 52-14 at halftime en route to a blowout loss. Winning in Dallas against the 10-2 Mustangs – who are undefeated in the American – was always going to be a tall task, but surrendering 452 yards in first half means the Midshipmen never even gave themselves a chance. SMU QB Preston Stone had 275 yards passing in the first half alone, the most passing yards in a quarter by an FBS quarterback this year. Unfortunately for SMU, Stone was carted off the field due to a second quarter injury, which complicates SMU’s bid to win the American Championship next weekend at Tulane. For Navy, the December 9th showdown with Army is a must-win game, both because of the bragging rights but also because the win would secure bowl eligibility for the Midshipmen in Brian Newberry’s first season.

TENNESSEE STATE TIGERS

Record: 6-5
Week 13 Result: Bye

Recap: The Tigers wrapped up their 11-game season last weekend with a 35-0 loss to Tennessee Tech.

NC STATE WOLFPACK

Record: 9-3
Week 13 Result: Won 39-20 vs. North Carolina

Recap: NC State capped off a 5-game winning streak to close the season with a satisfying 39-20 victory over North Carolina. Brennan Armstrong had his best passing game of the season with 334 yards passing a 3 touchdowns, and WR Kevin Concepion passed the Wolfpack in both rushing and receiving with his 7 catches for 131 yards and 2 scores complemented by 55 yards on the ground. On the other side of the ball, the Wolfpack defense, led by Butkus Award finalist Payton Wilson who had 15 tackles and a sack, harassed Tar Heel QB Drake Maye all game. Maye did finish with 254 passing yards and 106 yards on the ground, but he threw 2 interceptions and averaged just 6.7 yards per attempt. NC State led 26-7 at halftime and 33-7 after the opening drive of the third quarter, and that deficit forced the Tar Heels to the air and limited talented running back Omarion Hampton to just 28 yards on 9 carries. With the win, NC State stands alone in third place in the ACC and awaits what is likely a New Years Day bowl game.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS

Record: 5-7
Week 13 Result: Lost 32-17 vs. Toledo

Recap: Central Michigan fell in the season finale against 11-1 Toledo, who will take on Chuck Martin and Miami (OH) next weekend in the MAC Championship. The Chippewas trailed 17-3 at halftime and 24-3 in the fourth quarter against the superior Rockets. Toledo rans for 261 yards on the ground, with Peny Boone leading the way with 186 yards and 2 touchdowns. On the other sideline, QB Jase Bauer accounted for 181 total yards and 2 scores, but Toledo was able to limit Central Michigan on the ground, holding the Chippewas to just 104 yards on 37 carries.

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

Record: 11-1
Week 13 Result: Lost 30-24 at #3 Michigan

Recap: In perhaps the most anticipated version of The Game ever, Ohio State was pounded into the ground by a more physical Michigan football team, delivering Lou Holtz the vindication that the hands of DJ Brown could not on that September evening in South Bend (for those unfamiliar, Buckeye head coach Ryan Day called out Holtz after the Notre Dame win for his comments that Ohio State lacked physicality). The Wolverines didn’t really do anything flashy, but they just didn’t make any mistakes and capitalized any time the Buckeyes gave them an inch.

Michigan QB JJ McCarthy only threw for 148 yards, but he completed 80% of his passes. RB Blake Corum only rushed for 88 yards on 4.0 yards per carry, but he had 2 scores and converted 3 massive fourth down conversions. Kicker James Turner made all 3 of his field goals, including a massive 37-yarder with 1:07 remaining to force Ohio State to score a touchdown to win. Punter Tommy Doman averaged 52 yards/punt, pinned the Buckeyes inside the 5 yard-line once, and uncorked a 71-yarder on another. The Michigan defense made arguably the two biggest plays of the day, returning a first quarter interception to the Ohio State 7-yard-line, setting up the first score of the game, while the interception on the final drive sealed the win.

The loss kicks off what is setting up to be a long offseason in Columbus. Ryan Day is 56-7 in his career but has now dropped 3 games in a row to Michigan, which stands in stark contrasts to Urban Meyer’s 7-0 record against the Wolverines. Making it even worse for Day, he was outcoached by Sherrone Moore on Saturday. Day’s gameplan was way too conservative for a game of this magnitude – and it cost the Buckeyes.

DUKE BLUE DEVILS

Record: 7-5
Week 13 Result: Won 30-19 vs. Pitt

Recap: Grayson Loftis threw for 248 yards and 2 scores, WR Jordan Moore hauled in 8 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown, and the Blue Devil defense limited Pitt to just 308 total yards as the Blue Devils closed an up-and-down 2023 season with a victory. Duke may have stumbled into the finish line after a promising 4-0 start was derailed by a rash of injuries, most notably to QB Riley Leonard, but if the university can find a way to hold onto head coach Mike Elko this offseason, Duke will remain a program on the rise. How often in Duke’s history would 7 wins and a .500 conference record feel like a bit of a disappointment?

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS

Record: 10-2
Week 13 Result: Lost 38-31 vs. Kentucky

Recap: Louisville led 10-7 at halftime and 17-7 with 5:50 remaining in the third quarter after a Jawhar Jordan touchdown run capped off a 15-play drive that took 9:10 off the clock. However, Barion Brown returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a score, and that woke the Wildcats from their slumber. Though Louisville answered with another touchdown drive to push the score back to 24-14, Louisville’s offense turned the ball over on the next 3 possessions, allowing Kentucky to turn that deficit into a 31-24 lead. Still, the Cardinal defense stepped up, intercepting Wildcat QB Devin Leary and giving the offense a short field that they used to tie the score 31-31 with just 2:33 remaining. However, Kentucky answered, going 75 yards in just 4 plays with RB Ray Davis scampering 37 yards for the winning score with 1:02 remaining. With the loss, Louisville may have lost bragging rights in the Commonwealth this offseason, but the Cardinals still have a lot to play for. A win over Florida State on Saturday delivers Louisville both an ACC Championship and New Years Six bowl bid.

SOUTHERN CAL TROJANS

Record: 7-5
Week 13 Result: Bye

Recap: USC’s regular season ended with a 38-20 loss to rival UCLA last weekend.

PITTSBURGH PANTHERS

Record: 3-9
Week 13 Result: Lost 30-19 at Duke

Recap: Pitt’s season mercifully came to an end with a 30-19 loss at Duke, capping off Pitt’s worst record since 1998. Pat Narduzzi and the Panthers head into the offseason with plenty of questions, and Narduzzi already made it known after the loss to Notre Dame that the roster was not good enough. One of those questions was answered already, as Pitt announced the firing of offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. Pitt ranked last in the ACC in scoring offense, rushing offense, and total offense this year, but sophomore QB Nate Yarnell was a bright spot in the loss to Duke, throwing for 265 yards and 2 touchdowns. There have been intermittent whispers about Narduzzi’s job security, but it would be surprising if he didn’t get another season to turn things around, given his history of success. Expect the Panthers to be heavy players in the transfer portal this offseason.

CLEMSON TIGERS

Record: 8-4
Week 13 Result: Won 16-7 at South Carolina

Recap: I’m all in on the conspiracy theory that “Tyler from Spartanburg” was a plant by Dabo Swinney on his radio show to allow Swinney to rally his team. The Tigers won their fourth game in a row with a gutsy 16-7 win over rival South Carolina in a slugfest, capping off a perfect November. Clemson’s defense stole the show on Saturday, holding South Carolina to just 169 total yards, 22:00 time of possession, and scoring the team’s only touchdown, a 42-yard fumble return for a score by Khalil Barnes just 35 seconds into the game. The only other scoring for the Tigers was done by graduate student kicker Jonathan Weitz, who was living in New York about to start a job in September when Swinney called him a couple weeks into the season and told him he needed a kicker. Weitz nailed field goals of 50, 49, and 42 yards that with the way Clemson’s defense played, put the game out of reach. The Tigers have a young roster and if both Will Shipley and Phil Mafah return to complement QB Cade Klubnik, this team could be poised to break out in 2024.

WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS

Record: 4-8
Week 13 Result: Lost 35-31 at Syracuse

Recap: The Demon Deacons fell at Syracuse in the season finale, as the Orange gained bowl eligibility despite having fired head coach Dino Babers during the week. For the second straight week, Wake Forest’s defense was gashed, as Syracuse rolled up 468 total yards and 24 first downs. On offense, there were some positive takeaways for head coach Dave Clawson, as Michael Kern played much better than he had against Notre Dame, throwing for 261 yards and 3 touchdowns. The key question for Wake Forest heading into the offseason will be whether the Demon Deacons can find stability at the quarterback position. After having Sam Hartman for five seasons, Wake Forest started three different quarterbacks this year, and none of the options were able to have much success.

Be sure to check out the Irish Breakdown message board, the Champions Lounge

Irish Breakdown Content

2023 Scholarship Chart
2023 Football Schedule

Notre Dame 2024 Scholarship Offers

2024 Commit Rankings - Offense
2024 Commit Rankings - Defense

2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Offense
2023 Recruiting Class Grades - Defense

———————

Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more.

BECOME A MEMBER

Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time!

Join the Irish Breakdown community!
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channel
Subscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes
Follow me on Twitter: @CoachD178
Like and follow Irish Breakdown on Facebook

Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter