Notre Dame Opponent Roundup: Week 12 Edition

The CFP hopefuls all took one more step forward this weekend, as despite some challenging road tests in Knoxville, Corvallis, and Ames, the top-8 in the polls all remained unscathed.

#1 Georgia shook off a slow start and outscored Tennessee 28-3 in the second and third quarters to run away from the Volunteers 38-10.
#2 Ohio State cruised to an easy win over a Minnesota team heading in the wrong direction.
#3 Michigan was largely outplayed by Maryland but hung on for a 31-24 victory. The Wolverines needed 2 safeties, a defensive touchdown, and numerous missed opportunities by the Terrapins to stay undefeated.
#4 Florida State picked up a pyrrhic victory over North Alabama, winning the game 58-13 but losing star QB Jordan Travis to what is likely a season-ending injury.
#5 Washington survived 22-20 on the road at a really good Oregon State team on the strength of its defense, rather than Michael Penix, a good sign for a team with national title aspirations that has been plagued by questions about the defense.
Bo Nix threw for 6 touchdowns and 381 yards – in the first half – as #6 Oregon decimated Arizona State 49-13 on the road.
The state of Iowa is where offense goes to die, but #7 Texas found just enough, pulling away from Iowa State 26-16 in Ames.
#8 Alabama won its scrimmage against FCS Chattanooga 66-10.

Notre Dame’s opponents seem to either be surging or staggering to the finish line of the 2023 season, finishing with an overall record of 6-5 this weekend, not counting Wake Forest’s 45-7 loss in South Bend. Ohio State, Louisville, NC State, Clemson, and even Navy continue to rack up victories down the stretch, while USC, Duke, Central Michigan, and Tennessee State have seen promising Octobers turn into dismal Novembers.

Notre Dame Opponent Overall Record: 75-57

Let’s take a look at the Week 12 action for Notre Dame opponents.

NAVY MIDSHIPMEN

Record: 5-5
Week 12 Result: Won 10-0 vs. East Carolina

Recap: It may have been ugly, but it was still one step closer to bowl eligibility, as Navy shut out East Carolina 10-0 for the Midshipmen’s second consecutive victory. Navy managed just 276 total yards, but were still efficient enough on offense, completing 10 of 11 passes for 102 yards and posting 174 yards rushing on 50 attempts. On defense, Navy forced 4 Pirate turnovers and held East Carolina to just 34 rushing yards on 22 attempts. With a road game at 9-2 SMU on the docket next weekend, Navy’s bowl eligibility could come down to the season finale against Army.

TENNESSEE STATE TIGERS

Record: 6-5
Week 12 Result: Lost 35-0 vs. Tennessee Tech

Recap: Tennessee State saw its 2023 season come to an end with a disappointing blowout home loss to rival Tennessee Tech, who entered the game with a 3-7 record. The Tigers turned the ball over on the third play of the game, and that proved a harbinger of things to come, as they finished with just 155 total yards. Despite the disappointing end to the season, Eddie George still has this program headed in the right direction, with the 6-5 record a marked improvement over last season’s 4-7 finish.

NC STATE WOLFPACK

Record: 8-3
Week 12 Result: Won 35-28 at Virginia Tech

Recap: NC State won its fourth consecutive game and seized sole possession of third place in the ACC with a 35-28 road victory over a gritty Virginia Tech team. Brennan Armstrong turned in his second straight strong performance after reclaiming the starting quarterback job, throwing for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns while rushing for 89 yards and 2 more scores. After a scoreless first quarter, the Wolfpack exploded for three second quarter scores, taking a 21-7 lead into the half. They would extend that to a 35-14 lead heading into the fourth quarter before two late Hokie scores made the game look closer than it was. The Wolfpack hopped back into the rankings after the win and even though this late-season surge is too little, too late for a New Years’ Six bowl appearance, a win over rival North Carolina next week should send NC State to a New Year’s Day bowl game in a sunny place.

CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS

Record: 5-6
Week 12 Result: Lost 34-20 at Ohio

Recap: A bowl game looks like a tall order for Central Michigan after this weekend’s loss to Ohio, with only 10-1 Toledo remaining on the schedule. The Chippewas fell behind 17-0 on the road in Athens and were never able to mount much of a comeback. QB Jase Bauers only threw for 157 yards, with 112 of the yards coming on 2 touchdown passes. That inefficiency in the passing game, combined with 2 turnovers, and a 2-11 mark on third down conversions, is a big reason why the Chippewas had just 22:51 time of possession.

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

Record: 11-0
Week 12 Result: Won 37-3 vs. Minnesota

Recap: TreVeyon Henderson ran for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns as Ohio State barely broke a sweat in a 37-3 dismantling of Minnesota. The stout Buckeye defense turned in another great performance, holding Minnesota to just 159 total yards and keeping the Gophers off the board until late in the fourth quarter. QB Kyle McCord was again efficient, completing 66% of his passes for 212 yards and 2 scores, one of which going to All-American WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Since beating Penn State a few weeks ago, it’s all been building to next weekend’s trip to Ann Arbor. With a victory, Ohio State can punch another trip to the College Football Playoff and save the CFP committee all the controversy that would come with a Michigan playoff berth.

DUKE BLUE DEVILS

Record: 6-5
Week 12 Result: Lost 30-27 at Virginia

Recap: The Blue Devils lost 30-27 at Virginia as what was once a promising season continues to spiral following the injury to Riley Leonard. The final score also does not reflect the fact the Cavaliers controlled the entire game, as after Duke rallied to tie the score at 10-10 at the half, Virginia scored touchdowns on the opening 2 drives of the third quarter to take control of the game. Grayson Loftis threw for 270 yards, Jacquez Moore had 100 yards rushing and a touchdown, and Jordan Moore caught 9 passes for 117 yards, but this Blue Devil defense is worn down after shouldering a heavy burden earlier this year. Virginia QB Anthony Colandrea threw for 278 yards and 3 touchdowns and paced a Cavalier rushing attack that put up 170 yards on 41 carries with 66 yards on the ground. Duke finishes the season with a winnable game against Pittsburgh, and 7-5 will feel a whole lot better in Durham than 6-6.

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS

Record: 10-1
Week 12 Result: Won 38-31 at Miami

Recap: Louisville pulled out a gutsy comeback win in South Florida to clinch a berth in the ACC Championship game, quite an accomplishment in Jeff Brohm’s first season. Jack Plummer threw for 308 yards and 3 touchdowns, including the game-winning 58-yard pass to Kevin Coleman with just 4:17 remaining. And, with Jawhar Jordan limited to just 9 carries, Isaac Guerendo shouldered the load and posted 93 physical yards on the ground to go along with a score. The Cardinals’ defense will need to be better against rival Kentucky and then Florida State in the ACC Championship, but with the injury to Jordan Travis, the door is wide open for Louisville to crash the New Years’ Six.

SOUTHERN CAL TROJANS

Record: 7-5
Week 12 Result: Lost 38-20 at UCLA

Recap: The Trojans may have hit rock bottom, as they were non-competitive for much of the game in a blowout loss to rival UCLA, who is probably about to fire Chip Kelly. USC came into South Bend just over a month ago undefeated and ranked in the top-10, but since that loss to Notre Dame, a 50-49 win over Cal in which USC trailed by 3 touchdowns is the only thing standing between Lincoln Riley and a 6-game losing streak to close the year. Caleb Williams again put up big numbers, throwing for 384 yards, but as has often been the case this season, had no help around him. USC’s running backs managed just 23 yards on the ground, and even though the defense only gave up 354 yards to the Bruins, that doesn’t tell the entire story. UCLA wore down the Trojan front, rushing for 199 yards on 45 carries and consistently staying ahead of the sticks, a big reason they went 13-20 on third down. This game marks the end of USC’s regular season, and with Williams widely expected to declare for the draft, the USC team that takes the field in the bowl game could look much different.

PITTSBURGH PANTHERS

Record: 3-8
Week 12 Result: Won 24-16 vs. Boston College

Recap: The Panthers snapped a 4-game losing streak with a victory over Boston College on Friday night. Nate Yarnell made just his second career start but threw for 207 yards and accounted for 2 touchdowns, while RB Rodney Hammond Jr. displayed big-play ability, rushing for 145 yards and a score on just 15 carries. The Pittsburgh defense also got in on the action, holding what had been a pretty decent Boston College offense to just 325 total yards while forcing 2 turnovers. Though this has been a lost season for Pittsburgh, if the Panthers can pull out a win next weekend over reeling Duke, they can head into the offseason with some momentum.

CLEMSON TIGERS

Record: 7-4
Week 12 Result: Won 31-20 vs. #20 North Carolina

Recap: Clemson won its third consecutive game over Drake Maye and visiting North Carolina, as the Tigers again played strong complementary football. Cade Klubnik took care of the football, throwing for 219 yards and a score (also rushing for another), while Will Shipley and Phil Mafah headlined a Tiger backfield that posted 247 rushing yards. On the other side of the ball, Clemson focused on slowing Maye through the air and forcing Tar Heel mistakes, and despite giving 248 yards on the ground, Clemson held Maye to just a 44.4% completion percentage, forced 3 North Carolina turnovers, and held a potent Tar Heel offense to just 21:49 time of possession. With the win, Clemson clawed back to a .500 mark in the ACC and travels to Columbia for a non-conference matchup against rival South Carolina next weekend.

STANFORD CARDINAL

Record: 3-8
Week 12 Result: Lost 27-15 vs. California

Recap: The Cardinal managed just 12 offensive first downs on 289 total yards, and much offensive momentum was squandered with 9 penalties for 100 yards in a 27-15 loss to rival Cal. The Stanford defense was unable to stop the Golden Bears throughout the day, as QB Fernando Mendoza threw for 294 yards and 3 touchdowns, and RB Jadyn Ott carried the ball 36 times for 166 yards and a touchdown. The loss wraps up Stanford’s final season in the Pac-12, as the Cardinal host non-conference rival Notre Dame next weekend.

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