Notre Dame Opponent Roundup - Week 6 Edition
Week 6 delivered a classic in the Red River Rivalry, with Oklahoma using a late touchdown drive to topple Texas and gain the inside track for a College Football Playoff spot. Elsewhere, Georgia rebounded from a lackluster showing against Auburn with a resounding victory over Kentucky, Michigan continued to look the part of a CFP contender with a blowout road win over Minnesota, Alabama relied on the arm of Jalen Milroe to outlast Texas A&M, and Louisville staked a claim as the ACC’s best team with a dominating win over Notre Dame. And, we can’t forget #Pac12AfterDark, as USC needed 3 overtimes to take down Arizona 43-41.
Notre Dame’s opponents had a strong weekend, finishing with an overall record of 6-2, not counting Louisville’s win over the Fighting Irish, but it wasn’t without drama. Ohio State trailed into the third quarter before pulling away from Maryland, USC needed 3 overtimes and the brilliance of Caleb Williams to outlast an Arizona team that was a three-touchdown underdog, and Clemson had to survive a Wake Forest onside kick to pull out a 17-12 victory.
Notre Dame Opponent Overall Record: 42-23
Let’s take a look at the Week 6 action for Notre Dame opponents.
NAVY MIDSHIPMEN
Record: 2-3
Week 6 Result: Won 27-24 vs. North Texas
Recap: Navy held off a second half North Texas rally to improve to 2-3 on the season behind 137 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns from Alex Tecza. The Midshipmen surrendered 473 total yards to the Mean Green – including 206 on the ground, continuing a season-long trend of struggling to stop the run, but won the turnover battle 2-0 and also forced 2 turnovers on down. A road trip to play Charlotte is all that remains before the clash with Air Force in Annapolis.
TENNESSEE STATE TIGERS
Record: 3-2
Week 6 Result: Won 27-20 at Kennesaw State
Recap: The Tigers stayed alive in the Big South-OVC race with a road win over Kennesaw State. RB Jordan Gant had a career-high 105 yards and 2 touchdowns, and QB Draylen Ellis chipped in 159 yards and a touchdown through the air. Eddie George’s team looks to continue the momentum next week against Norfolk State in Nashville.
NC STATE WOLFPACK
Record: 4-2
Week 6 Result: Won 48-41 vs. Marshall
Recap: The Wolfpack benched QB Brennan Armstrong in favor of MJ Morris this week, and he rewarded Dave Doeren by leading NC State to their season-high point output. Morris threw for 256 yards and 4 touchdowns, with Kevin Concepcion and Trent Pennix each hauling in 2 scores. It wasn’t all positive though, as Morris’ 3 interceptions kept a stout Thundering Herd team that entered the game undefeated in the game. Marshall led up until midway through the third quarter when Morris hit Pennix for a 62-yard strike to give the Wolfpack a 35-31 lead they would not relinquish.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN CHIPPEWAS
Record: 3-3
Week 6 Result: Lost 37-13 at Buffalo
Recap: Central Michigan saw its modest two-game winning streak come to an end in Buffalo, against a Bulls team that started the season 0-4 but is now undefeated in the MAC. The Chippewas were unable to run the football, posting just 80 yards on 26 carries, and even though QB Jase Bauer threw for 280 yards and 2 scores, he completed just 57% of his passes and threw 3 interceptions. Central Michigan hosts Akron next week as they aim to stay just a game behind Toledo in the MAC West.
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
Record: 5-0
Week 6 Result: Won 37-17 vs. Maryland
Recap: It wasn’t pretty and was a lot closer than the score indicated, but Ohio State leaned on QB Kyle McCord and WR Marvin Harrison Jr. to pull away from Maryland in the second half. The Terrapins jumped out to a 10-0 lead before a Josh Proctor interception return for a touchdown and a field goal tied the game back up. Maryland had a chance to take a 13-10 lead into halftime, but poor clock management on the final drive prevented them from having a chance at a field goal. After the Terrapins scored on their opening drive of the third quarter to go up 17-10, the Buckeye offense finally got untracked. Ohio State scored the last 27 points of the game and McCord ended with a career-high 320 yards passing. The run game must improve though, as the Buckeyes ran for just 62 yards on 33 carries. They’ll have a good chance to get right next week at Purdue before a huge showdown at the Shoe with Penn State.
DUKE BLUE DEVILS
Record: 4-1
Week 6 Result: Bye
Recap: The Blue Devils return to action on October 14th vs. NC State.
SOUTHERN CAL TROJANS
Record: 6-0
Week 6 Result: Won 43-41 vs. Arizona (3 OT)
Recap: USC continued to live life on the edge and needed 3 overtimes to outlast an Arizona team led by QB Noah Fifita making just his second career start. The embattled Trojan defense allowed Fifita to throw for 303 yards and 5 touchdowns, as Arizona racked up 506 total yards and 28 first downs. That offensive success allowed Arizona to limit USC to just 24:21 time of possession, largely keeping Caleb Williams in check. Williams would not be denied in overtime though, and his brilliance is the only reason that USC is still undefeated. The Trojans head to South Bend to take on a wounded Notre Dame team next week before a brutal closing stretch that includes home games against Utah, Washington, and UCLA and a road trip to Oregon.
PITTSBURGH PANTHERS
Record: 1-4
Week 6 Result: Bye
Recap: The Panthers return to action on October 14th vs. Louisville.
CLEMSON TIGERS
Record: 4-2
Week 6 Result: Won 17-12 vs. Wake Forest
Recap: Clemson leaned on its defense to pull out a 17-12 victory over Wake Forest, tying Dabo Swinney with Clemson legend Frank Howard for the most victories as a head coach in Clemson history with 165. The Tigers held Wake Forest to just 239 total yards and 2-12 on third down. RB Will Shipley was the star on offense, rushing for 97 yards and a touchdown to spearhead a Tiger rushing attack that posted 207 yards on the ground. Clemson has road games against Miami and NC State before hosting Notre Dame on November 4th.
WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS
Record: 3-2
Week 6 Result: Lost 17-12 at Clemson
Recap: If you had told Dave Clawson his defense would hold Clemson to 17 points and 338 total yards he would’ve been ecstatic. Unfortunately for Wake Forest, the offense couldn’t hold up its end of the bargain, scoring its only touchdown with just 1:34 left in the game. QB Mitch Griffis was unable to create any explosive plays, averaging just 5.5 yards per attempt and 1.8 yards per carry on 14 rushes. The Demon Deacons will look to rebound with winnable games against Virginia Tech and Pitt before hosting Florida State.
STANFORD CARDINAL
Record: 1-4
Week 6 Result: Bye
Recap: The Cardinal return to action on October 13th at Colorado.
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