Notre Dame demolished Syracuse, but that’s not what has Irish ready for CFP run

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — It ended with Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner taking a knee at midfield and Syracuse QB Steve Angeli getting mobbed on the sideline. Buchner left and returned as a walk-on wide receiver, only to earn his scholarship and his old position back. Angeli helped Notre Dame to last season’s national title game, then departed for a starting job he couldn’t win here, only to tear his Achilles tendon while leading the nation in passing. Advertisement In the wake of No. 9 Notre Dame’s 70-7 demolition of Syracuse, there were walking, talking, hugging reminders all around the stadium of why the Irish went as far as they did last season — and why they’re built for an encore. Not every player matters the same, not with Jeremiyah Love blasting his way through the Orange defense. But every player matters. On Saturday, Marcus Freeman turned senior day into a vibe check for that. The Irish could have coasted through Syracuse without Jalen Stroman’s pick six and deflected punt. Notre Dame didn’t need Madden Faraimo to lead the linebackers with five tackles. Or for Erik Schmidt to make all 10 extra points. Or for Aneyas Williams to hit that 30-yard touchdown run. On another day, starter CJ Carr gets to throw more than nine passes. Or Love and Jadarian Price combine for more than 12 carries. Notre Dame knows it can win with stars. Leonard Moore’s pick six was a reminder. But senior day was a callback to last season’s march to the national championship game, when the Irish had to replace an All-American cornerback, reshuffle the offensive line weekly and survive without their best defensive tackles ever being at full strength together, never mind losing two starting defensive ends. It takes a village of 105. A coach’s job is to make an entire roster believe that. If Notre Dame needed further evidence, it got it last week when safety Tae Johnson suffered a left hand injury in practice that put his arm in a sling on Saturday. Removing a freshman All-American from the lineup shouldn’t mean much against a team starting a freshman walk-on quarterback. That doesn’t mean Stroman would automatically be ready to go in Johnson’s place. The last time Notre Dame relied on Stroman in the secondary, the defense was shredded by Texas A&M, and the Virginia Tech transfer got benched. He didn’t get a snap on defense against USC. He played just five snaps at Boston College. He got a dozen against Navy. This is not what Stroman came to Notre Dame to do, nor is it what Notre Dame invested in Stroman to deliver. Advertisement “This is why you work, because at some point, here comes your opportunity,” Freeman said. “It’s a great reminder of the depth we have in our defensive back position, and it’s a great example of a guy that works while he waits. “I told him before the game that it’s crazy, like, the future is uncertain.” But Notre Dame can tilt the odds in its favor. Freeman has built a program where the entire roster has value, even if not every player has the same salary. When offensive tackle Anthonie Knapp went down in last January’s Orange Bowl, career reserve Tosh Baker was at the ready. Same with Angeli when Riley Leonard was briefly knocked out. And Charles Jagusah when right guard Rocco Spindler went down. These are not headline-grabbing personnel moves, but they can be game-saving ones. Marcus Freeman’s focus on his roster’s depth has made a big difference for Notre Dame this season. (James Black / Getty Images) If Notre Dame is going to make a another run through the College Football Playoff, these small moments will be part of the story, even if Love is the author. The Irish have already lost three starting offensive linemen to injury, plus their best defensive tackle. Now they’re likely down linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, probably for the long haul after an apparent knee injury against Syracuse. There will be more of these moments, the kind that stretch a roster to its limit. That made this blowout meaningful beyond the gaudy box score. Too many programs throw around “culture” as some kind of trade secret. It’s more basic than that. It’s an ability to get a locker room and a program to pull toward one end goal, no matter the transfer portal or name, image and likeness implications. Notre Dame has that going for it across the board. Even with Love’s Heisman campaign activated — Freeman blessed the running back striking the pose after his final touch — Love still seems to get almost as much joy watching Notre Dame’s other backs make plays as he does making his own. Advertisement “Obviously a lot of people like to talk about me doing lots of great things, but I love to see my teammates go out there and have success,” Love said. “That’s what really moves my heart. It’s not very easy to move me, so I love seeing those guys have success.” Notre Dame will need more of this, maybe not next weekend against Stanford, but in whatever comes after. The Irish should stay within the projected CFP...

Notre Dame demolished Syracuse, but that’s not what has Irish ready for CFP run

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