The spring practices are over for Notre Dame as it ended with the annual Blue & Gold game on Saturday afternoon.
The Irish had an entertaining game, one that had a score that was a bit misleading. Head coach Marcus Freeman made the game close at the end, giving transfer kicker Spencer Porath a chance to win it for the Blue team, and nailed the attempt for a 41-40 victory over the Gold team.
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There were a few players who didn’t participate, but many did including CJ Carr. Let’s start off with what we saw from the second-year starter.
CJ Carr’s performance won’t inspire many
Remember, this is just the spring game and surely the coaching staff was going to work on things. Carr didn’t look as sharp as we would expect, as he missed more than a few easy attempts and had a tipped pass picked off.
I think that had to do a lot with him dominating the open scrimmage last week and defensive coordinator Chris Ash taking that personally. He said during the broadcast that his goal was to try and confuse Carr, which it seemed like he did. Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock wasn’t too happy with his showing, but he was going up against one of the top defenses in the country which will always give offenses troubles.
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I wouldn’t be too concerned about his struggles, as you should expect Carr to be one of the frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy this season.
The Notre Dame secondary is going to be elite again
Once again, Notre Dame’s defensive backs showed why they should be viewed as one of the top units in the county, if not the best overall. Ethan Long played very well, his tipped pass led to linebacker Jaylen Sneed’s interception, then he had one of his own later in the game. Michigan cornerback transfer Jayden Sanders will contribute right away, while safety Adon Shuler was great as always. Unfortunately, former 5-star true freshman safety Joey O’Brien went down with an injury early, and we don’t know his status currently. Even if he’s lost for an extended amount of time, this unit will still be dominant this fall.
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Blake Hebert looks like he’ll be QB2
The hope is that Carr stays heathy all season, but if he doesn’t, it looks like Hebert will get the opportunity to run the first-team offense. He looked very good commanding the second-team offense, and you have to wonder how we would have done against the first-team defense. Noah Grubbs flashed as well, but it would be hard for a true-freshman to shine at this level as only a few have shown that ability. Hebert is now in his second-year with the program, and it’s looking like he has made a nice jump and could lead the offense if needed.
I don’t think this was a surprise to anyone to see Williams perform the way he did. Last fall he just wasn’t going to see any time on the field with Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, and it make perfect sense for him the take a redshirt year. He’s waited his time to be the starter, and while he probably won’t put up stats like his predecessors, Williams will still be a great back in this offense.
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Rodney Dunham could be a star
This game wasn’t set up for the defensive line to make plays, as Freeman along with the referees controlled much of the “sacks” on the day. However, the true-freshman Dunham flashed multiple times and was consistently in the backfield. You can never have enough pass-rushers, and it looks like Notre Dame found its next impact edge in Dunham.
Devin Fitzgerald could be the best wide receiver in South Bend since Will Fuller
This might be hyperbole for a true-freshman, but the son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Larry sure looks the part. He’s got a huge frame, knows the nuances of the position, and his ability to gain yards after the catch is impressive. The younger Fitzgerald’s touchdown was so impressive, baiting the defensive backs by not showing his top-speed, then turning on the jets to get behind them and catching the ball with his hands instead of his body. The ball was a bit under-thrown from Grubbs, but it didn’t matter. This could be the start of a very impressive career for Fitzgerald.
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While it was Book’s first time in the booth as an analyst, it sure didn’t seem like it. He did a great job of breaking down plays, showing his immense knowledge of the game. We’ve seen plenty of former quarterbacks make the seamless transition into a color analyst, and Book is looking like he could be the next one.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Day after: Final thoughts on Notre Dame’s Blue & Gold game showing
