Instant reactions to Notre Dame’s escape of North Carolina on the road

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Notre Dame football was in a battle with North Carolina, but a big three drive stretch pushed them across the finish line for a 37-26 victory.

It wasn’t the prettiest win that the Irish will have all year, but it was a solid one over a very well coached Tar Heels team. Notre Dame is now 5-0, looking like a true College Football Playoff contender while North Carolina fell to 2-2.

There was good and bad that we saw from the Irish in rainy Chapel Hill during Week 5, and here are my instant reactions to Notre Dame’s road escape over North Carolina.

Notre Dame’s slow start should have been expected

Bill Belichick is one of the best coaches ever, and it should not have surprised anyone that the first two drives went North Carolina’s way. He had two weeks to scout the Irish and have a good game plan, which they did. However, in games like this, the more talented team usually emerges, which is exactly how this played out.

Boubacar Traore is becoming a superstar

He led the team in tackles, one of them coming for a loss but he impacted the game without the stat sheet being fuller. Traore’s tipped pass in the first quarter ended up in linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa’s hands, and another one in the second half. It was an impressive display from the senior.

CJ Carr is reminding everyone why he’s a Heisman candidate

If this was normal playing conditions, without the rain, Carr probably would have thrown for at least 300-yards, if not more. He’d end up with 234-yards through the air completing 21-of-29 attempts with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He added another 15-yards on the ground and another score, a handful of touchdowns. Carr has put up massive numbers, but he’s leading one of the best offenses in college football, and Notre Dame is undefeated. He is firmly in the Heisman Trophy race.

Notre Dame’s second half adjustments made the difference

The sign of a good team is making adjustments at halftime that have positive impacts on the outcome. Notre Dame’s coaching staff deserves a ton of credit, as the touchdown late was the only one allowed by the defense. Sure the kickoff return wasn’t great, but the offense scored 17-points in wet conditions as ball control was the focus. Solid outcome and result for the Irish.

This was a game Notre Dame needed

It’s always interesting to see how a team responds when a team punches back after looking like they’re down, which is exactly what happened. North Carolina was pesky for the first half-plus, as they almost took the lead after the kickoff return. The response was fantastic, with the game at 21-20. The Irish would score a touchdown, force a three-and-out, score another touchdown, get a four play drive, then would add on a field goal. Games like these build experience and can’t be simulated in practice. This was a very important step in Notre Dame’s efforts to win a College Football Playoff title.

Extra point – Jonaz Walton should be RB1

All three, Nolan James Jr. and Aneyas Williams, should play, but it’s Walton that should be getting the majority of the carries. They’ve all had their good games, but he just runs differently. He had a 31-yard touchdown called back for hold on Cooper Flanagan, so his numbers could have been bigger. The coaching staff hasn’t been hesitant to play him so far, and I think he gives the offense another dimension.

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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Instant reactions to Notre Dame’s escape of North Carolina on the road

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