Notre Dame built last year’s run to the national championship game around its defense under coordinator Al Golden and a veteran spine that included two sixth-year seniors and a two-time All-American. It’s proving much harder to replace all that than Marcus Freeman would have expected.
The Irish were picked apart by Marcel Reed, who put Notre Dame in unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory. By halftime, the Irish defense allowed the same number of touchdowns through six quarters (seven) than it did in the first six games of last season. Apparent injuries to cornerbacks Leonard Moore and Christian Gray didn’t help. Neither did the Aggies’ speed at wide receiver, which got behind the Irish secondary all game.
The shock of Notre Dame’s defense taking this big of a step back this quickly should send up alarm bells as first-year coordinator Chris Ash has yet to find the right formula for a defense expected to pick up where last year’s left off. The Irish didn’t sack Reed after taking down Carson Beck just once in the loss at Miami. Notre Dame forced its first turnover of the season but finished with just the Moore interception. And the Irish posted just one tackle for loss all night.
Notre Dame’s defense won’t be tested by speed like Texas A&M for the next month, perhaps not until USC visits on Oct. 18. But with a defense that’s putting some vexing material on tape, it’s not clear how much Notre Dame can rely on it’s defense moving forward.
Once a known quantity, the Irish defense is now a riddle that Ash needs to solve as soon as possible. Notre Dame won’t make the College Football Playoff unless he does.