Four elements that defined Notre Dame’s first road win under Marcus Freeman; 1 unique stat, 1 thing to pivot forward
By John Brice
Special Contributor
LAS VEGAS — Winning in the trenches. Myriad key contributors. Three wins in a row.
Fittingly Notre Dame’s enthralling 28-20 win against BYU Saturday night here at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders but on this night, the Irish’s home in front of a sold-out crowd, featured a bit of everything from a defensive score to more records shattered by the program’s indomitable tight end to the way that the Irish closed out their second win under Marcus Freeman away from Notre Dame Stadium.
Above .500 for the first time this season at 3-2, the Irish return home for consecutive contests against struggling Stanford and a rebuilding UNLV program. There are opportunities to sustain the very real confidence and momentum that Freeman is infusing into his program.
In an item we’ll bring you after each Notre Dame contest, here’s the 4-1-1 on Notre Dame’s rugged win against BYU.
FOUR ELEMENTS THAT DEFINED NOTRE DAME MAINTAINING THE PROGRAM’S UNBLEMISHED RECORD IN SHAMROCK SERIES GAMES
- 0: In early-season losses at Ohio State and home against Marshall, Marcus Freeman lamented his Fighting Irish defensive unit’s inability to get a critical stop that could have altered the outcome of those hard-luck losses. As BYU found pockets of second-half momentum here Saturday night in Las Vegas, the Irish defense made a pair of galvanizing stops that could become the type of plays that prove further turning points in Notre Dame’s first season with Freeman at the helm. Ahead 28-20 inside the game’s final five minutes, Justin Ademilola and Marist Liufau stopped Cougars ballcarrier Christopher Brooks after just a yard on third-and-2. On the next snap, a fourth-and-1 that essentially closed out BYU’s hopes of a late-game jackpot, Jayson Ademilola and Nana Osafo-Mensah thwarted Lopini Katoa for zero gain. The Irish offense then melted away the game’s final 3 minutes, 37 seconds. In holding the Cougars scoreless on the drive, ND sealed its third-straight win. Moreover, earlier in the frame the Irish defense forced BYU into a short-lived possession that came after the Cougars’ tipped-ball interception of the Irish.
- No. 1: Michael Mayer, All-American. The Fighting Irish’s sensational tight end further stamped his name in indelible ink into the Notre Dame record books. Mayer’s 24-yard…