Notre Dame defense brings ‘one play, one life’ mentality into UNC matchup

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Notre Dame’s defense has spent the first four weeks of the season making life miserable for opposing offenses. Now, the Fighting Irish will take one of the nation’s top defensive units on the road for their first ACC matchup of the season against North Carolina.

Notre Dame enters Saturday’s game limiting explosive plays, allowing fewer than 2 yards per carry, and ranking near the top of the country in several major defensive categories. But inside the Irish locker room, the focus has remained much simpler.

“Our mindset is if things aren’t going great, it’s one play, one life,” linebacker Drayk Bowen said. “If you lose or win, it’s get to the next play and go do it again.”

That mentality has been especially effective when Notre Dame turns up the pressure.

Against three Big Ten quarterbacks this season, opposing passers have combined for just 51 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions on plays when the Irish defense has gotten home. Notre Dame has also recorded 10 sacks in those matchups.

Linebacker Jaylen Sneed believes part of that improvement comes from the growing familiarity between the defense and second-year defensive coordinator Chris Ash.

“I feel like Coach Ash this year knows his players a little bit better, so he’s able to put them in better positions to make plays,” Sneed said.

Those positions are producing some of the best numbers in college football. Notre Dame ranks second nationally in both points allowed per game and yards allowed per play through four weeks.

“We play with a lot of intensity, a lot of emotion and high motors,” Bowen said. “We break it down every meeting, after every practice, before every game, to be the best in the world.”

Still, the Irish are not treating their early-season success as a finished product.

“We’re still nothing yet,” Sneed said. “We still got to be better at stopping the run, and there’s still a couple plays out there they’ve gotten rushing yards, so we need to keep getting better.”

One area that hasn't been much of a problem is getting to the quarterback. Notre Dame ranks ninth nationally in sacks and recorded six in its latest win over Purdue.

Freshman safety Joey O’Brien added the first sack of his career in that game, continuing a strong start that has already led to comparisons with former Notre Dame star Kyle Hamilton.

O’Brien, however, is not interested in becoming the next version of somebody else.

“I mean, it’s a great feeling to be compared to him, but, you know, I’m Joey O’Brien. I gotta do what I gotta do,” O’Brien said. “I’m just trying to be the best me.”

Notre Dame will now try to carry that production into Chapel Hill. Saturday at noon.