Inside Notre Dame’s offensive game plan: staying explosive and hard to scheme

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- This weekend, the Fighting Irish are heading to the West Coast to take on Stanford in their final game of the regular season.

What stood out most in talking with players and coaches this week is the way they’re treating this matchup — several coaches referred to it as their “Super Bowl.” Yes, Stanford is 4–7, but they’re 4–1 at home, and with this potentially being their head coach’s final game, they’re expected to throw absolutely everything they have at Notre Dame. To stay in the College Football Playoff conversation, the Irish know they can’t afford to slip and that starts with an explosive offensive performance.

Leading the way is running back Jeremiyah Love, who has already scored 17 touchdowns in 11 games. Head Coach Marcus Freeman praised an underrated part of Love’s game — his blocking ability in quarterback power packages, especially down by the goal line. Freeman said linebackers and safeties are often “stunned” by how physical he is when attacking the point of contact.

As a unit, Notre Dame’s offense is averaging 41.4 points per game, making them one of the highest-scoring teams in the FBS. They know the key to success is staying difficult to scheme against by keeping the playbook wide open and allowing CJ Carr to efficiently connect with explosive targets like Malachi Fields and Will Pauling.

On special teams, kicker Noah Burnette is listed as questionable but could return this weekend. Freshman Erik Schmidt has stepped in but is still looking for his first field goal of the season.