NC State football opponent scouting report: Notre Dame

NC State football is at home for the first time this year, hosting No. 10/11 Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are 2-0 after opening with easy wins over Navy in Dublin, Ireland, and Tennessee State in South Bend, Ind. The games were won by a combined score of 98-6.

Here is a full scouting report on Notre Dame:

Five Notre Dame Players To Watch

Junior offensive lineman Joe Alt (No. 76)

Notre Dame has a long tradition of being strong up front on offense, and Alt is the latest star lineman to emerge in the program. The 6-foot-8, 322-pounder was on almost everyone’s first-team list for preseason All-America honors, including Associated Press, Sporting News, Phil Steele, ESPN.com, CBS Sports, The Athletic and Athlon Sports.

Alt has started 23 straight games for Notre Dame at the critical left tackle position, the longest active streak for the Irish on offense.

Fifth-year senior linebacker JD Bertrand (No. 27)

If the last two years are an accurate indicator, NC State fans will hear Bertrand’s name often Saturday. He had 101 tackles in 2021, and then the 6-foot-1, 233-pound middle linebacker followed up with 92 more stops last year.

Bertrand’s 183 tackles in the past pair of seasons is tied for the seventh most in a two-year span in Notre Dame’s illustrious history.

Junior running back Audric Estimé (No. 7)

NC State can probably expect a healthy dose of Estimé. The 5-foot-11.5, 227-pounder broke out last season for Notre Dame, rushing 156 times for 920 yards and 11 touchdowns. Three times he went over 100 yards in a game, including a career-high 134 yards in a win at North Carolina.

He has nearly hit the century mark twice this year. In the opener against Navy, Estimé ran 16 times for 95 yards and a score, and then vs. Tennessee State added 13 carries for 116 yards and another touchdown.

Super senior quarterback Sam Hartman (No. 10)

After starting for the past three years at Wake Forest, including going 1-2 against NC State, Hartman transferred to Notre Dame to take advantage of his extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA to players during the COVID-19 pandemic season of 2020. Hartman is the active leader in the Football Bowl Subdivision in career touchdown passes (116) and passing yards (13,412), more than 20 ahead of the next nearest in the former and almost 2,000 yards more in the latter.

Hartman is tied for 12th all-time in college football history in TD passes and 16th in passing yards. He also owns the ACC record for career 300-yard passing games (21).

In his first two games for Notre Dame, Hartman has completed 33 of 40 passes for 443 yards and 6 touchdowns without an interception.

Sophomore cornerback Benjamin Morrison (No. 20)

As a true freshman in 2022, Morrison showcased his exciting potential. He picked off 6 passes (including 3 INTs vs. Boston College, which matched a school record) and added four more pass breakups. According to PFF data, Morrison allowed just a 43.1-percent completion rate and gave up only 1 touchdown. Opposing quarterbacks had a meager 29.2 NFL rating throwing at Morrison.

Morrison led all Power Five defensive backs in interceptions and was a consensus Freshman All-American.

Unsurprisingly, neither Navy or Tennessee State chose to challenge Morrison in the first two games this year. Navy did not throw his way once, and Tennessee State was 1 of 3 against Morrison, with one pass broken up.

What To Watch For From Notre Dame Against NC State Football

1. A physical, balanced offense: Notre Dame established last season a commitment to running the football, finishing 36th nationally in rushing yards per game at the FBS level. The Irish were also 21st in rushing attempts per game.

However, with the return of leading receiver Jayden Thomas and the arrival of Hartman, Notre Dame is much more equipped to complement the running game than in 2022, when the Irish were 98th in passing yards per game. That was 24 spots below NC State, who cycled through four quarterbacks last fall.

2. A disruptive defense: Second-year Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman rose through the coaching ranks as a defensive assistant, including as a defensive coordinator for the Irish before being promoted. As a player, Freeman was a linebacker at Ohio State, including when the Buckeyes played NC State in Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh in 2004 (a 22-14 OSU win).

Thus, the fact that the Irish are aggressive on defense is not surprising. Last year, Notre Dame was tied for 13th nationally in sacks per game and tied for 36th in average tackles for loss in a contest. In the first two games of 2023, the Irish had 10 tackles for loss, an average of 5.0 a game. That is tied for 15th in the young season.

3. A motivated squad: Odds are that Notre Dame will be eager to prove itself against a much more formidable opponent and earn some buzz as a College Football Playoff contender. Furthermore, Hartman was part of the Wake Forest-NC State football rivalry, which was a big deal for the Deacons. A Charlotte, N.C., native, Hartman played three spirited games against the Pack, losing both times in Carter-Finley Stadium.

Three Keys To The Game For NC State Football

1. Brennan Armstrong shining: What impressed most from the new-look NC State offense in the season-opening win at UConn was Armstrong’s ability to make plays scrambling and nearly reach 100 yards rushing. Against an aggressive defense that likes to blitz, a runner like Armstrong can be an asset. That may be especially true if the early weather forecast for rain Saturday proves true.

But Armstrong will need to make more explosive passes for NC State to be able to move the ball against a well-coached defense while protecting the football.

2. Dominate special teams: Winning the line of scrimmage against Notre Dame will be a challenge, but a difference-maker at quarterback combined with stellar special teams play can offset that. NC State was not perfect against UConn, but the special teams looked good in just about all facets.

3. Win third downs: Getting off the field for the NC State defense will be paramount so that Notre Dame does not wear down the Pack. Furthermore, with a lack of explosiveness in the offense, NC State will need to stay on schedule to score points, and that means converting third downs at a high rate.

Three Numbers Of Note For NC State Football Vs. Notre Dame

2-1 NC State football series record against Notre Dame. Clemson (5-4) and Florida State (6-5) are the only other ACC teams with a winning overall mark against the Irish. Notre Dame lost its only prior trip to Carter-Finley Stadium.

7.5 The point spread on the betting line in Notre Dame’s favor.

20 Years since NC State defeated Notre Dame, 28-6, on New Year’s Day in the Gator Bowl, giving the Pack a school-record 11 wins for the season.