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Notre Dame football notched its first win of the 2022 college football season against the visiting California State Golden Bears. The Fighting Irish slipped past the Golden Bears, 24-17 in front of their home fans at the Notre Dame Stadium. Here are some takeaways from Notre Dame's big win over Cal in Week 3.
Marcus Freeman, the head coach of Notre Dame, has finally seen his first win. It surely didn't come easy, though.
Reliever QB Drew Pyne passed for two touchdowns and 150 yards in his first career start, and Notre Dame held on to beat California.
When two possibly game-winning turnovers were reversed, one on a targeting penalty and the second when Cal quarterback Jack Plummer was ruled down before fumbling, Freeman was asked about what was going through his head.
“It was a conversation between me and God, and a conversation between me and myself to focus on what matters,” Freeman said post-game.
Throughout the match, many Fighting Irish fans were praying and talking to themselves because of the manner the Irish played this season. To say that Notre Dame football was inconsistent is a massive understatement.
The Irish (1-2) outscored Cal (2-1) 10-0 in the fourth quarter to escape. They, therefore, avoided becoming only the third Notre Dame team to open the season 0-3 in its history. The Irish, who began the season at No. 5, made certain that there would be no second-half collapse this time.
Having said that, let's take a look at three takeaways from Notre Dame football's exciting Week 3 win over Cal.
3. Ground game still sputters for Notre Dame football
Notre Dame football's running offense regained some rhythm in the second half with Audric Estime, but the Irish struggled to carry the ball for much of the game. This was especially true in the first half when Notre Dame only gained 61 yards on 19 carries.
Estime got some success after halftime, though. He broke off a team-high 14-yard run in the third quarter. On 18 carries, he accumulated a total of 76 yards and one touchdown.
Notre Dame did go through some nervy endgame moments. The Irish were unable to burn the time in the final minutes of the game to keep their 7-point advantage completely safe. They needed a pair of first downs but weren't able to get those. Back-to-back Chris Tyree runs set up a 3rd and 5, and Pyne forced a punt with an incomplete pass. Tyree finished 64 yards on 17 carries to complete the game.
2. Drew Pyne is fine
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Drew Pyne finished with two touchdowns and 150 yards passing in his first professional start. He went 17-of-23 passing as a replacement for Tyler Buchner, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury last week. Pyne also fired a 21-yard touchdown ball to Tyree in addition to the scoring connection to Michael Mayer.
Pyne struggled at first. His first pass to Tyree was incomplete, as he overthrew numerous receivers and had other passes dropped. Pyne was hit in the facemask by a snap, but he recovered and passed off to Estime for a 7-yard gain.
Yes, Pyne was chastised by Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees after a shaky start, but he recovered. When the dust settled, Pyne had played inconsistent early, strong late, and eventually good enough to win. That was the most important thing following the Irish's first two losses this season.
Norte Dame OC Tommy Rees is clearly up in the booth giving QB Drew Pyne HELL 🤣😅
(via @RealBigDev216)pic.twitter.com/UQ6EcdBkHz
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 17, 2022
1. Marcus Freeman can finally breathe… for now
The Irish's new head coach couldn't afford a 0-3 start. Losing to California as a 13-point favorite would have been a nightmare. The slow offense is already affecting recruitment, and the product on the field hasn't lived up to the offseason promise.
Freeman is well-known for being an excellent defensive coordinator and recruiter. Still, he'll have to prove it all over again because the defense will have to lead this team. He'll also have to fend off threats to the 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes following this bad start.
The victory over Cal is a big shot to the arm. It at least countered the program's erstwhile negative aura.
“Found a way to finish,” Freeman said. “I’m proud of those guys. You know what, it is hard to win football games. It’s hard. You’ve seen it in the first three games. It’s hard.”
Irish fans even booed Notre Dame twice late in the second quarter as the errors mounted. “California!” yelled everyone. It marked the second week in a row that the local fans started a loud chant in favor of the other team.
Despite that, Freeman stated that he will take a minute to enjoy the victory.
“If you don’t take a minute to enjoy these things, you’re going to regret it,” he said. “That’s what I keep reminding myself is enjoy the victory.”
He also promised more wins in the future.
Marcus Freeman on NBC after his first win as Notre Dame's head coach: "This is going to be one of many to come."
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) September 17, 2022
