The Notre Dame Fighting Irish started the college football season on a great note, beating Texas A&M on Saturday. Despite the 23-13 victory, there is still reason for Notre Dame fans to have concerns about the roster.

Will the offensive attack led by Riley Leonard be enough to get Notre Dame into the College Football Playoff? And can their defensive front get after the quarterback against some of their tougher competition? These are all questions coming out of South Bend after their 1-0 start.

Notre Dame's offense must step up

Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) warms up prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field.
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

The scoreline tells only part of the story of this concern. Notre Dame scored 23 points in their victory on Saturday, which is not going to be enough to beat some of the tough teams on their schedule. They scored six points in the first half and the game was tied after two quarters. The offense must step up despite their better play in the second half.

Leonard struggled against the Aggie defense. In his first game with the Irish, he completed 18 of his 30 passes for 158 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. While his rough night could be attributed to Mike Elko's intimate knowledge of his game, it does lead to questions for the Notre Dame offense.

The running game did succeed in the second half. Both touchdowns came on the ground, one from Jeremiyah Love and the other from Jadarian Price. While Notre Dame did run the ball well, quarterback play is an exceptionally important aspect of winning a national championship. They have a soft schedule that can help them figure that out in the coming weeks.

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Great defense must rack up sacks

Notre Dame's defense put up a stout performance against Texas A&M and did not lead to many concerns. Despite only allowing 13 points, they sacked the quarterback just one time and only made three tackles for loss. While they did more than enough for the team to win, there should be marked improvements in those categories moving forward.

Their next game is against Northern Illinois at home. The Saturday afternoon affair should lead to more sacks for the defensive line. The Huskies are a step below the Irish despite them not allowing any sacks in their week one game against Western Illinois. Notre Dame must pick up multiple sacks and over five tackles for loss against Northern Illinois to solidify themselves as a great defense.

Their next matchup against a ranked opponent is not until November when they play Florida State. The defense must terrorize opponents between now and then to give Notre Dame a chance to win that game. The secondary did create turnovers in their week one game, including an interception that sealed the victory in the fourth quarter. When the defensive line starts to get after the quarterback, this defense will be at a National Championship level.

As Notre Dame prepares for their remaining schedule, these concerns must be at the forefront. Head coach Marcus Freeman must ensure these problems do not continue for Notre Dame to make the expanded playoff and win a National Championship.