Notre Dame exploded for 31 points in the second quarter and never looked back as the Fighting Irish cleared the bench in a 66-14 romp. Five players scored their first career touchdown for the hosts, including freshman safety Kyle Hamilton, who accounted for the first points of the afternoon with a 34-yard interception return. The others included receivers Javon McKinley and Braden Lenzy, and running backs C’Bo Flemister and Avery Davis.

Hamilton’s pick-six was the only highlight of a shaky first quarter. The Lobos were competitive on both sides of the ball for the initial 20 minutes, and forced the Notre Dame offense to spend four running plays to convert a first and goal from the three yard line. Ian Book’s quarterback sneak lifted the Irish to a 14-0 advantage early in the second quarter, and then the fun really started.

Interceptions by Jalen Elliott and Shaun Crawford set up touchdowns by Davis and Chase Claypool, respectively. Davis took a flip pass from Book behind the line and swept into the clear for a 59 yard score. Claypool accounted for all 54 yards of a two-play drive, capped by a 37-yard deep post grab.

These scores sandwiched an even more impressive play by McKinley. Book hit the senior on a short toss over the middle and he turned it into six points by breaking five tackles in a 65-yard play. McKinley later added another touchdown reception from Book, showing excellent hands on a contested catch in the end zone.

Jonathan Doerer completed the scoring in a 38-7 first half by hitting his first field goal attempt of the season from 36 yards as time expired. Bryson Carroll had put the Lobos on the board just 29 seconds earlier with a 47-yard touchdown burst.

McKinley’s second score and a 54-yard scamper by Chris Finke on a shovel pass extended Notre Dame’s lead to 52-7 halfway through the third period. This prompted Coach Brian Kelly to unleash his bench, and his reserves were more than ready to get in on the action.

Quarterback Phil Jurkovec promptly fired a perfect 61-yard strike to Lenzy, who was brought down at the New Mexico seven yard line. From there, it took nine plays and numerous penalties on both teams before Flemister crashed into the end zone on a fourth down play.

Lenzy capped the Irish scoring avalanche with a 22-yard run after catching a flat pass from third string quarterback Brendon Clark with 7:14 left in the game. The Lobos added a late touchdown to double their own point total. By that point, every Irish player, student manager, cheerleader and even athletic director Jack Swarbrick was putting on a uniform and mugging for the camera.

The lopsided result was great for the fans and the morale of the team, but the competition is about to improve exponentially. Notre Dame’s offensive line again failed to assert itself against an inferior opponent, as the first team offense never established a semblance of a running game.

Let’s review the answers to our pregame questions:

Will the Irish defense take control early after failing to do so at Louisville? New Mexico made a few first downs early, but could not sustain its drives. The Irish then pressured quarterback Sheriron Jones into errant passes, and the floodgates opened.

Can Book maintain his cool in the pocket while searching for an open receiver? Book started a bit slow but kept his eyes downfield and started to find his receivers. Once he got going he made some outstanding throws.

Will Williams or Davis provide any excitement at the running back position? Davis scored on his first touch, and Lenzy also flashed his speed in impressive fashion.

Can New Mexico connect on any long play-action passes? No, both Lobo quarterbacks were badly off target (10 for 28).

Which Notre Dame linebackers will show the most improvement? Asmar Bilal had a few good moments, while the others were just okay.

Will any of the young Irish receivers establish themselves as legitimate threats? McKinley is not young, but his stock went way up today. Lenzy and Lawrence Keys definitely show great potential.

Can the Irish pass rush keep the Lobos’ third down conversion rate in check? Yes, unless they just went ahead and caused an interception.

How disappointed will Irish fans be that Davie is not on the sidelines? Oh, don’t worry. Everyone knew that was Bob Davie’s team alright.

The preliminaries have ended for Notre Dame and now it’s time to find out what kind of team this is. Book will face plenty of pressure and he must get help from his offensive line. This group must give Book time to throw and a credible running game to keep out of certain passing situations. Right now, there are many reasons for concern, but let’s not be in a rush to dampen the glow of an easy victory.