Notre Dame blitzed Boston College with 21 points in the first quarter and coasted to a 31-13 victory on Saturday night. The Irish defense stonewalled BC’s anemic rushing attack and forced its two inexperienced quarterbacks to the air. The results were predictable, and Notre Dame was able to add points whenever it appeared the hosts might regain momentum.

Armando Allen’s 30-yard burst on the opening possession set up an option keeper by Dayne Crist for the first score less than two minutes into the contest. Eagle quarterback Chase Rettig struggled to move his team early in the game, and the Irish passed their way into scoring territory minutes later. Crist capped a 59-yard drive by hitting Kyle Rudolph for two yards and a 14-0 lead.

Boston College continued to go three and out as linebacker Carlo Calabrese stuffed running back Montel Harris and his teammates defended the short, tentative passes thrown by Rettig. Meanwhile, Crist found Michael Floyd twice to bring the Irish into the red zone, and later hit a wide open Theo Riddick for a 20-yard score for a 21-0 lead at the 2:19 mark.

On the verge of a suffering a rout in its own stadium, the Eagle defense tightened up and Rettig became a bit more comfortable in the pocket.  A perfectly executed stop and go route by Bobby Swigert fooled cornerback Gary Gray, and Rettig hit him in stride for a 58-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-7 at the end of the first quarter.

The tide seemed to turn for Boston College as Notre Dame fumbled on two of its next three possessions. Rettig led the Eagles to a field goal after the first fumble near midfield, but he suffered a leg injury on a scramble and left the game. His replacement, Mike Marscovetra, could not capitalize on the second fumble deep in Irish territory, but Nate Freese converted another field goal to make it 21-13 with 6:26 left in the half.

Notre Dame fought back on the strength of a Bennett Jackson kick return that was capped by a personal foul on BC. Starting the ensuing drive in Eagle territory, Allen took a shovel pass 24 yards before the drive stalled in the red zone. David Ruffer continued his perfect field goal kicking with a 25-yarder and the Irish moved ahead by 24-13 at intermission.

Marscovetra struggled to mount a threat in the second half as his receivers dropped passes or simply could not get open. Harris could not provide relief through the running game, and the Irish defense sat back and forced punt after punt. Midway through the third period, Notre Dame’s offense put together the only solid drive by either team in the second half. The Irish mixed a series of short passes and productive runs to drive 76 yards for the clinching score, a two-yard burst by Allen with just under 20 minutes left in the game.

Neither team accomplished much after it became obvious that the outcome was decided. Robert Blanton and Harrison Smith recorded fourth quarter interceptions for Notre Dame as Marscovetra filled the air with often errant passes, and the Irish cleared the bench. Freshman linebacker Prince Shembo delivered two sacks for Notre Dame and sophomore tackle Tyler Stockton contributed one.

The offensive performance by Notre Dame was not artistic by any means, and BC’s defense did adjust after the first period blitzkrieg to slow down the Irish attack. The injury to Rettig effectively ended any hope the Eagles had of making a game of it. Still, Notre Dame threw 45 passes and ran only 30 times, which is difficult to understand for a team that burst ahead by three touchdowns in the first 13 minutes. The Irish gained only 128 net yards rushing, but the inept Eagles managed only five.

Let’s review the questions that largely determined the outcome:

Will the Eagle defensive line win the battle up front and force the Irish away from the running game? No. Although Notre Dame did not run a lot, Allen was effective with 90 yards on 19 carries and the offensive line held its own.

Can the Irish force Rettig to make mistakes and play like a freshman? Yes, but he was plagued by a set of slow receivers with bad hands, and had to leave the game just as it appeared he might get untracked. Marscovetra was unable to generate any productive drives.

Will Notre Dame show improvement on special teams, particularly in the return game? Yes. Bennett Jackson contributed a couple of impressive kickoff returns that led to 10 Irish points.

Can the Irish cornerbacks effectively cover BC’s tall receivers? Yes. Even when it appeared they were open, the BC receivers could not hang onto the ball.

Which team will be more efficient on third down and in the red zone? Notre Dame scored four of five touchdowns once it reached the Eagle 20. BC’s only excursion into this territory followed a fumble recovery, and they settled for a field goal.

Will Crist be allowed to run the ball? He ran the ball in untouched for Notre Dame’s first score, and that was enough to establish the threat for the rest of the game.

Can the Irish get past the “almost” stage and put together a complete, winning performance? This one was almost painful to watch after the first quarter, but the Eagles’ offensive ineptitude prevented any excitement from creeping back into the telecast.

The Irish will return home against Pitt while hoping to even their record at 3-3 and continue to improve. October’s schedule appears to be winnable, and anything short of a 6-3 record by Halloween will be viewed as a disappointment. While the offense misfires at times and sends Brian Kelly into short bursts of Irish rage, the defense made strides this week and will search to develop additional depth as the season’s wear and tear becomes a factor. Overall, however, a team that was starved for a win can finally look forward with renewed hope for this season and beyond.