Notre Dame’s defense forced four turnovers and recorded four sacks as the Irish defeated scrappy Boise State by 28-7. CJ Carr tossed two touchdown passes and tailbacks Jadarian Price and Jeremiyah Love each rushed for a score. It was an ugly game to watch, thanks to 24 penalty flags that cost each team 112 yards. The decisive factor was the dominance of Notre Dame’s defensive front. They held the Bronco offense to 100 yards rushing and forced them out of their comfort zone.

Carr started fast with passes to Will Pauling and Jordan Faison to move into scoring territory. Unfortunately, a false start on third and goal from the one-yard line proved to be disastrous. Mike Denbrock called for a direct snap to Love on fourth down. This wildcat run went nowhere and took over.

The Broncos failed to move and punted the ball back to the Irish. Love took off on a 38-yard romp and the hosts were back in business. Carr hit Pauling with a 19-yard strike for the first points of the game. Erik Schmidt’s extra point attempt was low and Boise State batted it down.

Both offenses sputtered under a blizzard of flags as the game moved into the second quarter. Carr failed to complete a fourth down pass when he badly overthrew a wide-open Pauling. This stop energized Broncos, who responded with a long scoring march. Quarterback Maddux Madsen hit a 28-yard pass before running untouched around left end for the touchdown. Suddenly, it seemed like a repeat of the Northern Illinois game.

The restless crowd calmed a bit as Notre Dame reclaimed the lead before halftime. Carr threw accurate passes and Love closed the deal with a four-yard burst. Carr and Pauling teamed up for a two-point conversion for a 14-7 lead with 48 seconds left. Irish safety Tae Johnson’s interception ended the half.

Notre Dame seized more firm control of the game in the third quarter. A sack by the defense led to a Bronco punt, and Carr went back to work. Malachi Fields snatched a fade pass in the end zone for a six-yard touchdown to make it 21-7.

Boise State tried to answer but Leonard Moore undercut a crossing route and picked off Madsen’s heave. Penalties prevented the Irish from extending their lead as the game crossed into the final period. The Broncos got the ball back but fizzled out at midfield when a fourth down pass hit the turf.

Price put the final nail in Boise’s coffin with an electric 49-yard run through the Bronco defense. Notre Dame now led by 28-7 with eight minutes remaining. This final stretch was excruciating. Flags flew on nearly every play as fans, coaches, and players were clearly disgusted. Mercifully, a fourth down interception by Luke Talich and Moore’s second pick shut down Boise State’s last gasps.

Anyone who taped this game has certainly deleted the recording by now. Marcus Freeman’s blood pressure will eventually recede to normal but it is his job to watch the film. Sorry about that, Coach.

Let’s review the answers to our pregame questions:

• Which team of 500+ yard offenses will live up to its billing? Neither played consistently well. Notre Dame squandered a few scoring opportunities and penalties disrupted both teams.
• Can the Irish force Boise State to be one-dimensional? Yes. The Broncos could not run effectively and were forced to throw 37 passes. Notre Dame caught four of them. A fifth interception by Jaylen Sneed was negated by, you guessed it, a penalty.
• Which team will dominate the line of scrimmage? The Irish front kept Carr’s green jersey clean while the defensive line had four sacks and numerous pressures. They held the Broncos to a meager 2.9 yards per rush.
• Will the Irish special teams make a positive difference? Almost. A silly rule negated a great play that would have downed an Irish punt at the Bronco one. The blocked extra point was an embarrassment.
• Can Notre Dame’s secondary disrupt Madsen’s quick passing game? Madsen was productive on short tosses but failed in the intermediate zones where Moore and Notre Dame ruled.
• Will Carr continue his impressive run of efficiency and accuracy? Not entirely. Carr missed on multiple deep throws by being late and underthrowing his receiver. He seems to guide the ball in these situations rather than letting it rip.
• Can Notre Dame’s linebackers emerge from hibernation and make some plays? Somewhat. Drayk Bowen had a sack and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa had a key pass breakup. The run defense was also improved.
• Will Love and Price rack up another 200 yards? They combined for 186, which was plenty good enough.

Notre Dame’s uneven and mistake-filled performance reminded us that this team is still a work in progress. Although Boise State proved to be a pesky opponent, the Irish had a significant talent advantage. A couple more touchdowns were there for the taking. This team needs to use next week’s matchup against North Carolina State to reach a higher performance level. If they continue their sloppy play, their midterm exam against USC may not earn a passing grade.