Notre Dame’s gorgeous upset loss to NIU: What went flawed for Irish? Are Playoff hopes gone?

By Pete Sampson, Stewart Mandel and Justin Williams

No. 5 Notre Dame suffered a stunning upset towards Northern Illinois, shedding 16-14 on Saturday in South Bend after lacking a 62-yard area purpose on the final play.

The Irish had been 28.5-point favorites, per BetMGM, and it’s the primary time NIU has crushed a top-10 group at school historical past.

After Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard threw an interception with 5:55 left whereas holding a 14-13 lead, NIU drove 31 yards in 11 performs and bought a 35-yard area purpose from Kanon Woodill to take the lead with 31 seconds left. The Huskies had transformed one fourth down en path to the sector purpose however had been denied one other first down by a questionable spot just a few performs later, forcing them to try the go-ahead area purpose sooner than hoped. Notre Dame accomplished a go into NIU territory within the remaining seconds earlier than its lengthy area purpose try was denied.

The loss comes one week after Notre Dame seemingly made an early School Soccer Playoff assertion with a 23-13 win at Texas A&M. Now, the Irish are left selecting up the items following a loss to a MAC group, the second time the Combating Irish have misplaced at residence to an opponent from the Group of 5 beneath third-year coach Marcus Freeman.

“Disappointing. It’s our job as coaches to verify these guys are able to go,” Freeman mentioned afterward. “I’ve at all times mentioned efficiency is a mirrored image of preparation.”

That is what it is all about.

NIU’s @NIUCoachHammock is overcome with emotion after main his group to the win at Notre Dame! @NIU_Football | @NIUAthletics | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/K7oS9tsrTC

— #MACtion (@MACSports) September 7, 2024

What occurred to Notre Dame?

Notre Dame can verify its School Soccer Playoff hopes, which fell to 34 % instantly after Week 2 in The Athletic’s mannequin from 73 % — and should look far bleaker than that.

Even when the Irish had held on towards Northern Illinois, Notre Dame seemed like a shell of itself after final weekend’s assertion win at Texas A&M. All of it left Freeman uncovered in the beginning of his third season, which seemed like a make yr final weekend and a break yr on Saturday.

For Notre Dame, the loss deflates a season that was presupposed to outline Freeman’s tenure, a technique or one other. Now he’s left to clarify one other loss to a Group of 5 group, after beforehand shedding to Marshall in 2022. Again then, Freeman had the advantage of time. He was presupposed to study on the job as a first-time head coach. That is totally different. Freeman was presupposed to have matured within the job coming into his third yr, each in roster building and employees meeting.

Retaining defensive coordinator Al Golden and hiring offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock felt like grasp strokes. Plucking Leonard out of the portal from Duke felt like genius transfer. As a substitute, Notre Dame is sort of drowning in questions two weeks into the season. — Sampson

Notre Dame’s offense deflates Playoff hopes

For the second time in as many weeks, Notre Dame’s new-look offense did not encourage — and this time it value them the sport. Final week towards Texas A&M, the Irish admirably rode a few lengthy landing runs to victory in School Station, which was sufficient towards an excellent worse A&M offense. However Saturday’s loss to Northern Illinois put the highlight squarely on these struggles, significantly within the passing recreation, as Leonard completed 20-for-32 for 163 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions, after throwing for simply 158 yards final week. In whole, NIU outgained Notre Dame 388 to 286.

Freeman employed Denbrock this offseason particularly to handle these considerations, bringing in a veteran play-caller and somebody he labored alongside for plenty of years whereas they had been each coordinators at Cincinnati. At LSU final season, Denbrock led probably the most potent offense within the nation by way of factors per recreation and yards per play, and produced a Heisman-winning QB within the course of. Neither that explosiveness nor the familiarity has manifested for Notre Dame but in 2024, nevertheless it must if the Irish nonetheless have any hopes of reaching the Playoff. And after Saturday, they could not. — Williams

NIU scores largest win in program historical past

NIU had its moments over the yr — beating No. 21 Alabama in 2003, going to the Orange Bowl in 2012 and producing Heisman finalist Jordan Lynch in 2013 – however beating a top-five Notre Dame group in South Bend is with out query the most important win in program historical past.

The earlier highest-ranked win for the Huskies got here towards No. 15 Maryland on Aug. 28, 2003. It’s additionally the highest-ranked opponent a MAC group has ever crushed. The final time the MAC had a top-10 win was on Sept. 20, 2003, when it had two, plus NIU’s win over Alabama on the identical day.

Sixth-year head coach and former NIU star operating again Thomas Hammock led the Huskies to 2021 MAC championship recreation, however the group had been simply 11-15 since then. NIU tied for third within the MAC’s preseason ballot, and we’ll see if this upset turns into the prelude to a different championship run.

Keep in mind: The very best-ranked Group of 5 convention champion makes the Playoff. — Mandel

Notre Dame has a quarterback downside

For all of the reward directed at Leonard in the course of the previous 9 months, Saturday was a reminder that little of it has been directed towards his proper arm. Leonard has management qualities and run-game expertise, however he has been a developmental passer two video games into his Notre Dame profession. For a quarterback with designs on taking part in on the subsequent stage, that should enhance earlier than the top of this season.

Leonard didn’t full a go of at the least 20 yards towards Northern Illinois and barely tried any. He usually seemed hesitant studying the Northern Illinois protection and was picked off within the first half on a late throw over the center to Jaden Greathouse. He was later picked off in NIU territory, organising the Huskies’ successful drive.

The most effective of Leonard stays his dashing potential, which was ominously apparent on Notre Dame’s landing drive to open the sport. Leonard had 5 dashing makes an attempt throughout that drive, together with the landing. It was pretty much as good because the Duke switch seemed within the recreation.

Throughout coaching camp, Denbrock referenced the way it took Jayden Daniels till his second season at LSU to grasp his offense, usually not trusting his wideouts throughout that first fall. Leonard doesn’t have that sort of time. — Sampson

Why Notre Dame’s protection struggled

Notre Dame’s protection staged an expert efficiency final weekend at Texas A&M. The Irish didn’t enable a run of 10 yards or extra. They didn’t enable a go past 20 yards. They gave up simply 13 factors.

That every one fell aside towards Northern Illinois because the Huskies labored misdirection into the sport plan on the expense of the youthful Irish linebackers. Ethan Hampton hit operating backs Antario Brown for an 83-yard landing within the first quarter with Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa in protection. Brown put up a 43-yard reception later within the quarter. The Huskies additionally posted a 28-yard run.

.@ethan_hampton4 finds @S1imeBrown and takes it 83-yards to the HOUSE!! @NIU_Football | #MACtion pic.twitter.com/ei7PTsK81U

— #MACtion (@MACSports) September 7, 2024

It’s arduous to sq. how Notre Dame’s youthful linebackers — Viliamu-Asa, Drayk Bowen, Jaylen Sneed and Jaiden Ausberry — may regress a lot in a every, though Ausberry made an enormous third-down cease and a fourth-down go break-up within the second half. Regardless of the cause, Golden and linebackers coach Max Bullough have an issue to unravel heading towards subsequent week’s recreation towards Purdue.

Jack Kiser is likely to be a dependable captain of the protection, however he wants assist. — Sampson

“We’re 1-1. We’ve to just accept that reality. However we’ve an extended season forward of us.” – Xavier Watts

— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) September 7, 2024

What’s subsequent?

Notre Dame resumes its in-state rivalry towards Purdue with a visit to West Lafayette subsequent Saturday, adopted by residence video games towards Miami (OH) and Louisville earlier than an Oct. 5 idle date.

NIU has an off week to have fun its monumental win in South Bend earlier than internet hosting Buffalo on Sept. 21 and visiting NC State for one more likelihood at a Energy 4 upset on Sept. 28.

 (Photograph: Brian Spurlock / Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photographs)