Matchups: Notre Dame Ready to Send Seniors Out With a Statement Win

Entering last week’s game, Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi said he wouldn’t be fazed by losing to Notre Dame because it was not a conference game. That kind of losing sentiment carried over in his team’s performance as the Irish declawed the Panthers 37–15. The Notre Dame defense held the Pittsburgh offense to 219 total yards of offense. That included a 21-yard touchdown pass against reserve players that came after Narduzzi called a timeout with five seconds remaining in the game.

The game was never in doubt as Notre Dame controlled it from beginning to end. That kind of domination will be needed again this weekend if the Irish hope to continue to impress the College Football Playoff committee. Unlike last game, however, this weekend’s matchup will not feature a ranked opponent. Instead, the Irish will be facing a 3–7 Syracuse squad that is coming off a bye week.

Below are some of the key matchups to look out for on Saturday:

QB CJ Carr vs. Syracuse Passing Defense

Notre Dame’s standout quarterback CJ Carr continues to impress as the season moves along. Even including two interceptions against a stingy Pittsburgh defense, Carr completed 21 of 32 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns. He also added one rushing touchdown. The redshirt freshman is currently ranked third in the nation with a passing efficiency of 170.90.

Carr will be facing the 121st-ranked pass defense in the country that is allowing 267 passing yards per game.
Edge: Notre Dame

Notre Dame Passing Defense vs. QB Joe Filardi

The Irish pass defense put on a clinic last weekend against Pittsburgh as it kept true freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel guessing all game long. Heintschel completed 16 of 33 passes for 126 yards and one interception. He finished with a quarterback rating of 8.7.

This weekend Notre Dame’s 77th-ranked pass defense will be squared up against another true freshman quarterback in Syracuse’s Joe Filardi. His only start came against North Carolina two games ago, and he completed four of 18 passes for 39 yards. In the Orange’s last game against Miami, Filardi entered the game late but still managed to complete all three of his passes for 39 yards and a score.
Edge: Notre Dame

Jeremiyah Love vs. Syracuse Rushing Defense

Running back Jeremiyah Love put on a show his last time out against Pittsburgh, rushing for 147 yards on 23 carries including a 56-yard touchdown run. The Heisman hopeful is currently ranked fourth in the country with 1,135 rushing yards. He is also ranked 13th in the nation with 6.41 yards per carry.

Love should find even more openings this weekend against a Syracuse defense that’s ranked 95th in the country, surrendering 163.4 yards per contest.
Edge: Notre Dame

Notre Dame Rushing Defense vs. Syracuse Rushing Offense

The biggest strength to Notre Dame’s defense is arguably its run defense. It limited Pittsburgh to 70 yards rushing on 25 carries (2.8 YPC) last time out. The Irish’s run defense is allowing 99.3 rushing yards per game, which has them 13th best in the nation.

It will be facing one of the worst rushing offenses in college football on Saturday, as Syracuse is ranked 113th, averaging only 117.7 yards per game.
Edge: Notre Dame

Syracuse Motivation vs. Notre Dame Motivation

Even with two losses on the season, Notre Dame still has all its goals in front of them. By winning its final two games, including this weekend’s game against Syracuse, the Irish have a legit chance of making the College Football Playoffs with the possibility of hosting another home playoff game.

Syracuse, on the other hand, has nothing to play for except maybe for next season. Syracuse head coach Fran Brown is starting a true freshman at quarterback for the second time in three games, which suggests the Orange have moved on to next season. It’ll be interesting to see how many Syracuse players have also checked out mentally and physically on the 2025 season.
Edge: Notre Dame