Kizer covers for shaky D as Notre Dame beats Syracuse 50-33

A freaky start set the tone for a high-scoring affair, with the Fighting Irish riding quarterback DeShone Kizer and the rest of the potent offensive unit to a 50-33 win at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Eighteen seconds into the first quarter, DeShone Kizer connected with ND wide receiver, Equanimeous St.

The game gives Syracuse an opportunity on a national stage in an NFL stadium to show that first-year coach Dino Babers has the Orange pointed in the right direction. Receiver Ervin Phillips caught a touchdown following a long punt return, then after an interception, Syracuse had a makeable field goal chance to put the game within three, which kicker Cole Murphy hooked to the left.

Notre Dame will count this as progress after a week of upheaval and adjustments for a beleaguered defense. Irish took an early lead over the Orange, 7-0.

Or, consider this: 21 Notre Dame defensive players recorded a tackle against Syracuse’s first-team offense on Saturday, almost two full units worth of players.

“Guys like Tranquill, he’s got a lot of thoughts going through his head like, ‘Am I playing it the old way or the new way?'” Kelly said.

“We’re not a finished product”, Kelly said. “What I believed was going to happen was we needed those fourth downs to win the game”. Kelly made good on his promise to play more people, as an awesome 27 players were credited with tackles. And while the Irish settled in after a frenetic first quarter, this still was a slow start for a defense that allowed five touchdowns. He also had another return for 38 yards. Notre Dame struggled in Week 1 against Texas’ tempo and the Longhorns and Orange operate at a similar speed. Folston hasn’t been out of the game plan completely, though, rushing for 186 yards and five touchdowns on 4.3 yards per touch.

Kizer finds St. Brown for another TD on a 67-yard strike.

Ryan Finley threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns to help North Carolina State beat Wake Forest 33-16 on Saturday in its Atlantic Coast Conference opener.

Closing in on the end of the half, Kizer took an 11-yard loss after being sacked by Orange defenders. Unfortunately, Notre Dame’s defense surrendered an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown scoring drive not two minutes later.

Notre Dame’s Dexter Williams celebrates his touchdown with teammates Mike McGlinchey and Torii Hunter Jr.in the second half against Syracuse at MetLife Stadium on Saturday. An in-season fix seems unlikely.

There were numerous occasions, particularly in the first half, when the Irish had four freshmen on the field in the secondary.

But considering Syracuse’s fast-paced attack spreads out a defense and threatens to create creases in the running game, the Irish did a very solid job.

Babers and the Orange likely won’t face an uphill battle like this one until they travel to Death Valley to face No. 5 Clemson on November 5. He was SU’s best short-yardage option against Notre Dame, picking up one touchdown on a delayed quarterback sneak. If a change at defensive coordinator is warranted, it is as well on special teams. Cornerback Luke Cole was moved to nickelback, lining up inside instead of out.