What can the Irish improve on during the off week heading into their home court?

With Notre Dame enjoying its final week off before entering the final four-game stretch of the season, getting as healthy as possible is the Irish’s top priority, but not the only one. The Irish are also looking to play their best ball in November and continue to improve.

Offensively, after a rocky start at times early in the season, Riley Leonard is now hitting his stride and looks more comfortable leading the Irish offense by week and with the numbers to back it up.

The offensive line is starting to play much better as a unit and was able to get Billy Shrauth back last week as well.

If Denbrock’s confidence in Riley Leonard grows along with his increasingly impressive stat line, perhaps he’ll try to open up the offense a bit more for the remaining four games. Stretch the field more. Find more creative ways to get the ball that hasn’t been shown yet to the talented group of defenders.

This offense is worth exploring for whatever the “next step” is in a Denbrock offense. He earned that right through his play.

The Irish defense also has more to prove

Notre Dame’s defense has been the backbone of the program for many years. That’s a credit to the Notre Dame culture and most recently a credit to Al Golden whose unit is only giving up a stingy 12.1 PPG to the opposition. Even when battling some serious injuries to key players in key positions, this group never let up.

Perhaps this extended layoff will allow Christian Gray to further adjust to being the lead corner on the field due to Ben Morrison’s injury, and for Leonard Moore and Karson Hobbs to continue to thrive in key secondary roles. I expect other young players like KVA and Bryce Young, two of the most talented athletes on the team, to shine.

As the weather cools, Notre Dame’s defense gets bolder. This group is relentless and holds themselves to a high standard every week. A single set. This unit will carry the Irish to and through whatever happens the rest of this season.

For more Irish news and notes, follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and or your favorite audio podcast provider.

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