Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest: Grading the Irish's Win Against the Demon Deacons

The Irish went into Groves Stadium tonight and came out with a hard-fought victory over a good Wake Forest team. 

The Demon Deacons actually led at halftime 17-10, but the second half belonged to the Irish. 

The victory was not without mistakes, but overall it was an impressive performance for Notre Dame.  Let's break down each aspect of the game and see how they did in each area.

Grading the Irish's win over Wake Forest, let's take a look at how they fared.

Offense

The Notre Dame offense looked good today.  They did turn the ball over twice, but they passed the ball effectively and had success running the ball. 

Balance was the key for the Irish, passing for 166 yards and running for 175 more. 

Quarterback Tommy Rees went 14-of-23 with two touchdowns.  His two interceptions were costly, but not too costly, and he was able to manage the game effectively. 

The line did their job, and the Irish receivers played outstanding.

Offense Grade: B

Defense

A gritty performance for the Irish defense.  They allowed just 297 total yards to Wake Forest's offense.

They were effective keeping the rushing offense grounded, allowing only 110 yards on the ground.  Equally impressive was their pass defense, allowing only 187 yards through the air. 

The defense forced one turnover, but they played scrappy all night long.  They held the Demon Deacons to just 17 points and proved that demons are no match for touchdown Jesus. 

Defense Grade: A-

Special Teams

Notre Dame's special teams played well enough to win the game.  If a mistake had been made in this area, it might have changed the game completely. 

As it was, the Irish punted four times, with one being similar to a quick kick.  They averaged 36.3 yards per punt, which considering the punt by Rees went just 21 yards. 

The Irish went 1-for-1 on field goal tries and had 115 yards in kick-return yards. 

Special Teams Grade: B+

Coaching

Winning helps your team come together.  With recent reports that some of the older players on the team were a bit insulted by their coach's comments, there is no better medicine than winning.

No issues on the coaching side this game.  Proper play-calling and clock management were done exceptionally well. 

Notre Dame moves to 6-3 on the year, and that kind of record helps calm the coaching waves in South Bend. 

Coaching Grade: B+

Overall

Overall, this was a good game for the Irish.  A gutsy win where they showed lots of heart.  The Irish are poised to play in a decent bowl game this year after this key victory. 

With games against Maryland, Boston College and Stanford remaining, the Irish look to finish strong. 

Overall Grade in the Irish's victory over Wake Forest: B+