Notre Dame finished the 2023 season with a 10-3 record, which landed them 14th in the final Associated Press poll. Some might argue that if it were not for the Irish’s defense, they may not have been ranked. The mastermind behind the stout defense was defensive coordinator Al Golden.
He managed to get his defensive unit to buy what he was selling. The Notre Dame defense surrendered just 276 yards per game, the Irish’s best since 1996. They also limited opponents to a mere 15.9 points per game, the program’s lowest in more than a decade.