As a whole, Notre Dame’s defense played well against Louisville. The Cardinals moved up and down the field on the first couple of drives, but after that, the Irish stiffened, only allowing three points after the first quarter.
Despite adjusting well to Louisville’s offensive scheme, there was still a problem that never seemed to get sorted out — the linebacking corps.
Coming into the season, the Irish linebackers were one of the team’s biggest question marks. The position was in turmoil. Players like captain Drue Tranquill had graduated. Everyone knows it is difficult to replace multiple players at any position.