Another week, another top-15 win for Notre Dame.
The Irish beat No. 14 NC State 35-14 in South Bend on Saturday, following the same formula they've been using all season: an unyielding defense, timely passes from Brandon Wimbush and a whole lot of Josh Adams.
The win improved Notre Dame's record on the season to 7-1 and kept it in the College Football Playoff conversation. Here's what you need to know about Saturday's victory.
1. Josh Adams is a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender: Coming into the game NC State's defense had allowed only 91.3 rushing yards per game and 3.04 yards per carry. No team had managed to rush for more than 133 yards against the Wolfpack defense this season, and even then, Furman needed 47 carries to get there.
On Saturday, Adams rushed for 202 yards by himself, averaging 7.5 yards per carry.
The performance brings Adams' totals on the season to 1,169 yards and nine touchdowns on the season. With Saquon Barkley having a rough day -- for him -- against Ohio State on Saturday, there's no doubt Adams gained ground in the Heisman race.
Adams reached the 1,000-yard mark for the season quicker than any other player in Notre Dame history, getting there on his 110th carry of the season.
2. Notre Dame is a legitimate playoff contender right now: Things are working out perfectly for the Irish right now. Last week, they crushed USC, effectively eliminating the Trojans from the College Football Playoff conversation. This week they took out one of the ACC's playoff contenders in NC State.
And it's not just that Notre Dame is winning these games, it's the fashion in which its doing so.
Those are two top-15 teams Notre Dame has disposed of in the last two weeks by a combined score of 84-28. It's one thing to beat good teams, it's another to obliterate them, and you know the selection committee has taken notice.
Now, obviously, the Irish need to keep winning to reach the playoff, and with games left against Wake Forest, Miami, Navy and Stanford, that's hardly a sure thing. Of course, on the other side of that coin, those are four more possible wins to add to what's already an impressive resume.
3. NC State still has plenty to play for: With two losses, you can probably remove NC State from the playoff conversation, but this loss does nothing to ruin the Pack's ACC title hopes.
NC State is still 4-0 in conference play, and it has no time to feel sorry for itself. Clemson comes to Raleigh next week, and a win in that game would give the Wolfpack a chokehold on the Atlantic Division crown.
