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Notre Dame has issues heading into Florida State

Will Fuller has emerged as a primary receiving threat, catching seven passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday against North Carolina. (Associated Press)
Tom Coyne Associated Press
Will Fuller has emerged as a primary receiving threat, catching seven passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday against North Carolina. (Associated Press)

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The best thing No. 5 Notre Dame has going as it looks toward No. 2 Florida State is this: The Fighting Irish find a way to win each week.

Yet there are plenty of concerns.

Quarterback Everett Golson can’t hold onto the ball, turning the ball over nine times in the past three games. The defense appeared flustered by North Carolina’s high-tempo offense and made quarterback Marquise Williams look like a Heisman Trophy candidate — not an ideal situation for a game where the Irish will be facing reigning Heisman winner Jameis Winston.

The Irish are also about to play in an opponent’s home stadium for the first time this season against a team that has won a school-record 22 straight games, the nation’s longest winning streak. The Seminoles (6-0), overtaken by Mississippi State for the No. 1 ranking Sunday, represent the biggest game for the Irish (6-0) since they were routed 42-14 by No. 2 Alabama in the national title game two seasons ago.

“These are the kind of teams we want to challenge ourselves against, whether it’s Alabama, Florida State,” coach Brian Kelly said Sunday. “We want to be challenged nationally against the very, very best. I think that’s probably more significant than anything else. These are the games we want to play. We want to be relevant playing the very best at this time of the season.”

The players, after the 50-43 victory over North Carolina on Saturday, realize they need to play better.

“We need to increase intensity, increase focus, increase execution, communication, all that kind of stuff,” safety Max Redfield said. “Florida State is a great team. … We know it’s going to be a challenge. We love it.”

Notre Dame linebacker Joe Schmidt called the win over North Carolina a learning experience.

“We’ve got to do a much better job next week. A lot of learning happened today,” he said. “We just need to make sure that we continue making plays. We’ve got to be better next week.”

Kelly blamed much of the defense’s problems on the three Golson turnovers that led to 21 points and the defense tiring late against a quick-moving offense that didn’t allow the Irish to substitute the way they wanted. Losing safety Austin Collinsworth to a dislocated shoulder also caused problems in the secondary.

“We’re young and inexperienced, and if we put ourselves in bad situations as a team, we can have some tough moments out there,” Kelly said.

North Carolina’s 184 yards rushing and 326 yards passing were the most this season against the Irish and the 43 points were the most scored by an opponent in a Notre Dame victory. The previous record was a 48-42 victory over Hawaii in 1991.

“I just think fundamentally we need to improve,” Schmidt said. “So this week will be big. We’ll just need to focus on doing the little things right over the next week of practice.”

Golson said the key for him is to stop turning the ball over.

“I come in here kind of every week for the last couple of weeks saying I have to do a better job. Right now, it’s time for me to stop saying that and time for me to put my words into action and actually do that,” he said.