Let’s overanalyze Notre Dame’s Blue-Gold Game
Or maybe don’t read too much into Notre Dame’s spring game, because that would be very silly
SOUTH BEND, IN - APRIL 25: Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Joe Otting (64) prepares to snap the ball during the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Spring Game on April 25, 2026 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images If you have followed me long enough over the years, you already know that I don’t put too much stock into what Notre Dame football presents us each spring. I know it’s exciting to get a glimpse at next season, and to begin putting our hopes into one individual or another, but the version of the football we see in spring is vastly different than what we get in the fall.
So, having said that, the Blue-Gold Game wasn’t much of what fans had hoped for on Saturday — and that’s fine. Much of what went on during the game was because of how it was formatted and who was playing. Marcus Freeman is completely entitled to run his football practices any way he wishes, and make no mistake about it, the game was ultimately a glorified practice.
In this practice, the defense clearly won the day despite the “score” that was on the scoreboard. CJ Carr struggled a bit, but any big takeaways from what went down isn’t just wrong — it’s comical. Carr isn’t some new QB ready to take the reins, he’s a seasoned vet now, and one that was pretty outstanding in 2025.
I’ve already seen a handful of overreactions to his play on Saturday and immediately I labeled them as random casuals. Overall offensively, the young wide receivers played well. Devin Fitzgerald looks like a player that will press for playing time in the rotation this fall, and Mylan Graham looked like a legit starter as well.