NIU shocks the world: Quick takes from Notre Dame vs. Northern Illinois

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Here are some quick takes from Notre Dame's home opener against Northern Illinois in South Bend on Saturday where NIU shocked the world.

Notre Dame could not have played a worse first half

A blocked field goal, bad missed by the quarterback, dropped passes, defensive break-downs, sieve offensive line play and back execution all around all led to a six-point deficit at halftime.

The Irish weren't playing Louisville or USC on Saturday. They were lucky they weren't in a bigger hole.

It was the kind of uninspired football that leaves plenty searching for what was wrong. About the only thing that went right was Notre Dame's secondary, which never truly broke.

It all fell apart

Leonard, the quarterback that was going to take Notre Dame to the next level, threw an interception. 

The defense, expected to shut down the rest of college football, broke down.

Notre Dame fell at home to Northern Illinois.

A college football shocker.

For the good the offensive line had vs. Texas A&M, it disappeared

Last week, four pre-snap offensive penalties were easily overlooked after the offensive line didn't allow a sack against Texas A&M. Against NIU, Notre Dame allowed two sacks and four tackles for loss in the first half.

You can't overlook that, especially when the offensive line's struggles were the reason the offense struggled to get anything going in the first half.

The offensive line picked up in the second half for a drive, and that drive ended in a touchdown.

The Notre Dame defensive line didn't fare much better

Through one half, Notre Dame had one tackle for loss. That's all.

The Irish struggled to create pressure on third downs and in moments when a sack would have given Notre Dame some much-needed momentum or a stop.

Losing in the trenches at home is a good way to get yourself into a precarious position, which is where Notre Dame was halfway through the fourth quarter nursing a 14-13 lead in a game where any major play could have been the difference.

Don't lose sight of NIU's Antario Brown roasting ND's defense

In the first half, Antario Brown split Notre Dame's safeties and zipped for an 83-yard touchdown.

He finished the first two quarters with 199 total yards and a touchdown on 14 touches. That's pretty good against a defense that had a very good showing last weekend.

Brown was effective between the tackles and around the edges. That's just impressive. Brown finished with 223 total yards after leaving the game in the fourth quarter.

NIU got to a point where it just direct-snapped the ball to Brown because, well, why not? The Irish knew it was coming but couldn't hold him in check.

Speaking of NIU, believe their MAC candidacy

Northern Illinois wasn't picked to win the MAC. On Saturday, they proved they should be at least in the conversation.

They played mistake-free football – aside from the first kickoff that planted them at their own two-yard line – and caused chaos. They won in the trenches and Ethan Hampton took care of the football. 

NIU roasted Western Illinois to open the season. That's not too impressive. What is impressive is going into Notre Dame Stadium and putting the Irish on upset alert.

If Miami (Ohio) is ahead of Northern Illinois, it's not by much. The Huskies have a chance to close that gap.

Jeremiyah Love. Stock up.

It's not normal to leap human beings. Love did that on his 34-yard touchdown run that gave Notre Dame the lead.

The next true Notre Dame playmaker might be the sophomore from St. Louis. He was special on an afternoon when Notre Dame just needed life of any kind.

When the Irish offensive line can string together some consistency, Love will be better off for it. He possesses a rare combination of speed, athleticism and toughness that allows him to stay up right while also speeding past defenders.

Notre Dame needs more of that.

A reality check for Riley Leonard

With six minutes to play, Leonard, the quarterback Notre Dame placed its trust in to lead the offense back to the CFP, airmailed pass terribly for an interception.

No. 5 Notre Dame: Upset Alert Activated.

Leonard's completion percentage was well above 60 percent, but he threw two interceptions and had no connection with his receivers in the intermediate or deep passing game. 

That's worrisome for a team that needed an elite quarterback to take the next step. That quarterback put Notre Dame on the cusp of an upset Saturday afternoon.

Those who believed Notre Dame could sleepwalk to the CFP after Week 1, think again

Still, Notre Dame was expected to soar through the easier parts of their schedule after proving their mettle against the Aggies at Kyle Field. But, they can't rest on that laurel anymore. They've got plenty to prove if they want to make the CFP.

The offense, which features an experienced quarterback and experienced receivers, is struggling to move the ball in the air. The defense can't be called on to bail out a struggling offense all the time.

NIU thanks Notre Dame via direct deposit

As per usual with Power 4 games against Group of 5 teams, there's a hefty sum coming to the visitors. 

According to USA Today, NIU and Notre Dame agreed and signed a game contract, where the Huskies will receive $1.4 million from Notre Dame for Saturday's game. Payment for that game comes "no later than 60 days" following Saturday's game.