A maddening statistic for Notre Dame football in 2022
One of the most thrilling rushes football fans can have while watching their team occurs when a yellow flag hits the turf and they know the opposition is getting penalized. Notre Dame fans have not had many of those moments in 2022.
Through Week 11, Notre Dame ranks No. 122 out of 131 FBS teams in opponent penalty yards per game (41.9). There were an average of 5.0 penalties called against Irish foes in the first 10 games of the season. That ranks tied for No. 113. Only 12 FBS teams have had less penalty flags per game thrown against their opponents.
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Fewest Opponent Penalty Yards Per Game Through Week 10
| FBS Rank | Team | Opponent Penalty Yards Per Game |
| 122 | Notre Dame | 41.9 |
| 123 | Ohio State | 41.8 |
| 124 | Maryland | 40.8 |
| 125 | UNLV | 39.5 |
| 126 | Michigan | 37.4 |
| 127 | Kansas | 37.3 |
| 128 | Cincinnati | 36.6 |
| 129 | Army | 35.1 |
| 130 | Air Force | 33.0 |
| 131 | Houston | 30.7 |
This isn’t new territory for Notre Dame.
The Irish ranked outside the top 100 in the FBS in opponent penalties per game in 2018 and 2019. Last year, though, the Irish finished the season tied for No. 29 in opponent penalties per game (6.9). Those accounted for 54.2 penalty yards per game, which ranked tied for 59th.
Obviously, this is one of those statistics that head coach Marcus Freeman and his team can’t quite control. It’s on the coaching and discipline of the opposition. It’s still a stat that can affect individual games and subsequently the season in general, though.
For example, Notre Dame is 2-1 in the three games in which opponents took the most penalties against the Irish. Ohio State won in spite of 7 penalties for 75 yards. North Carolina could not overcome 9 penalties for 64 yards. Clemson was hurt by 7 penalties for 55 yards. Stanford squeaked out a 16-14 win over the Irish at Notre Dame Stadium thanks in part to 2 penalties for 12 yards, meanwhile. That aided in the Cardinal’s cause.
Notre Dame topped BYU despite the Cougars having just 1 flag thrown on them for 5 yards. The Irish only had 1 infraction in that game, too, for a loss of 10 yards. The Irish ranked No. 20 in fewest penalties called on them per game through Week 11.
Perhaps fans clamoring about non-calls have a point. If you’re watching Notre Dame play this year, odds are you won’t see a plethora of penalties.
