Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Notre Dame is an eyelash away from being 3-0. It's also a whisker away from being 1-2.

That's how razor thin the margin for error has been so far this season for the Fighting Irish, who failed to make one late play in a 38-34 loss at Michigan, but came up with one in Saturday's 33-30 win over Michigan State.

	Matt Cashore/US Presswire
	Quarterback Jimmy Clausen leads an offense that has averaged 34 points in its first three games.

"We don't want to be playing the type of game where we're trying to win 35-34 every week," head coach Charlie Weis said Sunday. "That's not our intent."

Intentionally or not, that's who the Irish are right now. They're an average team with some spectacular parts and some equally glaring flaws. Life-and-death fourth-quarter struggles could become the norm this season. If the predicted nine- or 10-win breakthrough year is coming, it will likely only happen because the Irish received the luck their mascot is known for.

On the plus side, this Notre Dame team is much better than the last two editions fielded under Weis. The offense is as consistent as a metronome, having hung 35 on Nevada, 34 at Michigan and 33 on Michigan State. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen ranks second nationally in passing efficiency, having thrown nine touchdowns and no picks, and appears to have fulfilled the vast promise his recruiting hype suggested.

Armando Allen, who has rushed for more than 100 yards the past two weeks, provides the first real running threat since Darius Walker left town. Also give credit to the much-improved play of the offensive line, which has given Clausen room to operate.

And, befitting a team that returned 18 starters and is stocked with upperclassmen, the Irish have shown more maturity and resilience this season. They twice battled back from 11-point deficits at Michigan and overcame injuries and mistakes to hold off the Spartans.

"It's a different team than I've had," Weis said. "In the past, what might have happened is when we went down in the second half, it might have been deflating, but not this team. This team just expects they're going to come back and make a play and win."

That's good, because they might have to keep mounting those comebacks the way the defense has played.

Veteran defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta was supposed to help right the wrongs with his infusion of pressure. Instead, the Notre Dame defense is worse statistically so far this season than it was in 2008. It ranks 96th nationally in total defense, surrendering 398.7 yards per game and 6.2 yards per play.

Even with all of Tenuta's blitzing, the defense has mustered just four sacks in three games. Michigan gashed the front seven with huge runs up the middle. Michigan State passed for 354 yards.

"The first thing we have to do better on defense, to be perfectly honest with you, is be better fundamentally," Weis said. "There are just too many easy yards. We have to make these yards tougher."

Notre Dame is also giving away too many yards with bonehead penalties, like Sam Young's personal foul that set back a potential game-clinching drive on Saturday. The Irish rank 96th nationally in penalty yards.

It's not good news when a team that relies so heavily on its offense loses its top playmaker. Receiver Michael Floyd had been Clausen's favorite target and was averaging more than 27 yards per catch, but a broken collarbone will sideline him the rest of the regular season. Defenses now will surely roll coverages to Golden Tate, forcing Weis to find another reliable wideout.

Add in the fact that the upcoming schedule looks a little tougher after Washington defeated USC last weekend. The Irish will play host to the Huskies and the Trojans in consecutive games after going to Purdue this weekend.

Both of those Pac-10 opponents will be a challenge. But then again, just about every game from here on out could end up as one of those 35-34 type of games Weis intends to avoid. That's just where Notre Dame is in 2009.