Learning

What we’ve learned heading into the by the bye week.

After four games, 4-0 feels much better than 2-2.

The loss of Aaron Lynch was not as big a deal as we thought it would be.

We are thrilled T’eo stayed.

Tyler Eifert is getting a lot less touches then we thought he would.

Talent and ability can be better than experience.

Kelly does like the two quarterback option, no matter what he says.

The left side of the O-line is better than the right side.

Brian Kelly has worked on his sideline temper.

Notre Dame is conceding “some” of its tradition; uniforms and ACC.  But it’s a win for everybody but the Big East.

We are getting turf…maybe.

“Irish Chocolate” (a.k.a. Louis Nix) has a future in entertainment.

Brian Kelly does not coach to make fans or players happy…he coaches to win games.

The turnovers improved (it couldn’t have gotten worse) and so did the record.

What we have yet to learn heading into the bye week.

Is Everett Golson the future at quarterback for the Irish?

You don’t always get what you want but sometimes you get what you need.

I have not agreed with the offensive play calls, player moves (inserting Rees) or overall game management, but it is hard to argue with the results that Kelly is getting.  I guess that is why Kelly is coaching the Irish and I am writing about them.  Kelly has Notre Dame at 4-0, with wins over three Big Ten opponents, rivals and two ranked teams. 

Offensively, Notre Dame scored enough to win and when the clock reads all zeros, as long as you have more points than your opponent, that’s all that matters.  Notre Dame’s three-headed monster of Atkinson, Riddick and Wood combined for a total of 95 yards on 28 carries and a lone touchdown, which was apparently good enough but left fans tasting vanilla.  The passing game did not offer much excitement either.  The Irish used only (I say only because Kelly said we would need the media guide to follow all the receivers they would be using) four receivers, completing 11 of 19 passes for a total 145 yards with zero touchdowns.  All-American Tyler Eifert had one catch, to which Kelly stated “he is a tight end and will also be used to block.”

Kyle Brindza made special teams respectable by kicking two field goals of 33 and 39 yards.

Defensively, Notre Dame needed to contain Denard Robinson and did so.  Normally, when an opposing quarterback rushes for 90 yards that does not speak well of your defense, but in this case it does; no touchdowns and limiting Robinson to a rushing average of 3.5 yards per carry is impressive (especially when he gets 26 carries and his running backs only get 15 combined).  The defense also kept his passing game in check, 13 of 24 for 138 yards with no touchdowns is a solid performance by the Irish defense, but the three sacks and four interceptions really speak volumes.  For the second week in a row there is no argument that the defense won the game.  With three sacks, five tackles for a loss, one fumble recovery and five interceptions (two by Te’o), the defense provides the excitement fans want and the wins we need.

Wants, not needs…

Again it’s simple - last week, stop Bell = a Notre Dame victory; this week stop Denard Robinson = a Notre Dame Victory.  At halftime of the Michigan State game, I knew there would need to be adjustments made, and I was just hoping that they would be minimal.  The Irish were playing well, executing their game plan and most importantly, they were winning.  As we move onto Michigan, I would like to see much of the same.

For the most part I’ll take a win and I don’t really care how it comes.  Brian Kelly and I are not always on the same page on everything as it pertains to players, game management, etc., but we are at least in the same book.  There are some things I would expect or at least like to see this weekend…as long as the Irish win.

With zero receptions and not many more passes even thrown his way last week, I would think we will hear Tyler Eifert’s name a bit more this Saturday night.  Although it is encouraging that Notre Dame can win against a top ten team without relying exclusively (or even at all) their All-American tight end, I do not what it to become a trend.

Notre Dame had 122 net rushing yards using multiple backs:  Wood-56, Atkinson-43, Riddick-30, and Golson – 7, outrushing Michigan State’s monster back Le’Veon Bell-77.  I’ll take the overall rushing win but I hope to see at least one 100-yard rusher this weekend.

Everett Golson was 14 - 32 passing for 178 yards against the Spartans.  Not a great completion percentage, but obviously good enough to win.  Golson throws a good number of passes out of bounds, and yes, I would prefer out of bounds passes to interceptions, but let’s convert some of those out of bounds tosses into completions.

We did see dome “big chunk” plays against Michigan State, but I am still waiting on the “Big Wow” plays - kick off, punt, interception or fumble return for a touchdown, a 80+ yard run for a score, a big blocked kick - something that takes your breath away or at least takes you back to the days of the Rocket and Tim Brown.  These of course are in no way needed for a win or even a good game, but boy do we love them.

I want a blow out with excitement, but I need a win.

Food for thought…

Like most Irish fans, I was happy after Saturday’s game; perhaps more cautiously excited, but nonetheless happy.  Even though the season is just underway, keep this in mind - the regular season is now 25 percent over.  Below are some thoughts I had after the Michigan State game, all made with cautious optimism.

Overall, I would suspect that Purdue was better than advertised and Michigan State may have been a bit overrated.

The running game is back by virtue of Kelly being able to distribute touches.  I would bet Amir Carlisle will not see the field this year, thus allowing for a full recovery and a year of eligibility saved.

Is there a better defensive front seven than Notre Dame?

Thank you to Prince Shembo who is making the comment I made last year legitimate - that he reminds me of Lawrence Taylor.

The young (inexperienced) Irish defensive backs will continue to grow up fast with the season-ending injury to Jamoris Slaughter.  Notre Dame fans have to feel good about this bad situation with the recent play of KeiVarae Russell, Elijah Shumate and Matthias Farley.

Mike Golic, Jr. has played either just well enough to stay or just poorly enough to be replaced.

This was a big win in the recruiting world, as top players with offers from Notre Dame most likely have offers from the Spartans as well.  Beating Michigan would make victories over three Big Ten opponents in a row, which sends an important message to high school prospects.

I thought back to Manti T’eo’s first game as a freshman (he played in his first game but did not start), and I remember thinking to myself (maybe even saying it out loud), “we get this kid for four more years” (including the season he was currently in).  Looking at this year’s young talent, I have the same feeling about several of this year’s players assuming they don’t leave early - Sheldon Day (4 years), George Atkinson (3 years), Everett Golson (4 years), Troy Niklas (3 years), Tony Springmann (4 years), Stephon Tuitt (3 years), Louis Nix (3 years), and  Ishaq Williams (3 years).

1 for 13 on third down conversions…did I read that right?  That ties into Brian Kelly’s “zero is okay” philosophy, but I still want to know how many passes Golson threw out of bounds.  Yes, a throw out of bounds is better than an interception, but a throw out of bounds gives your receivers 0% chance of catching it. There is room for improvement here.

Are the players really buying into Brian Kelly, and perhaps more importantly, should I?

What to Look For This Weekend

Quarterback play.  Both teams have talented but inexperienced signal callers behind center.  It is important for each team that their quarterback stay composed and focused.  Neither one has to win the game for their team, but they need them not to lose it for them.

The rushing game.  At 6’ 2” 244 lbs.,jJunior running back LeVeon Bell is the Spartans’ bread and butter out of the backfield; a battering ram with decent speed (especially for his size).  In two games, Bell has rushed for 280 yards on 62 carries (that’s just over 4.5 yards a carry for those of you looking for a calculator) and four touchdowns.  The simple question is, can the Irish defense contain Bell?  The Irish, on the other hand, will most likely run the ball by committee - Riddick, Atkinson and newly reinstated Wood.  Questions to be answered for the Notre Dame running game include: Will Wood show rust after missing the first two games?  Will Atkinson get and make the most of more touches than last week?  Will Riddick solidify himself as the number one running back?

Tight Ends.  While all eyes may be focused on All-World tight end Tyler Eifert, Michigan State has a less well-known yet potentially dangerous target at tight end as well.  Dion Sims is an up and coming weapon for the Spartans’ offense.  The 6’5’’ 285 lb. junior has 10 receptions this season for 135 yards and one touchdown, and has the potential for a whole lot more.  Sims could make it a long night for the Irish linebackers. 

Line Play.  Here is where it becomes as simple as it can possibly get.  Each offensive line will be going up against impressive D-lines which are big and good, especially against the run.   For Michigan State, watch defensive end William Gholston because you’ll be seeing him playing on Sundays soon.  The Irish need Stephon Tuiit to continue his breakout season.  The defensive lines need to stop the run and pressure the opposing team’s inexperienced quarterback.  See?  It’s simple.

Michigan State Q & A

 

Here are some questions posed on ND Nation that I though we here at Talking Irish would respond to.  ND Nation Questions are in bold and Talking Irish responses are in italics.

Which team will need reinforcements to stop the run and leave itself vulnerable to the pass?

Both probably will and both will be burned at least once because of it.

Can the Irish offensive line rebound from a poor performance against Purdue?                    

They have to and will.

Which young quarterback will best avoid mistakes and execute in the passing game?         

Not by much but Golson should play a bit better under pressure.

Will MSU’s changing defensive alignments force Notre Dame to burn its timeouts?

Yes, it will also continue to throw Golson off at the line of scrimmage but not as much as last week as he grows and learns in game situations.

Can Cierre Wood reenergize the Irish ground game?

No, that is up to the coaching staff and the offensive line.  Wood will however bring a positive for to the Irish ground attack.

Which kicker will perform best under pressure?

Kyle Bindza.  I have the feeling he is better in pressure situations then common ones (which is not always a good thing).

Will Eifert and his fellow receivers get open against the MSU secondary for big plays?

Yes.  Will they get passed to and catch those passes?  That is a different question.

 

What a win will take

Football is a relatively simple ground acquisition game - move the football and prevent your opponent from doing so.   Obviously coaches schemes, coordinator stunts, and even player injuries lead to twists and turns that can very quickly make the game much more complex week to week.  There is an awful lot that can be dissected in this match-up but the key to victory remains simple.

Whichever team has a better game from their offensive line will win the game.  Drawing from that, the team that wins the rushing game will win on Saturday.  Although the Michigan State defense may have only one sack in their first two games, they have also surrendered zero offensive touchdowns.   For the Irish, they must do better than giving up five sacks as they did last week against a good (not as good as Michigan State) Purdue defense.  If you thought Short was good, wait until you get a load (and at 6’7” 280 lbs. he is a good sized load) of defensive end William Gholston.  They must ensure the running game gets back on track with Wood coming back in the fold, and Atkinson needs more touches than he got against Purdue.

As for the Spartans, they have a Heisman candidate caliber running back in Le’Veon Bell who will need to be contained, as their quarterback has potential and is as talented as he is inexperienced (sound familiar?).  If the Irish can push around the Michigan State offensive line enough to pressure Spartan quarterback Andrew Maxwell, they can rattle him into mistakes.  However, if Michigan State’s O-line can give Bell room to work and protect Maxwell, it could be a long day for the Irish.

As for predictions, the winner will not need to score a ton of points (21 could easily win the game), it will be very physical, and the team that has a better game from their offensive line will win the game.