A win should have been expected, and a 26 point win should not be a huge surprise. Many will point to the fact it was Air Force, not Oklahoma, but this was a good Air Force team and an impressive one for the Irish. The first thing that stood out to me on the stat sheet was that nine different Irish players scored in the victory; four rushing touchdowns, four passing touchdowns and one field goal.
Obviously, the statistic that is most important is the final score and that is very true against a team like Air Force. There were several statistics that did not seem to fit in a 23 point Notre Dame win. The Irish were outrushed by 97 yards (363-266 yards and 60-29 attempts). However, Notre Dame averaged 9.2 yards a rush whereas Air Force averaged 6.1 which was enough to help the Falcons gained more total yards than the Irish, albeit by 5 yards 565-560. Air Force also led in time of possession - 32:26 to 27:34 - running at total of 23 more offensive plays than Notre Dame. Some other statistics that jump out for a team that lost by 26 points include going 5 for 5 on fourth down conversions, going 5 for 5 in the red zone (3 touchdowns and 2 field goals). I knew Air Force had a running arsenal but really, 14 players rushed the ball during the game.
Obviously, the Irish had some good statistics as well. Let’s start with the score - 59 points is their highest offensive output since 1996. Tommy Rees was very effective, going 23 for 32 for 261 yards and 4 touchdowns, and wait for it…no interceptions. Hot on his heels was fellow sophomore (redshirted last year as a freshman) quarterback Andrew Hendrix, who was a perfect 4 for 4 with 33 yards, but even more impressive, rushing for 111 yards on 6 carries, averaging 18.5 yards per rush.
After Hendrix’s 111 yards, the Irish did not have another back close to a 100 yard game. However, both Wood and Gray had good averages for the game. Wood averaged 6.6 yards on 10 carries (66 yards total and 1 touchdown) while Gray averaged 9.9 yards on 7 carries (69 yards total and 2 touchdowns). Although no one receiver overly dominated, the receiving corps was great. The Irish had 7 different receivers catch a pass and 4 different receivers catch touchdowns, for a combined total of 294 yards.
Special teams were led by George Atkinson III with 5 kickoff returns, averaging 24.8 yards per return with a long of 40. It’s seldom that the stat of 1 for 1 in field goal attempts (39 yards) and your punter averaging 37.5 yards per kick on 2 punts is something to be happy about.
Air Force Game Grades
Quarterbacks: A- Tommy Rees continues to develop and is making better decisions. He needs to be more willing to change who he wants to throw the ball to while the play is underway. Once the ball is snapped he tends to choose his designated receiver and give no one else a look no matter how open they may be. Obviously, Andrew Hendrix’s 111 yards speaks volumes, but I think it’s the way he carried himself on the field was what really impressed me.
Running Backs - B+: Averages were strong and Wood and Gray ran well, just not as dominant as last week.
Offensive Line – B: Great job with pass protection. They could have and should have done more for the running game. Wood and Gray made them look good. They did well, it’s just that due to the massive size difference over the Ari Force defensive linemen, the dominance should have been obscene.
Wide Receivers - B+: Like the running backs, there was no dominant receiver, but great ball distribution. Tyler Eifert played especially well in my opinion seemingly popping up when you weren’t looking for him. I also want to recognize Floyd’s blocking.
Defensive Line - C+: Although they were respectable against the Air Force’s option-like offense, it’s hard to give a high grade to a line that gave up 375 yards rushing. I would give a B+ to the interior of the defensive line, but the ends could have done a better job containing.
Linebackers – C+: Again, giving up 565 yards of offense is going to make it tough to give high grades here. However, the overall play was good. Mani Te’o had 10 tackles (2.5 for a loss) and a pass breakup. Daruis Fleming had 7 tackles (.5 for a loss) and 2 quarterback hurries and I liked the pass coverage of Carlos Calabrese.
Defensive Backs - C+: Overall, giving up 2 touchdowns and 202 yards is a respectable performance. Harrison Smith led the team with 12 tackles, Robert Blanton had 10 tackles (one for a loss), Jamoris Slaughter had an interception, forced a fumble and had a pass break-up as well. Gary Grey continues to struggle.
Special Teams - C-: Everyone saw the fake punt coming and they still ran all over the place.
Coaching – C: Personal fouls continue to show a lack of discipline. General penalties are better but the timing still kills the Irish, point in case was when an Air Force field goal attempt in the 2nd quarter becomes a touchdown after encroachment on the defensive line. The defense looked good covering the quarterback during option plays, but there seemed to be no one assigned to who they were pitching to.
Notes:
Navy will score 100 points if the coaching staff does not use this game to learn how to better defend the option (specifically after the pitch). Underclassmen look good and need to be developed and played appropriately. I am happy that Everett Golson did not play, save this kid’s eligibility. Also, I would like to give recognition to Freshman Chase Hounshell. Hounshell was recruited by several colleges as an offensive lineman but the Irish coaches saw something that made them believe his toughness would serve him well on the defensive side of the ball. Hounshell looked real good in his first action this year.
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