BYU beyond the numbers

3              Notre Dame put points on the board three out of the four quarters (1^st, 3^rd & 4^th), compared to BYU only scoring in one quarter (14 points in the 2^nd).  Spreading the points throughout the game keeps momentum moving.

270         The Irish out-rushed the Cougars 270 yards to 66, and 43 attempts to 25.  With no fumbles, that is very solid ball control. 

2              The Notre Dame defense had not surrendered an offensive touchdown since playing Purdue in their second game of the season on September 8^th.  The Irish gave up two passing touchdowns Saturday against BYU.

61/60 and 29:19/30:41    Number of offensive plays and times of possession for BYU and Notre Dame, respectively.  These numbers really show how close this game was.

2/6         Kyle Brindza missed two field goals, which represented six points left on the field for the Irish.

2/4         With two interceptions and four sacks how much longer can the defense carry this team to wins?

2/100+  Two running backs (Wood and Riddick) each ran for over 100 yards each (Wood 114 and Riddick 143).

4/73/1   Tyler Eifert’s numbers getting him back into the offensive fold with four catches for 73 yards and a touchdown.

5              Is there any player on any team in the country more valuable as a leader to their success than Notre Dame’s #5 Manti Te’o?  Manti finished Saturday with 10 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss and an interception. The Irish need to control themselves though, as two very stupid personal fouls (Farley and Niklas) could have and cost Notre Dame a win. 

A quick breath at the halfway mark

Halfway through the regular season at 6-0 you would have to give thumbs up to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.  Obviously, some facets of the team have done and are doing better than others. Let’s take a breath (and let’s make it a quick one with BYU coming) and look at how the team has done.

The defense: Thumbs up - without a doubt, this has been the bread and butter and the saving grace of this team.  The front seven have been dominant, and have helped the defensive backs step up and become impressive in their own right.  The starting defensive line of Lewis-Moore, Nix and Tuitt have been very impressive.  Lewis-Moore being the elder statesman using his size and experience, Nix with his mass and strength drawing double teams while clogging the middle and Tuitt embarrassing offensive linemen and racking up the sacks.  Add the steady rotation of backups, including true freshman sensation Sheldon Day, Nix’s self-proclaimed brother Kona Schwenke, and mountain of a man Tony Springman, all of whom can play at multiple spots along the line; and it’s no wonder no one has scored a rushing touchdown against the Irish this season.  The safeties and cornerbacks lacked experience to start the season, and they added to that challenge several season-ending injuries, giving fans every reason to fear the worst.  However, their talent, speed and ability to learn quickly have helped this group earn high marks thus far.

It’s a little more of a mixed bag when it comes to Notre Dame’s offense through the first six games.  On the surface, it would be hard to find fault with an undefeated team, but there is a lot of opportunity for improvement on the offensive side of the ball. I would have to be a little critical of the offensive line, as they have not lived up to their preseason hype or potential.  The running game has got me at a loss, from play calling to ball distribution.  I believe it has been, is and will be a team strength; I just think it is underutilized and/or the timing of run plays are off.  The passing game is coming along and passes are being distributed all over the field, almost to a fault, but Eifert needs more looks.  The debate whether or not there is a quarterback controversy is irrelevant as long as Kelly says Golson is his starter. Golson is a work in progress and Kelly sees him as his team’s future, at least for now. Kiel’s clock starts ticking next fall as Golson’s did this year.  Kelly has had the ultimate security blanket in Tommy Rees and has used him more than effectively.  I am concerned how this opener and closer act is affecting the psyche of the players and team as a whole.

Special teams, much like the offense, has not lost a game for the Irish and has done enough to win.  Obviously, punt returns could not have gotten any worse and this area has seemed to at least been stabilized.  Kick returns are solid, and although some may say we are down in this area, I would say we are just spoiled after Atkinson’s run backs last year.  Brindza is good and getting better.

The team (players, coaches, staff, etc.) seems to be in a good place, both mentally and physically.  Kelly’s “process” is clicking on all cylinders and he has buy in.  At this point most fans would have been happy with Irish at 4-2, so being 6-0 and ranked #5 is pretty close to unbelievable.  With six games to go, I would caution players and fans alike not to look past the next game and to continue to focus on one game at a time.  That mentality has served the Irish well during the first six games of the year.  I know people are talking about Oklahoma, USC and numbers like 12-0, but let’s talk about BYU and the number 7-0.

Day after thoughts.

To start with, hats off to Stanford. They are a good team and played a great game.  It was fun to watch and I am sure for the Irish players it was fun to play.

Once again, as I watch the offense, I am at odds with the play calling.  I feel like Brian Kelly is using a magic eight ball to call plays.

It is often said that great teams find a way to win.  Notre Dame is the epitome of that this season.

6 Wins + 0 Loses = #5 ranking.

Why isn’t Atkinson getting more touches? On Saturday, he only had three rushes for 21 yards for an average of 7 yards per carry.  For the season he is averaging 9.1 yards per carry (Riddick 3.9 and Wood 5.0).

On defense, Farley is a talent that is only going to get better, Nix is a load in the middle and Te’o is playing at such a high level, that there is no one to compare him to in the country.

Sheldon Day had zero tackles in limited action. I hope everything is ok.

Kickers Brindza (filed goals of 22 and 29 yards & 4 touchbacks on 4 kickoffs) and Turk (averaged 41.2 yards on 5 punts)…good enough.

Five fumbles (losing three) are way too many for the Irish offense.

200 yards rushing and netting 150 means we lost 50 yards rushing, compared to 12 lost by Stanford - way too many.

Very good job closing drives going 3-4 in the red zone.

How does the game change if Stephon Tuitt does not get his big mitt up to block a field goal?

Does Stanford freshman and former Irish recruit Andrus Peat wish he had made a different choice?

Note to team: Don’t celebrate this win too long and don’t look ahead to Oklahoma; just focus on BYU.

Changing Gears

For ten years now, I have driven a four cylinder Hyundai Accent and it has served its purpose.  It starts and it gets me to where I need to go.  I have had a couple of fender benders needing repairs, I have changed the oil regularly and have replaced brakes, tires, etc.  For those same ten years, I have had Irish teams that have shown up on Saturdays to run the ball, pass the ball and kick the ball; and we’ve seen some wins and some loses.  Notre Dame has recruited players, graduated players, had players go down with injuries, and so on.  For years, the Irish teams started, stopped and moved, getting us somewhere, but not always where we wanted to go.

Although Lou Holtz might have looked like a compact economy car, make no mistake about it, he was a hot rod.  We know Bob Davie was more like a station wagon - no frills but solid and dependable.  When Davie stalled out, Ty Willingham seemed like a nice, new, shinny model with some excitement, but he skidded of the road.  And when Charlie Weiss rolled in the driveway, he may have looked like a dump truck, but his team was supposed to be like a corvette.  We obviously needed a recall on that model.  That’s why when Brian Kelly was introduced as the new coach at Notre Dame, we thought we were getting a “Lamborghini” offense.

I keep waiting for Kelly to put the pedal to the metal and take this offense to the checkered flag.  I’m looking at this roster with guys like Golson, Atkinson, and Eifert along with his young and speedy receivers, all supported by a good line.  It’s been frustrating to have this sports car in the driveway and not take it out on the Autobahn.  However, I also understand it’s still a young(ish) team (Kelly and his staff’s third season) that is still learning “Kelly’s Process.”  At least after five games this season, it appears that the car is out of the garage and on the road.  With Golson only five games into his eligibility and Kelly easing him along one gear at a time, it may be a little while before we’re on the expressway, but boy, when we hit the gas at the green light, look out.  We’re definitely going to win some pink slips.

The numbers tell the story, sort of.

5-0: Notre Dame’s record and the most important number.  One of 13 undefeated teams in Division I.

7: Notre Dame’s AP Rank.  A fair ranking putting the Irish in the BCS conversation.

827:  Total number of passing yards Golson has over five games.  For perspective, Rakeem Cato of Marshall leads the nation with 2311 yards in six games with a 2-4 record.  I’ll take 5-0 any day.

269: Yards gained by George Atkinson III to lead the Irish in rushing.  That puts him at 147 in Division I compared to number one ranked Stefphon Jefferson of Nevada with a 5-1 record in the MWC.

12 and 207:  Receptions and total yards Davaris Daniels has to lead Irish receivers.   For perspective, DeAndre Hopkins from Clemson leads the nation with 777 yards and Tavon Austin of West Virginia (5-0) and Tommy Schuler of Marshall (5-0) each have 58 receptions.

1:  The most touchdowns caught by any Irish receiver this season, total.  Three players with one touchdown reception each share the team lead.  For perspective, Stedman Bailey of West Virginia has 13 to lead the country.

9:  Field goals made by Notre Dame this season, 8 by Brindza and 1 by Tausch.  For perspective, Steven Schott from Ball State (3-3) has 14.

Overall the math does not add up.  Most teams in the top ten with an undefeated record usually have players higher up on the individual statistics list.  Kelly’s “Process” makes the Irish different than most teams.

Developing Irish

A game overseas and one in an NFL stadium, undefeated at 5-0, a number seven ranking in the AP, fancy Shamrock Series uniforms and now ESPN Game Day coming to campus for the Stanford game  on Saturday… there is a lot of flash for recruits and potential recruits to be impressed with this year.  Traditionally, Notre Dame has relied on great tradition of 11 National Championships, icons including seven Heisman Trophy winners and historic visions like the Golden Dome and Touchdown Jesus.

Times they are a changing.  When the uniforms for the game in Chicago were unveiled, there was a collective “Rockne is rolling over in his grave” from every fan over 30 years old.  Well, they weren’t designed for has been’s  and never was’s,  whose playing days are long gone.  They were to excite 18-21 year olds who are playing for the Irish and high school players thinking of choosing a college to play at.   Last week, when listening to the Notre Dame players being interviewed, I was initially disappointed in the lack of knowledge of the Miami rivalry.  Once I realized that almost all of the current players were not even born the last time the Irish played the Hurricanes in the regular season and that they were more focused on the game at hand, I had a new appreciation of where they were coming from.

In no way do I want Oregon or Maryland uniforms, nor do I want our players flying overseas every other game fighting jet lag and time changes, but it may be time to modernize a little.  I do follow equipment manager Ryan Grooms on Twitter and appreciate the behind the scenes pictures he posts.  I also follow a handful of players and coaches for the up to the minute insight they offer.  And let’s not forget about Louis Nix and Chocolate News. 

Brian Kelly has made a concerted effort as a head coach to get closer to his players this year.  As a result, communication and overall trust are improving (I am not saying it was poor before).  If Kelly can do that, we as fans can try – at least a little - to embrace a new way of college football at South Bend. 

Hawaiian Manti Te’o helps Irish go 5-0

He (Everett Golson) was meeting with a professor (education should be the main reason he is in South Bend), lost track of time and needs to communicate better with is about it so you suspend him for the first series as a slap on the wrist punishment, and in the process, put fans into a confused stupor as the game began.  I have officially given up on trying to figure out how Brian Kelly is managing Golson’s development.  Kelly keeps talking about “the process,” and for the life of me I cannot figure out how that process translates to players.  Yes, I know it’s about the team, but the whole is made up of its parts.  I keep trying to figure out the plan of how Golson, Eifert and the Three-Headed Monster at running back will be used.  With that being said, they keep winning and that goes a long way in having overall confidence with Kelly in the head coach position.

In addition to the stat of 5-0, the game produced a lot of numbers for fans to be happy about, from both  team and individual perspective.  Starting with the running game, having 376 net yards running with two players having over 100 yards and four different players rushing for scores, it not only speaks to the talent in the backfield, but it also showcased the offensive line. 

Although the passing game statistically looked mediocre, it definitely passed the eye test.  Passes were caught by nine different receivers and although none of them had more than 48 total yards, the longest reception was for 24 yards and no one caught a touchdown.  I loved the spreading of the ball to the left and to the right for 6 yards, 8 yards, and 10 yards, always moving the ball and chewing up clock (Notre Dame lead in time of possession 39:08 to 20:52), thus keeping Morris and the Hurricanes offense off of the field.

Although on the stat sheet shows a run dominated offensive game plan with 51 rushes and 26 pass attempts, I felt overall the offensive game plan was a delight to watch, with solid drives and a good mix of run and pass plays; 10 plays, 88 yards, 3:54, 13 plays, 70 yards, 6:22, 14 plays, 65 yards, 7:17, 3 plays, 2 yards, 0:24, 6 plays, 53 yards, 1:02, 6 plays, 81 yards, 3:03, 12 plays, 86 yards, 6:47, 3 plays, 66 yards, 1:34, 13 plays, 93 yards, 8:45.  With no real “big chunk” pass plays (11.1 yards per pass completion with a long of 24 yards on a Daniels reception), the running game was a bit more than above average with 7.4 yards per rush and a long of 55 yards by George Atkinson III; the offense did have five drives of 10 plays or more…not bad.

Don’t expect the Irish special teams to win many games but they seem solid enough to no lose any either.  Brindza went two for three on field goal attempts, hitting from 22 and 32 yards while missing one from 34 yards as the first half came to an end.  It wasn’t so much about the lack of getting three points, but it would have sent a dagger into the hearts of the Miami players heading into the locker room.  Sometimes the mental points are as important, if not more important, than the ones on the scoreboard during a game.

From a statistical standpoint, the defense looked solid but not great with no sacks, no interceptions and only one tackle for a loss (by Kapron Lewis-Moore)  of one yard unless you take in to consideration they held a Miami offense that was averaging over 43 points a game until Saturday night to only three points a have extended the number of games to five in which they have not yielded a rushing touchdown.  Of course, Manti Te’o  had his standard game of 10 tackles (eight solos) and one pass break up.

Talking Irish suggests that Brian Kelly gives the game ball to the Miami Hurricane receivers for dropping passes.

Special recognition to #33 running back Cam McDaniel who came in for mop up detail but ran like a starter with the game on the line, racking up 55 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown.