Putting BYU behind us

The Irish did what they should have done two weeks ago, play up to their abilities and beat a team they were capable of beating.  The BYU game seemed to be everything that the Pitt game should have been.  Since we did not hang ourselves over the Pitt loss let’s not get too full of ourselves from the BYU win.  However let’s take this opportunity to reflect on what we saw and learned.

 Turf!  The field conditions on Saturday were embarrassing at best, especially with several weeks to prepare.  I know traditionalist want to keep natural grass in place however that is not particle anymore.  The grass used to be an asset (via Florida State 1993), now it seems to be a liability.  Brain Kelly is getting athletic players and the grass does not agree with speeders and quick cuts.  This also will hurt with recruiting.  Just like the Shamrock series uniforms it is not done for 40-70year old male fans it is done for 15-19 year old recruits and players.

Jarorn Jones gave hope to the future of the defensive line.  Coming to South Bend at nearly six and a half feet and 300lbs the size gave cause to drool but he did leave allot of questions after a redshirt freshman year.  With three years of eligibility left the sky could be the limit for this kid.

Keivarae Russell reappeared as a physical defensive back coming up to make some great tackles.

Kyle Brindza gained respect from lineman and linebacker alike going sleeveless on Saturday in very cold temperatures as a kicker.

The Irish faithful seemed forgive Tommy Rees for his past transgressions and chanted Tommy, Tommy form the student section after the game.

With one game to go in Notre Dame’s running game may have been figured out between McDaniel, Folston and Atkinson.  

Harry Hiestand has done a great will the two-deep on the offensive line: see Matt Hegarty and Steve Elmer.

For the fourth consecutive season the Irish will finish with at least eight wins, go to a bowl game and have won the Senior Day game.  (that has not happened in 20 seasons)

T.J. Jones could hand the wide receiver torch to DaVaris Daniels

Bad News; Nick Martin is gone for the season, Good News; Matt Hegarty seemed to fill in very well.

Even with Rees’s decent play against BYU he was under throwing receivers, one resulted in an interception in the end zone (ANOTHER RED ZONE INTERCEPTION).

When the Irish Defense play bend don’t break the results are good.  They surrendered only one touchdown on Saturday.

Jaylon Smith gained credit for honoring Danny Spond by wearing his number on Saturday.

Brain Kelly is confident in Kyle Brindza letting him kick and make a 51 yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

On to BYU

Looking forward to the match up with BYU I have been focusing more on the Irish than their opponent this week.  Here at Talking Irish we prepare by scouting the opposition, their players, schemes and tendancies.  Since the loss to Pitt and to some extent since the loss to Michigan Irish fans seem to be internalizing the season and the team itself.  Instead of asking; what are the keys for an Irish win or what should we expect from a given team each Saturday we are thinking what will go wrong next or what will happen if they don’t perform well or worse yet lose.

After Notre Dame’s loss to Michigan the Irish knows that another undefeated season was lost and a shot at a BCS National Championship Game was a long shot.  Following the loss to Oklahoma the hopes for a Championship was gone and BCS Bowl appurtenance itself was at risk.  Now all feels lost, a second tier bowl against a subpar opponent will be our fate.  How can this be with wins over three current top 25 teams?  Did Kelly change “the process”, did the players just not execute or did the luck run out?

Out of respect for the seniors that have given us wins and bowl appearances over the past four seasons here is what we should expect from BYU and what are the keys are to an Irish victory.  At 7-3 BYU is a solid team but one that the Irish should beat.  The Cougars are made up of a lot of good players, some very good players and a couple of borderline great players.  The offense if fast moving lead by a very good running attack spearheaded by sophomore duel threat quarterback Taysom Hill.  Hill leads BYU in rushing with 956 yards (averaging 5.8 yards per carry) and 8 touchdowns while passing for 2379 yards and 16 touchdowns.  Hill is supported by running back Jamaal Williams who averages 5.5 yards per carry for 940 yards and six touchdowns.   BYU also boasts a decent (not great) pack of wide receivers.

Defensively the Cougars are led by 6’2” 305lb defensive lineman Eathyn Manumaleunan who has 44 tackles, 22 solos, 6 for a loss, 1 pass deflection, one QB hurray and a blocked kick.  He has experience because of his time away on a Mormon mission he was playing college football when the man he will be going up against in South Bend Notre Dame Center Nick Martin was playing freshman football in high school.  Manumaleunun is backed up by outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy who leads the Cougars in tackles for loss and sacks.  Van Noy’s stat line for the season; 56 tackles, 33 solos, 15 for losses, 4 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 7 passes deflected 13 quarterback hurries, 1 safety and 2 fumble recoveries.

BYU special teams do have some special players.  Kicker Justin Sorenson has had 51% of his kickoffs go for touchbacks although his is 0-6 from 50 yards or more on field goals.  Kickoff return man Adam Hine is averaging 29.5 yards per return good for 6^th best in FBS. 

If the Irish defense well against the rush and contain Hill to the packet they should be ok.  Notre Dame needs to have a good ground attack and I feel Folston and McDaniel can both have good games Saturday afternoon.  Kelly and crew don’t need luck or fancy play calling just smart play (no turnovers) and good execution.

The Last Home Stand

Saturday is Senior Day in South Bend.  For many of the Irish Seniors it will be their last game in Notre Dame Stadium, for some they may be offered a fifth year.  Let’s take a quick look at those who will definitely not be back due to being out of NCAA eligibility and what their legacy will be.  The first group of end of the line seniors we are going to take a look at are the Graduate Students also referred to as fifth year seniors and what their legacies may be.

Chris Watt has been a mainstay on the offensive line for the past three seasons mostly at left guard.  As unfair as it is some would say he has been playing in the shadow or maybe Robin to his teammate and best friend Zack Martin’s Batman.  He will however be remembered as a solid offensive lineman who was more than above average.  I would defiantly say he was underrated and deserved to be remembered as an important contributor.

Nick Tausch will be remembered for his freshman year where he put himself in the Notre Dame Record Books; Single-Game Field Goals (Oct. 3, 2009 vs. Washington, 5, t-1st) Single-Game Points (Oct. 3, 2009 vs. Washington, 17, t-1st) Single-Season Consecutive Field Goals (2009, 14, 2nd) Single-Season Field Goals (2009, 14, t-7th) Career Consecutive Field Goals (2009, 14, 2nd).  After 2009 he was leapfrogged and has served has an excellent safety net at the kicking position.

 

Tyler Stockton will be remembered as the biggest surprise to be offered a fifth year.  After being a U.S. Army High School All American; 2009, 2011, 2012 did not see the field and in 2010 he registered one tackle and one sack while appearing in six games.  Stockton should be remembered as a great teammate and for his smile and attitude.

Zack Martin after redshirting his freshman year will go down as one of the best offensive linemen in Irish history.  He will also set the record for the most games played and most consecutive games played and most games started by any Notre Dame Player in history.

 Dan Fox  appeared in 13 games each of his seasons heading into his fifth year after redshirting his freshman year.  He will, in addition to his hair will be remembered for his tag team efforts with Carlo Calabrese.  Because of solid but not outstanding statistics his efforts will be underrated.

Carlo Calabrese will be forever linked with Dan Fox at the middle linebacker position.  He will be remembered as a stereotype rock head linebacker from working out in the off season at a place called House of Iron as well as his threatening the police with his incident with Tommy Rees.

Overall these players will be better remembered for their senior season as a whole going to the BCS Championship rather than their Graduate season. 

BYE Week

This bye week offered Irish fans the opportunity to take some time this weekend to focus on some other things besides watching her loyal sons take the field.  Clean out the garage, rake leave visit family, etc.  I took this opportunity to visit my Alma Mater (Springfield College) it induct a new school president, congratulations to Dr. Mary Beth Cooper (two doctorate degrees, two masters degrees but only one bachelor’s degree) as well as visit the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.  However I could not escape my thirst for college football and watched as much as I could especially games that were somehow contracted to Notre Dame.

First were teams that some sites are predicting to face the Irish in a possible bowl matchup.  Bleacher Report suggesting the formerly Brian Kelly lead Cincinnati facing the Irish in the Pinstripe Bowl whereas CBS Sports has Notre Dame facing Rutgers in NYC.  Other Bowls being bounced around include the Poinsettia in San Diego and Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit, let’s hope for the former.  Other opponents mentioned are the Boston College Eagles and the Duke Blue Devil, both interesting matchups; B.C. a rival Catholic University and Duke another academically respected sports school with very high graduation rates.   

The Cincinnati Bearcats beat Rutgers 52-17 this Saturday to go to 8-2 on the season with games against Houston and Louisville to finish the season.   Meanwhile the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers dropped to 5-4 with games against UCF, UConn and USF still on the schedule.  Boston College became bowl eligible Saturday with a 38-21 victory over the N.C. State Wolfpack moving to 6-4 wrapping up with Maryland and Syracuse over the next two weeks.   Finally Duke has looked strong this season at 8-2 with an impressive 48-30 win against Miami on Saturday.  There would be a unique storyline with any of these potential matchups.

The other group of teams I focused on this weekend were the opponents of Notre Dame, those already played and those to yet to come.  Many of these teams left me scratching my head wondering what this year could have been with a few changes in play calls, player health and a little luck.  Pitt, the team that ended Notre Dame’s BCS hopes lost 34-27 to a 5-5 University of North Carolina putting themselves at 5-5.  This only solidifying the belief that the Irish should have never lost to Pitt and raising the question; were the Irish unlucky or unfocused last weekend.  Either way it does not make the Irish look like an upper tier team.

Navy a team the Irish barley beat by four points became bowl eligible with a 42-14 beating of Southern Alabama.  Navy’s win may help the Irish in the computer rankings but its overall record only confuses Irish fans even more with a win over Pitt and 35-7 loss to Duke.

The USC upset of #5 Stanford could have really helped Notre Dames BCS argument if they did not have three losses.  Thank goodness the Irish played the Trojans when they did as USC has been playing like a top 10 team lately.  Note: USC is #25 in the USA Today Poll and #23 in the AP Poll.

#19 in the AP Poll and #22 in the USA Today Poll Arizona State is 8-2 after a win over Oregon State.  This is a team that the Irish beat this season making the Notre Dame faithful more frustrated.

Oklahoma kept rolling to 8-2 with a 48-10 trouncing of Iowa State.

Michigan State at 9-1 after 41-21 win over Nebraska is another raked team (#13 AP & USA Today Polls) that Notre Dame beat.  This is more frustrating than ASU.

Purdue still stinks at 1-9 after losing 21-45 to Pen State yet Notre Dame can only beat the Boilermakers by a touchdown.

Michigan a team that manhandled the Irish matched ND’s 7-3 record after beating Northwestern 27-19. 

Even in a three point loss to (then #17) UCF the Temple Owls looked impressive for a 1-9 team.

Notre Dame has beaten three top 25 teams; MSU, ASU and USC yet they are unranked due to poor performances in wins against Purdue and Navy in addition to its loss to Pitt.

Questions answered, at least responded to.

Since Saturday’s loss to the Pitt Panthers I have read a lot of rhetorical questions, have been asked a lot of pointed questions and I have even raised some questions to myself about what happened not only on Saturday but the team we thought we had heading into the season.  So for a defector therapy session in an attempt to exorcise some demons I thought I would try to respond (R) as some may never be answered.

Q -What will be Tommy Rees’s legacy at Notre Dame?

R – Rees will finish in the top five of most Notre Dame Quarterback records, however the name Rees will conger up images of interceptions.  He should be remembered as a player who for the most part did what he was asked to do when he was asked, performed well and actually overachieved at times but never had the ability to play to lead a championship caliber offense.

Q – Should Malik Zaire have played this season.

R – Hard to say.  I say no, I don’t think burning his redshirt this season would have changed much.  Game experience is good but it is possible he could have been a freshman sensation leading the Irish to the Promised Land?  Unlikely.

Q - Why did Folston not get more than four carries against Pitt?

R – Like how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop, the world may never know.  My best guess is the that the magic eight ball Chuck Martin and Brian Kelly have been using all season on running back calls got stuck.

Q – What happened to the running game plan against Pitt in the second half?

R – Apparently 128 yards on 18 carries was enough in the first half for Kelly so he downshifted to six carries for 10 yards.  Or maybe Rees told Kelly he was ready for a big second half and Kelly believed him.

Q - Was Manti that big of a loss to the Irish defense?

R- I did not initially think so but apparently so.

Q – Weren’t Bennett Jackson and Matthias Farley supposed to be better?

R – Yes, on both counts.  Farley actually looks like he is taking steps back in his development.

 

Q – Where is Corey Robinson?

R – I don’t know but would love to find out.  He looked like the next Megatron in the making then he doesn’t see the field in weeks.

Q – Why do the Irish go empty backfield every play inside the 20?

R – Maybe the same reason Rees has not taken a snap under center in three years.

Q – What’s the story with Andrew Hendrix?

R – He was not developed and will be a successful doctor.

Q – Will Kelly keep evolving as a coach?

R – I believe so, he will as players and his staff change from season to season.  I have seen more change than growth but I still have faith in him.

Q – Is this team better than its 7-3 record indicates?

R – I think it’s a fair record.

Q – Is there more wrong with Nix then we know?

R – Yes, either physical or mental or both.

Q – What do the Seniors feel about their legacy?

R – Initially they should be happy about contributing to last year’s National Championship Game run.  They may feel disappointed about their season this year.  Depending where Brian Kelly takes the Irish in the upcoming years they could be the key cogs of the new Era of Notre Dame Football.

Q – Using Eifert leaving and missing this year and Martin staying for it as a barometer does it discourage players like Tuitt with more eligibility from coming back?

R – Probably, but each player makes their own decisions for their own reasons, personal, professional and educational.

Q – Are we / will we get the top recruits?

R – Even with last years undefeated season and appearance in the BCS Championship Game Notre Dame has not returned to glory and they are not considered among the consistent elite programs.  Every year the Irish play in a second tier bowl the echoes thunder a little quieter in the ears of young recruits.

Q – When will “next year” be here?

R – The bad news is that it may be a long time; however with last year’s run and endless hope Irish fans have it could be every year.  With Brain Kelly’s process and the upcoming playoff system in may be sooner than later.

Q – Is Kelly’s seat getting warm?

R – Going 12-0 last year went a long way in solidifying Kelly’s credibility.  Even getting eight wins in his first three years looked good compared to years past in terms of consistency.

Get over it, right?

Traditionally on Sundays and Mondays we look back on Saturday’s games and share statistics, thoughts and opinions but not his week.  Here at Talking Irish re have invoked Brian Kelly’s 24 hour rule; after every game you have 24 hours to cheer or as in this case mourn then move on.  In addition to the mourning we also feel we have bigger fish to fry as it pertains to the 2013 Irish season and what is left of it.  I will do my best to limit the negatives as much as possible so here we go.

Of course we cannot forget where we have been and where we have come from.  It goes without saying that Notre Dame Football has one of the richest and most successful histories in all of sports; 11 National Championships, 7 Heisman Trophy Winners, 97 Consensus All Americans, third all-time in wins, second in all-time winning percentage, 48 players and coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame, the most of any university and the list goes on and on.   With a pedigree like that anything other than excellence will surly feel like failure so it is easy to understand why losing is so frustrating for fans of the Irish.  Yes, last season Her Loyal Sons went undefeated during the regular season and mad an appearance in the BCS National Championship game but the Irish have not taken hope a Championship since 1988 (25 years).  As a matter of fact Notre Dame has a below .500 winning percentage in Bowl Games (.468) including going 0-4 in BCS games.

Let’s take a look at where we are; 7-3, not ranked and our of the BCS picture heading into a bye week with two games to go.  First up a 6-3 BYU team whose offense looked pretty good last weekend against a stout Wisconsin defense.   With a win over #15 at the time Texas team BYU cannot be taken lightly by the Irish what so ever.  The Irish then get the privilege of traveling to California to face #4 Stanford.  The Irish will finish 9-3, 8-4 or 7-5, odds are it should be 8-4 but 7-5 is not out of the question.  IF Notre Dame finishes 8-4 that will be 3 out of 4 years Kelly’s Irish have finished with 8 wins, not exactly mind-blowing numbers.  Current Bowl predictions have the Irish facing Duke or Boston College  on December 31 in the (AdvoCare V100 Bowl) Independence Bowl as well as facing Utah State in the Poinsettia Bowl. 

Keeping a team motivated that had put the BCS National Championship game on its schedule at the beginning of the season is going to be a challenge for Kelly and his crew going into these upcoming weeks especially going into a pre New Year’s Day Bowl.  However I am sure Kelly’s boys are more than up to the task of standing tall and playing with and for pride.  I don’t see upperclassmen like Rees, Jones and Martin looking to disappoint in the last games of their college careers.  What is most important now is winning.  Beating BYU and playing will against a #4 (or higher) Stanford team along with any Bowl will would help the Irish finish on a good note.  9-5 with a Bowl game victory in an opportunity to build from heading into spring ball.

Overall it should not hurt the current recruiting status at this point.  Each year every team loses a verbal commit and picks up a commit they weren’t expecting.  I would look for the same with the Irish in this recruiting cycle.  Obviously it is not going to excite players to switch over to Notre Dame on signing day but I would not look for a mass exodus either.

An 8-4 regular season record will make the weeks before a late December bowl against a mediocre opponent seem pretty long.  Of course extra practices after a regular season are always seen as a positive benefit for underclassmen. 

Game Notes: Pitt

Pitt Panthers Game Notes; we go through 80 pages so you don’t have to.

History

This year's matchup will mark the 69th meeting between Notre Dame and Pittsburgh.

 

The Irish hold a 47-20-1 series lead.

 

Since 1990, Notre Dame is 9-0 against Pittsburgh when at least one Irish runner reaches 100+ rushing yards and just 4-3 when none do.

Only four teams have beaten the Irish more times than Pittsburgh's 20 – USC with 35, Michigan State with 28, Purdue with 26 and Michigan with 24.

 

The longest game in Irish history in terms of periods also came in the series with the Panthers. Pittsburgh outlasted

The Irish, 36-33, in four overtimes in 2008.

 

Top Notre Dame Performances vs. Pitt

Rushing Yards: Julius Jones 24-262, 2 TDs; 10.11.2003

 

Passing Yards: George Izo 18-26-1-322, 2 TDs; 11.8.1958

 

Touchdowns: Bill Wolski 5 (5 rushing); 11.6.1965

 

Tackles: Bob Golic 22; 10.14.1978

 

Receptions: Bobby Brown 12-208, 1 TD; 11.13.1999

 

Receiving Yards: Bobby Brown 12-208, 1 TD; 11.13.1999

 

NOTRE DAME – PITT  CONNECTIONS

Notre Dame's all-time football roster includes 18 quarterbacks from the state of Pennsylvania

 

Notre Dame’s Elijah Shumate, S and Pitt’s Bryan Murphy, DL both played at Don Bosco Prep (N.J.)

 

Notre Dame’s Jarron Jones, DL  and Pitt’s Jahmahl Pardner, DB both played for The Aquinas Institute (Rochester, N.Y)

 

Notable Head-to-Head Statistical Matchups

 

Notre Dame Fighting Irish                                                                            Pitt Panthers

Sacks Allowed .78 per game Rank 6th	VS.	Sacks 2 per game Rank 55th
Turnover Margin 0.0 Rank Tied for 64th	VS.	Turnover Margin 0.0 Rank Tied for 64th
Red Zone Offense 75.9% Rank 191st	VS.	Red Zone Defense 92.6% Rank 115th

A VICTORY OVER PITT...

Improves Notre Dame's record to 8-2 on the season and keeps the Irish BCS hopes alive

 

Improves Notre Dame's all-time record to 48-20-1 (.703) against Pittsburgh

 

Improves Brian Kelly's record to 12-1 (.923) in the month of November as Notre Dame Head Coach.

 

ON THIS DATE

Notre Dame has played 15 previous games in its history on Nov. 9. The Irish are 9-4-2 (.667) all-time on this date.

 

Irish Milestones Within Reach

Tommy Rees needs one more win to tie Terry Hanratty (1966-68) to move up to #7 on Notre Dame’s all time win list for Quarterbacks.

 

Tommy Rees needs 4 touchdown passes to move into the #2 all-time touchdown list with Jimmy Clausen (60).

 

Tommy Rees needs seven completions to tie Ron Powlus (558) at #3 and eight completions to pass Powlus on Notre Dames all time completions list.

 

Zack Martin needs one more start to move in the #2 spot in Notre Dame’s all time start list.

 

T.J. Jones needs one touchdown to move into a tie with Maurice Stovall (18) for seven on the Irish’s all time TD receiving list and two  TD receptions to move into a tie at the sixth spot with Tom Gatewood with 19.

 

Troy Niklas needs one more receiving touchdown to move into a tie with Ken MacAfee for the most touchdowns caught in a season by an Irish Tight End.

 

Stephon Tuitt is 1.5 sacks away from tying Justin Tuck for the most sacks in Notre Dame History in one season.

 

Stephon Tuitt is .5 sacks away from tying Justin Tuck for # 5 for the most career sacks in Notre Dame History.

 

Kyle Brindza needs one field goal to move into a tie with D.J. Fitzpatrick on Notre Dames all time field goal completion list.

 

 

Notable “The Last Time” Notre Dame against Pitt

Had 50 or more rushing attempts: vs. Pittsburgh, 2012 (51)

Had eight or more rush TDs: vs. Pittsburgh, 1965 (9)

Had two players with 100 receiving yards in a game: at Pittsburgh, 2009 (Golden Tate - 113, Michael Floyd - 107)

 

Had 100 or more plays total offense:  vs. Pittsburgh, 2012 (104)

 

Scored a two-point conversion: vs. Pittsburgh, 2012

 

Returned a punt for a TD: at Pittsburgh, 2009 (Golden Tate, 87 yards)

 

Had 30 or more first downs: vs. Pittsburgh, 2012 (34)

 

Was involved in a triple overtime game:  vs. Pittsburgh, 2012 (29-26)

 

Was involved in a quadruple overtime game:  vs. Pittsburgh, 2008 (33-36)

 

Rushed for 250-299 yards: Julius Jones at Pittsburgh, 2003 (262)

 

Attempted 40-49 passes: Everett Golson vs. Pittsburgh, 2012 (42)

 

Kicked four field goals: Brandon Walker vs. Pittsburgh, 2008 (4)

 

Totaled 100 or more punt return yards: Golden Tate at Pittsburgh, 2009 (101)

 

Had 400 or more yards: Pittsburgh, 1975 (411)

 

An opposing player rushed for 300 or more yards: Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh, 1975 (303)

 

An opposing player rushed for 150-199 yards: Ray Graham, Pittsburgh, 2012 (172)

 

An opposing player rushed 40 or more times: Craig Heyward, Pittsburgh, 1987 (42)

 

An opposing player had a run of 50-59 yards: Ray Graham, Pittsburgh, 2012 (55)

 

An opposing player kicked four or more field goals: Kevin Harper, Pittsburgh, 2012 (4)