Notre Dame-Oklahoma

Michigan State Recap

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-1) certainly are not playing for style points so far this season. The Irish earned a hard-fought win over the Michigan State Spartans last Saturday in South Bend with a score of 17-13. Even though it was a close game throughout I thought this was a much improved performance by Notre Dame from the beginning of the season. The defense allowed only 254 yards and intercepted a pass (although Michigan State’s offense is very mediocre but 13 points is their lowest total this season).

The offense was very inconsistent. There were drives spectacular and then others that fizzled out and resulted in long punts. The Irish had 12 offensive possessions in the game and only three of those resulted in points being scored. Six of the possessions ended in punts and four of those were three-and-outs. I am not blaming all of this on the players because everybody is performing well. The one player I do put some blame on is quarterback Tommy Rees. There were at least five (I’m being very conservative with the estimate) instances when he threw a pass 20+ yards downfield to a receiver but he overthrew it. This is occurred on second-and-short and third-and-short.

Head coach, Brian Kelly, said the Spartans were bringing extra players close to the line of scrimmage to stop the run so the only option is to pass. Wrong. Run it! Or at least try. It is so aggravating to see our offense face a third-and-short situation and Rees launches a deep ball. While I’m calling out the coaches, I am also sick of seeing the Irish offense in formations with no running backs. The coaches want to see Tommy Rees have a chance to find an open receiver yet they don’t attempt to force the defense to think about stopping the run.

Oklahoma Preview

This has been circled on many calendars since the beginning of the season. This is when we find out what the Irish are made of. Is this Irish team capable of making a BCS Bowl or will they flutter to a 7-9 win season? Oklahoma is the most complete team Notre Dame has faced this year as they boast an offense and defense that rank in the top 25. The problem I have with Oklahoma is the same I had with Michigan State. They racked up their stats against very weak competition. The Sooners’ three opponents have a combined record of 5-7 and have one win against a BCS “power” conference. The three games were also home games for Oklahoma.

Keys to the game

Stop Blake Bell: I have to admit, I have not watched a single Oklahoma game since they took on the Irish last year. In that game I was not impressed by quarterback Blake Bell at all. He didn’t seem that fast and he didn’t have that great of an arm. Watch out though! The hype train is this guy is roaring across America. I want to see the Fighting Irish stop that train in South Bend. The defensive line needs to contain Bell like they did with Michigan State’s quarterback. Force Bell to find the open receiver and make a quality throw.

No 3-and-outs: These are killing the Irish. It stops all momentum and doesn’t give the defense any time to recover. Rees and the offense have to improve on moving the chains. The playcalling by offensive coordinator Chuck Martin can also improve. Run the damn ball. Line up every big man on the team and pound it for a first down.

Get in Their Heads: As I just mentioned this is the Sooners’ first road game of the season. The Fighting Irish football team and student body is calling for a green out and is giving away 40,000 pom-poms. This is when Notre Dame Stadium needs to get rowdy and loud. Make it hard for Oklahoma’s offense to communicate. Rally the Irish offense and make the Sooners’ defense intimidated.

Predicted score: Notre Dame-21. Oklahoma- 20.

My Predictions

This is the best week of college football so far. If you have family in town then pretend you’re sick. If you’re already sick then count your blessings. There are four matchups of Top 25 teams and one of those involves two Top 10 teams. I picked 8 of the 10 games correctly last week by the way!

#12 South Carolina Gamecocks at UCF Knights

Northern Illinois Huskies at Purdue Boilermakers

Toledo Rockets at Ball State Cardinals

#14 Oklahoma Sooners at #22 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

#6 LSU Tigers at #9 Georgia Bulldogs

Iowa Hawkeyes at Minnesota Golden Gophers

#21 Ole Miss Rebels at #1 Alabama

#10 Texas A&M at Arkansas Razorbacks

#23 Wisconsin Badgers at #4 Ohio State Buckeyes

USC Trojans at Arizona State Sundevils

Beat Sparty

Purdue Recap

It took 11 quarters for #22 Notre Dame (2-1) to finally impressive and they picked a great time to do it. The Irish took on Purdue (2-1) last week in West Lafayette. Everybody expected the Irish to waltz into Ross-Ade and get an easy victory. That could not be further from what actually happened. The Boilermakers looked like a Top 25 team on Saturday night. Purdue led 10-3 at halftime but it felt like a much larger lead. Purdue had a 17-10 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. This is when the nervousness and reality of the situation set in. The Irish were looking dead on at a 1-2 start before a very tough stretch of games.

            Suddenly though, the Irish came alive. Tommy Rees started hitting his targets and the running game improved. The Irish scored a touchdown to tie it at 17. The Irish defense held Purdue to a first down then a punt. This is when the game turned. Rees threw a sideline pass to Davaris Daniels who broke a tackle and danced down the sideline for a 82-yard touchdown. On the ensuing Purdue possession, cornerback Bennett Jackson intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown. In six plays, the Irish scored 14 points.

            The Boilermakers kept it interesting. They didn’t back down from the sudden deficit. Purdue marched down the field in three minutes and scored a touchdown to narrow the lead to 31-24. With eight minutes left in the game, the Irish needed to melt as much time as possible. Seems easy enough. On the first play of the drive Amir Carlisle fumbled the ball and Purdue got possession. This is when Irish hearts everywhere sank. Notre Dame’s defense hasn’t been able to stop anybody and now the game was on the line. To my surprise, they answered the challenge. The Irish forced a three-and-out and a punt. The Irish offense took possession and powered their way down the field and ran the game clock to 00:00.

            Even though this game should not have been this close it gave me hope that this team could be turning a corner. A win on the road is always difficult and this was one in the stadium of one of your biggest rivals. Add that to the fact that the Irish really had to fight to win and this was a tremendous victory. The road does not get any easier for Notre Dame but at least they will be back at home. This week they host the Michigan State Spartans (3-0). The Spartans have the #1 defense in the nation statistically. They are a talented unit but it should pointed out (or maybe shouted) that Michigan State’s first three games were at home and against terrible teams. Their game against the Irish is their first real test of the season.

Keys to the Game

Stuff the Run- Michigan State recently solved their quarterback controversy and named sophomore, Conner Cook, the starter. Even though he won the starting spot he is still not that great of a passer. The Irish need to stop the Spartans from running the ball and force Cook to pass. Make the untested QB beat you with his arm because he won’t.

Pressure the QB- This goes with the last key. The Irish need to get Michigan State’s offense into 2^nd and 3^rd downs with 7+ yards to go. These are obvious passing downs and instances when the Irish can blitz multiple defenders.

Rushing Attack- Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune had a great stat that I cannot remember. Basically, whichever team has the most rushing yards tends to win the ball game. Notre Dame has five talented running backs so hopefully at least one can break through with some big runs.

-While I’m talking about running backs, it is time for Brian Kelly to drop George Atkinson on the depth chart. Amir Carlisle looks great and Cam McDaniel earned some serious playing time last week.

My prediction: Notre Dame- 17. Michigan State-9.

Predictions

After three weeks I have a picking record of 21-9. I wrote last week that Alabama would crush Texas A&M. Alabama won but it definitely wasn’t a crushing victory. This week there is just one matchup of Top 25 teams. That’s #Stanford versus #23 Arizona State. This is game that Irish coaching staff will definitely be watching because they will have to game plan for both teams this season.

North Carolina Tarheels at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Ball State Cardinals at Eastern Michigan Eagles

Michigan State Spartans at #22 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Tennessee Volunteers at #19 Florida Gators

Arkansas Razorbacks at Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Purdue Boilermakers at #24 Wisconsin Badgers

#23 Arizona State Sun Devils at #5 Stanford Cardinal

Missouri Tigers at Indiana Hoosiers

Kansas State Wildcats at Texas Longhorns

Utah Utes at BYU Cougars

Looking Ahead After Tough Loss

Michigan Recap

There cannot be an Irish fan on the face of the Earth that is not tired of seeing a Michigan quarterback thrashing our defense with his legs and arm. Three years ago Tate Forcier did it. Two years ago, Denard Robinson did it. This year, it was Devin Gardner. Gardner led his Michigan Wolverines to a 41-30 victory over the Fighting Irish. He threw for 294 yards and 4 touchdowns and ran for 82 yards and 1 touchdown. The defensive focus was to stuff the run and force Gardner to throw; however there was little Notre Dame did that inhibited Gardner from doing whatever he wanted. The defensive line was able to get pressure on him but the secondary left receivers open downfield (It should be noted that it is extremely difficult to be a defensive back against a scrambling QB).  The Irish partially succeeded in their game plan because they restricted Michigan running backs to fewer than 100 yards and no touchdowns.

What about Notre Dame quarterback, Tommy Rees, and his offense? Well, it’s a two-part answer. The common idea is he did horrible and the game proves that he cannot compete on an elite level. Then, there is the less popular train of thought that he played the best game he could while his defense let him down. Rees completed 29/51 passes for 314 yards. He threw two touchdowns but also threw two interceptions. I thought Rees played moderately well. He did have two interceptions and nearly a third that came by bad decisions he made. What impressed me was he kept his composure in an incredibly hostile environment. He also completed more than 50% of his passes and there were at least four passes that went through the receivers hands. Under his command, the Irish scored two touchdowns and three field goals. That’s 23 points and that would have been enough to win 10 games last year.

In my opinion, the Irish put up a valiant effort against a very talented team in a place that few teams could win at. There have been only two night games at Michigan Stadium and the Wolverines have won both. Until a team goes into Ann Arbor on a Saturday night and pulls out a victory it should be considered impossible for a visiting team to win. The Irish struggled on both sides of the ball but it is important for fans to remain optimistic. A BCS Bowl is still a realistic goal. A 10-win season is still possible. The journey to accomplish those goals starts and ends with the defense. Somebody has to step up and become the leader like Manti Te’o was last season.  

In my preview I listed three “Keys to the Game”. Here they are again and how they played out.

Improved Front Seven- I was impressed with how the defensive line and line backers played against Michigan. There was plenty of times when they crashed the line of scrimmage and kept Michigan’s running backs to gaining one or two yards. They also did a good of pressuring Devin Gardner. The problem was they were not able to contain Gardner and that allowed him to escape out of the pocket and run for 5 and 10 yard gains. But, it was an improvement from the Temple game.

Balance on Offense- This turned out to be huge. There was no balance at all. The Irish called 53 pass plays and 18 run plays. Head coach, Brian Kelly, said after the game Rees audibled for passing plays because Michigan “loaded the box” a.k.a. used extra defenders to stop the run. Basically Michigan forced Rees to beat them with his arm and for the most part it worked.

Special Teams- There was huge improvement in this area. Kyle Brindza was 3/3 on field goal attempts and 2/2 on P.A.T.’s. T.J. Jones ripped off a 18-yard punt return which was the longest I have seen in a long time.

Purdue Preview

The Boilermakers are the perfect remedy after the tough loss. Michigan’s dual-threat quarterback torched the Irish defense. I’m not sure Purdue’s quarterback, Rob Henry, can even outrun Charlie Weis. The Boilermakers have scored 27 points in 2013 and 7 of those came from a kick-off return. Purdue ranks near the bottom in nearly every offensive statistic. If there is a team that Notre Dame can dominate from the opening kickoff it is Purdue.

Keys to the Game

• Blitz Rob Henry- Purdue’s senior quarterback is similar to Irish quarterback, Tommy Rees, in the since that his arm is more of a threat than his legs. It is imperative for the Irish defense to get pressure on Henry and force him to throw or scramble. Henry has thrown zero touchdowns and two interceptions in two games this season.
• Strike Early- This is a given. When you are on the road against a lesser opponent you really do not want to give them any hope that they can win. The Irish need to jump on Purdue early and build a huge lead. The Boilermakers’ student body has been known to make a lot of noise. The Irish need to keep them quiet all night.
• Dominate- This game is a must win for Notre Dame. Purdue is horrible. HORRIBLE. They barely beat Indiana State who was playing without their best player. The Irish get to play Purdue on ABC primetime so the whole country will be watching.  There is no better stage for the Irish to show they are much than what the score in Ann Arbor exhibited.

Predicted outcome: Notre Dame-38. Purdue-6.

Predictions

Last week I finished a horrible 5-5. The one game that I nailed was BYU’s upset over Texas. This week I’ll try to do better. The most hyped game of the season takes place in Texas. Johnny Manziel and A&M host the defending national champions, the Alabama Crimson Tide. Some in the media are calling this the “Game of the Century” even though there is one of these every year. I expect the Tide to dominate this game from the get go. Nick Saban is not going to lose to Manziel two consecutive times. Also keep an eye on the Big 10/Pac 12 games (UCLA/Nebraska and Wisconsin/ASU). The teams involved have not faced any real competition and this will be a great way to measure how talented each is. 

Bowling Green Eagles at Indiana Hoosiers

#16 UCLA Bruins at #23 Nebraska Cornhuskers

#1 Alabama Crimson Tide at #6 Texas A&M Aggies

Ball State Cardinals at North Texas Mean Green

#19 Washington Huskies at Illinois Fighting Illini

#4 Ohio State Buckeyes at California Golden Bears

Vanderbilt Commodores at #13 South Carolina Gamecocks

#25 Ole Miss Rebels at Texas Longhorns

#21 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Purdue Boilermakers

#20 Wisconson Badgers at Arizona State Sun Devils

Beat Michigan

Temple Recap

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish handled the Temple Owls in their season opening game and won 28-6. Many of the Tommy Rees doubters were left with some optimism after he had the best game of his career. Rees threw for 346 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. That was exactly the type of performance he, his teammates, his coaches and Irish fans needed to see to build confidence. The Irish scored touchdowns on their first two drives; both of which were results of Rees throwing passes into the endzone. This performance proved that Rees can step into a game and have no fear or anxiety about himself or his teammates. He also showed that he can throw it accurately more than 30 yards downfield. Irish running back Amir Carlisle looked very impressive. On the first play of the game, Carlisle took a handoff from Rees and stormed down the field for a 45 yard gain.  

           

Now the attention turns to the Michigan Wolverines. The boys from Ann Arbor demolished Central Michigan on Saturday afternoon and look in prime condition to take on the Irish. This is the final scheduled matchup between the two teams to be played at Michigan Stadium. This is a game that players and fans look forward to each season. The hatred for the opposing schools boils over on social media and on the field. The fact that this is the last time for the Wolverines to get a win in their stadium against the Irish is only going to motivate them.

However, Michigan head coach gave the Irish plenty of motivation to win from comments he made before the season. Hoke said Notre Dame was “chickening out” by ending the contract. Since then everybody has persecuted Notre Dame because they are dropping Michigan to make room on their schedule for ACC teams. What everybody fails to realize is that Michigan REFUSED to play Notre Dame or even be in the same conference in the early 20^th century. They did this out of hatred for Catholics and Irish immigrants. While Notre Dame is ending the rivalry for “business” reasons at least it’s not because of racism.

Keys to the Game

Improved Front Seven- Temple’s freshman quarterback ran for 65 yards and threw for over 200. Michigan’s Devin Gardner is much more talented and can do even more damage running and passing. It is imperative that the Irish defensive linemen and linebackers get pressure on Gardner and force him to make quick throws and possible bad passes that can be intercepted. Gardner threw two interceptions against Central Michigan so the Irish defensive backs will need to bring their soft hands. They will also need to limit Michigan’s running game as much as possible. It should be noted that the Irish ran a very basic or “vanilla” game plan against Temple so expect much more exotic looks on Saturday night.

Balance on Offense- Through three quarters, the Irish called 21 pass plays and 21 rush plays. That is balance. There are so many talented players at all the skill positions so it should not be difficult to keep evenness in the play calling. Underrated receivers T.J. Jones and Davaris Daniels catch just about any pass thrown in their vicinity. The corps of running backs allows many options depending on the situation. Amir Carlisle is an all-purpose back and George Atkinson is very quick. Don’t forget about Cam McDaniel and the two freshman, Greg Bryant and Tarean Foster. The ability for the Irish to rely on the passing game and the running game is imperative to winning every game.

Special Teams- This has been a topic of discussion since last season. In 2012 the Irish were one of the worst punt return teams in the nation. Brian Kelly said improvements would be made in that area as well as all of the special teams. Against Temple, kicker and punter Kyle Brindza struggled mightily. He missed one field goal (which Kelly said was due to the placeholder) and overpowered two punts from midfield. Nick Tausch also missed a field goal. The last three games against the Wolverines have been decided by a touchdown or less. Every point matters. That means the field goal kicking has to improve. The punting will have to improve too because you cannot afford to give Michigan quality field position.

Predicted outcome: Notre Dame-27. Michigan-14. This is going to be a knockout, drag-down fight between two of the most successful teams in college football history. Even though the teams are located just a couple hours apart this is a game that people all across America tune into watch. This is a game that showcases everything that is great about college football. Enjoy it football fans.

Predictions

Last week I picked 9 out of the 10 games correctly. I predicted Clemson would win over Georgia and they did just that. They also jumped to the early lead of best looking team so far. #1 Alabama defeated Virginia Tech but their offense, especially their line, struggled at times. This week the slate of games is atrocious. I mean it’s horrible. If you have chores to do then do them because you will not miss anything.

Cincinnati Bearcats at Illinois Fighting Illini

Indiana State Sycamores at Purdue Boilermakers

#12 Florida Gators at Miami Hurricanes

Army Black Knights at Ball State Cardinals

#2 Oregon Ducks at Virginia Cavaliers

#6 South Carolina Gamecocks at #11 Georgia Bulldogs

Navy Midshipmen at Indiana Hoosiers

#15 Texas Longhorns at BYU Cougars

West Virginia Mountaineers at #16 Oklahoma Sooners

#14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at #17 Michigan Wolverines