Print Edition of the Irish Insider for Friday, October 28, 2016
By ZACH KLONSINSKI
Assistant mangaing e ditor
d e s hone Kizer said he did his best to relax over n otre d ame’s bye week and the University’s fall break.
“You can’t be too far away,” Kizer said during captain’s availability Wednesday. “o bviously we still have some great games to play in and half of the season to go through. s o you remove yourself away in the sense of physically getting off your feet and getting your body back to where you want it to be. b ut mentally you have to
stay locked in.”
It was typical press conference jargon: guarded and focused on the task at hand.
When asked about his eightmonth old puppy though, the caution flew away like the chairs around the dining table when the 105-pound n eapolitan mastiff spotted n otre d ame’s quarterback walking into his house over break.
“ r ight now he’s pretty fast,” Kizer said. “ h e’s super energetic, but the older he gets, he’s going to get to about 185, 190 pounds.
“It’s going to be a pretty
ironic name to have when you’re big and slow but his name’s d ash.”
d ash originally lived with the junior in s outh b end but quickly needed a little bit more room to roam. n ow he’s back at Kizer’s parents’ household in Toledo, o hio, where Kizer said he’s finishing up his house training. The teething phase has passed too, Kizer added, so there are no more “drive-by bitings” after someone’s toes wandered a little too far off the edge of the couch.
“ d ash is all over the place. The guy’s just so energetic
— he won’t leave you alone,” Kizer said, his face visibly losing tension as he spoke.
“ h e’s out back chasing anything he possibly can. If you have anything in your hand and he wants to get your attention, he’s going to take it out and try to fetch it.”
o f course there were other distractions at home: Kizer said his mother kept him busy with chores around the house, and he celebrated his sister m aelyn’s birthday.
“Part of her birthday present was to redo her room, so I was back — just like I never left — helping my mom remodel my sister’s room,” Kizer said. “We were painting. We put on two new layers of everything, from the walls to the floors, redoing her wood floors, to the ceiling. We were painting absolutely everything.”
Add in a couple homecooked meals alternating with v ito’s chicken bacon ranch pizza and you have the secret ingredients for escaping the pressures of being n otre d ame’s starting quarterback — at least for a few days.
“The goal is to do nothing,” Kizer said of the first few days being at home. “There’s so much pressure on you here, and when you’re walking around campus, whether you acknowledge it or not, there’s people all over who are putting out different things.
“ … And when you get to go back home you get to go back to what got you to this position and truly relax in that sense. b eing home allowed me the opportunity to hang out with friends who were back home doing things in Toledo and talk about things other than football for once. Just to remove yourself, regather yourself, so that when you come back you have as much of a fresh slate as you possibly can.”
Kizer and the rest of the n otre d ame football program have certainly felt the pressure after a 2-5 start to a season that started with a top-10 ranking and playoff expectations. n ow the Irish welcome a m iami team that reached the top 10, only to lose its last three games and join n otre d ame in a rankings free fall.
The two teams certainly share a storied history, but the connections continue through to the present, especially in the pocket with Kizer and his friend b rad Kaaya, m iami’s junior quarterback. “ b rad and I came out in the same [recruiting] class and actually were in the e lite 11 [national quarterback competition] together and developed a good friendship,” Kizer said. “We kind of were two of a couple pro-style guys in the e lite 11. c oming out being the tall, athletic stature, you’d expect us both to be dual-threat guys, but we’re two guys who pride ourselves on being in the pocket and trying to stay in the pocket as much as we can to be a prostyle guy. s o we definitely related along those lines.” b oth players have drawn notice around the country.
“[Kaaya] runs the system very well,” Irish head coach b rian Kelly said Tuesday. “ h e can go from direct snap to shotgun. There’s a little bit of everything that he can do. h e can run a little bit of zone read. h e’s not going to kill you with it, but he keeps you off balance. h e’s a guy that likes to push the ball down the field.
“ h is numbers speak for themselves. h e’s a veteran quarterback. h e’s probably the most veteran quarterback that we’ve played up to this point in terms of experience.”
“[The roster] says 230 [pounds]. h e looks like he might be even a little bigger than that, in a good way,”
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish junior quarterback DeShone Kizer scrambles through traffic while keeping his eyes downfield during Notre Dame’s 17-10 loss to Stanford on Oct. 15 at Notre Dame Stadium.
m iami head coach m ark r icht said about Kizer. “ very strong, very physical, very athletic.”
m any preseason mock drafts had Kizer and Kaaya as potential high first-round choices should they declare for the n FL d raft after this season, but both have struggled as of late. Kizer has thrown for just 208 yards combined in his last two games, being intercepted three times while failing to find the end zone. Kaaya has been sacked 13 times over the hurricanes’ losing streak — including eight times in m iami’s 37-16 loss to v irginia Tech last weekend — while throwing for four touchdowns and two interceptions.
o verall, however, each quarterback’s body of work has been solid. Kaaya came in and played as a true freshman, earning Acc r ookie of the Year honors, and improved his numbers and m iami’s record during his sophomore season; Kizer’s rise to the starting role early last season has been welldocumented as well.
“ h e was obviously put in position as a true freshman to go out and show himself early, and then I came out a year later and now we’re being compared together as the same style of quarterback,” Kizer said. “ b eing a good friend with him, it’s fun to see him be as successful as he’s been. We go all the way back to junior year of high school where all we have are aspirations of being great, and now we’re in positions where we’re starting for two major college football teams.”
“I think they’re carbon copies,” n otre d ame graduate student defensive lineman Jarron Jones said about playing against Kizer and Kaaya. “I think d e s hone’s more willing to run because Kaaya doesn’t run that much. h e
DeShone Kizer tucks the ball and takes off toward the sideline during Notre Dame’s loss to Stanford. Kizer finished the game with 154 yards on 14-for-26 passing. He added another 83 yards and a touchdown on 11 rushing attempts, including a 49-yard scamper.
likes to wait in the pocket a lot more, but he’s a great quarterback. h e knows his reads. h e makes great throws. If he has to run it, he’s very dangerous running it as well.”
After a few days away from football over break, Kizer said he began working his way back into the game by watching m iami play v irginia Tech last weekend, though he doesn’t usually watch football games while on break.
“It’s hard, especially when m iami’s on offense and you want to get involved with looking at what their offense looks like because you typically don’t get that side of things when you’re getting ready to play against someone,” Kizer said. “You’re just
evaluating as much as you can.
“For me, to watch football or, frankly, any sport with the analytical mind that you have from being within college sports, it’s hard not to look through the entertaining side of things and evaluate everyone out in the field. I’m reading defenses from my couch, from [ b uffalo Wild Wings], from wherever I’m standing, so it’s pretty difficult. s o I try to stay away from watching sports as much as I can and allow my time at home to be away.”
n ow, Kizer said, it’s about finding the offensive production that scored an average of 39.8 points over its first five games but has combined for
just 13 over the last two.
“ e veryone has come in and put together these great looks and these great ideas about specific defenses, specific style,” Kizer said. “And that’s great, to check those all out. b ut I think there’s an understanding now that we have to figure out what we are doing well and put emphasis on that.”
With a defense that’s improving, Kizer said the team’s turnaround is coming after the “reset” fall break provided.
“It’s time to spread the ball around and keep pushing forward. I believe that our offense is one of the best in the country, no matter what statistics say,” Kizer said. “And
all it takes is for us to buy into that, have the confidence to do what we do, and make sure that we’re out there executing the game plan.
“The only thing that’s stopping us these last seven games is ourselves. We’re putting ourselves in the position to win the game in the fourth quarter each game, and lack of execution is the only thing that’s stopped us from winning those. If we can buy in, be focused, be disciplined, continue to do what we do and do it well, we’re going to be fine. We’re going to win some games at the end of this season.”
Contact Zach Klonsinski at zklonsin@nd.edu
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer
Notre Dame can do better than the status quo
Alex Carson Assistant managing e ditor
Amidst a season chock full of questionable decisions from brian Kelly, the Irish head coach is absolutely right on one count: That it’s not a good thing when your director of athletics has to give you the public “vote of confidence,” as Jack swarbrick did last week.
even Kelly’s most ardent supporters would admit that, after a 2-5 start, conversation about the coach’s future is an appropriate, if not necessary, chat. every year, before the season starts, notre dame’s players and coaches talk about the team’s goal of winning a national title. such is life when you’ve retained your independent status — it’s that or nothing. so let’s look at a profile of recent championshipwinning coaches.
In the past 16 years, 11 coachschool combinations have won a national title, and most arrangements fit a similar story — a coach shows up, recruits well early to supplement the talent already sitting in the program (fired coaches often leave behind a wealth of talent they couldn’t manage), and wins a championship within his first few years at the school. of those 11 coaches, 10 won their first title at a school in their first four years at the helm; the only exception is mack brown, who bucks the trend, winning his first crown in his eighth year at Texas.
next fall, Kelly would enter his eighth year at notre dame, so let’s take a quick look at brown’s path. Unlike Kelly, brown’s Texas teams were consistent contenders until the 2005 breakthrough, going 43-8 from 2001 through 2004, never dropping below the 10-win mark. That, clearly, is not where notre dame sits today.
To go back and find coaches who have won their first crowns later than year eight at a school, as it’s likely Kelly would be doing if he ever won a title at notre dame, you have to move to 1993 and 1994, when bobby bowden and Tom osborne won their first national titles 18 and 22 years into their tenures. respectfully, Kelly isn’t either of those guys.
combining the “eye test,” which shows a head coach’s questionable decisions aiding Irish defeat after defeat, with the aforementioned historical comparison, it’s hard for me to imagine a world where the 2012 win at Usc — the one that sent notre dame to play for a national title — isn’t the zenith of Kelly’s tenure in south bend, no matter how much longer he sticks around.
one of two things needs to change: the head coach or the expectations.
Are those expectations — both internal and external — out of whack with reality? Thanks to the University’s insistence on
focusing on the “student” part of student-athlete, this isn’t an easy job, no, but I don’t think it’s unrealistic to expect more out of notre dame than what Kelly has provided in seven seasons.
If I broke down college football’s top-end programs into tiers, I’d set notre dame in the third-highest. At the top, you have Alabama and ohio state, schools who will consistently have the top talent and top coaches in the game. In a second tier, you have programs like Florida state, oklahoma and clemson. These schools are consistently good, with a top-15 mark often the floor and a title the ceiling.
notre dame is, right now, a step behind those schools. When things are clicking, the Irish can compete, but they don’t do it often enough to give them a good chance of winning a title in a long-term stretch. Joining that second tier is, in my eyes, a fair expectation and, at this point, I just don’t see it happening under Kelly.
Think back to that earlier stat — that nearly all title-winning coaches in recent memory have won their first title at a school in the first few years of a tenure.
notre dame is primed to compete two years from now, in 2018. Josh Adams and dexter Williams will form a top-tier senior running back tandem, the young receivers and secondary will be veterans, and no matter who quarterbacks the squad, it’ll be a signal caller who’s one of college football’s 10 best.
And when looking at the 2018 slate, one thing stands out: michigan’s visit to open the season. If you want to look at a present-day application for what a coaching change can do, just look to Ann Arbor, where Jim harbaugh has resurrected that program in his second year.
In what will be the biggest game at notre dame stadium in 13 years, is Kelly the man best suited to lead the Irish out of the tunnel?
The current reality of notre dame’s program doesn’t match the stated goals. If swarbrick retains Kelly, which I believe he will, it’s a vote for the status quo, an affirmation that notre dame is only interested in occasionally, not perennially, competing; an assertion that “win a national title” isn’t truly every season’s goal.
Instead, swarbrick can make a change and take a chance, not on Kelly, but on notre dame. There is no guarantee that a new coach would provide a better, or even the same, result. but don’t you owe it to yourself to try?
Contact Alex Carson at acarson1@nd.edu
The opinions in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
“I walked away hangry,” said no one who ever ever ate at Taphouse on the Edge. We serve the best burgers in town — made with ground round and prime rib, and we’re legend for our knosh and nom.
Don’t forget our $5 specials: M-wings and tots, T-cheeseburger and tots, W-street tacos and tots, and Th-chicken strips and, ya got it, tots. Close to campus with live trivia, karaoke, and more. Sweet. Families are welcome too, but bring the kids. They’ll translate.
KELLY VAUGHAN | The Observer
Irish head coach Brian Kelly walks off the field after Notre Dame’s 17-10 loss to Stanford on Oct. 15 at Notre Dame Stadium. Kelly and the Irish have gone 2-7 since Notre Dame lost to Stanford last season.
Jeter flips from Notre Dame to Michigan
By MAREK MAZUREK sports e ditor
d espite not playing a game, the Irish saw their season take another hit last week when four-star defensive line prospect d onovan Jeter decommitted from n otre d ame
and verbally committed to m ichigan just a few days later.
To rub salt in the wounds for n otre d ame fans, Jeter said talking to Irish head coach b rian Kelly “wasn’t fun. It wasn’t cool,” in an interview with the Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette. Jeter later apologized for those comments. b lue and Gold Illustrated recruiting analyst b ryan d riskell said there’s more than meets the eye in Jeter’s case and believes academic scheduling issues may have lead to Jeter’s departure.
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“Well, there was a bit of an issue with d onovan about what he needed to do to gain admittance to n otre d ame in the spring,” d riskell said. “ d onovan wants to be an early-enrollee, and right now, there’s some work he needed to do. n ot a lot, just a minor thing — a class here — that he needed to take before he could get enrolled. s o that wasn’t going to work out.”
And though Jeter’s comments about Kelly may anger some Irish fans, d riskell said Jeter’s decommitment probably won’t start a trend among other n otre d ame commits.
“When you look at the way the other recruits like c .J. h olmes and Avery d avis and guys like that, the way they responded after [Jeter’s] decision, it’s obvious they’re still bought in,” d riskell said.
“I think that if the season continues to go in a downward direction, it wouldn’t surprise me if other kids had some doubts about the direction of the program. b ut I don’t think d onovan Jeter’s decision will have anything to do with that.”
Though Jeter’s departure did make headlines over the bye week, the Irish did pick up a verbal commitment from cornerback e lijah h icks. d riskell said h icks stands out as an athletic player, as he has experience against top high school receivers.
“I really like that pickup,” d riskell said. “What he does — it brings an upgrade in athleticism and versatility in a secondary that’s very young and lacking proven, experienced players. The
thing I like about e lijah is he can play cornerback. h e’s a very talented corner, [and] he goes against top-notch competition in c alifornia … this is a kid that gets tested on a weekly basis, and he’s really stepped up and performed.”
Another aspect of h icks’ game the Irish like is his ability to play all over the field, d riskell said.
“The other thing he brings to the table is he’s very versatile,” d riskell said. “ h e can play nickel easily. h e could come in as a freshman and help out at nickel. h e’s a kid that’s got the instincts, he plays the ball exceptionally well for a high school kid [and] drives on routes quickly, which would translate very nicely to the free safety position. h e’s a kid you could see starting at three different positions. … Guys like that are great additions to the class … you could easily slide, if the need arose, h icks to free safety, or maybe that addition allows you to move an upperclassmen corner to safety. n otre d ame loves versatility and this staff loves going after guys that can play multiple positions, and he certainly fits that bill.”
The m iami game this weekend marks the second to last game at n otre d ame s tadium this season, and though the weather may still be pleasant, d riskell said the Irish have only a small list of recruits scheduled to be in town this s aturday.
“ r ight now, the only 2017 kid I’m aware of that’s coming up right now is receiver n oah Igbinoghene,” d riskell said. “I’d say the best kid on campus this week … [is] four-star c alifornia corner b rendan r adley- h iles — really talented player [who] posts with the some of the current commits. They tweet with him a lot, [and he’s] very high on n otre d ame’s list.”
And with the 2017 class being mostly filled out, d riskell said the Irish have their eye on the future with a few of the recruits coming into town.
“And then also Kenny m cIntosh, who’s a 2019 player, so he’s a current sophomore,” d riskell said. “ e xtremely talented running back, [and] he’s the younger brother of [current n otre d ame freshman] d eon m cIntosh. I know n otre d ame is very high on him; he’s a very talented player. It’s a small weekend as of right now from a numbers standpoint, but the guys that are going to be on campus this weekend are very talented players.”
Contact Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@nd.edu
HuRRIc A neS PASSIng
The m iami aerial attack begins and ends with brad Kaaya. The junior quarterback has been touted as a potential first-round pick should he chose to forego his final year of eligibility and enter the n FL draft at season’s end. h is play this year has largely reflected that status, as he’s thrown for 1,696 yards and 12 touchdowns against just five interceptions on the season. The dropoff in his play during the hurricanes’ three-game losing streak can be attributed to m iami’s struggles with pass protection during the stretch, as the hurricanes offensive line has given up a combined 13 sacks in the three losses.
After a poor start to the season, the Irish secondary and pass rush have shown improvement in its last three games, holding opposing passing attacks to an average of 175 yards through the air and accumulating five sacks, as compared to an average of 253 passing yards allowed and just one total sack in its first four games.
Kaaya will be the best quarterback the Irish secondary have faced to date. notre dame’s ability to disrupt m iami’s aerial attack will hinge on its success or failure to pressure Kaaya and use its recent improvements in that area to take advantage of a struggling m iami offensive line.
eDge : mIA mI
HuRRIc A neS RuSHIng
The hurricanes ground attack features a one-two punch in sophomore mark Walton and junior Joe Yearby. both running backs have averaged over 5 yards per carry so far this season and have combined for 1,097 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the season. much like the passing game, however, the rushing attack has struggled during the hurricanes’ three-game losing streak, averaging just 81 yards per game on the ground during that stretch.
much like its secondary, notre dame’s front seven has shown improvement since Greg hudson took over as defensive coordinator. After allowing over 200 rushing yards in three of their first four games, the Irish have not allowed a team to reach that threshold in its last three games and has held opponents to under four yards per carry.
e Dge : e V en
HuRRIc A ne S oFFenSIV e coAcHIng
This season is head coach mark r icht’s first in coral Gables. r icht is well respected as an offensive mind, having served as an offensive coordinator at Florida state prior to his time as a head coach at Georgia and, now, miami. during his seven years as a coordinator at Florida state, the seminoles were among the nation’s top-five scoring offenses five times and a top-12 unit in total offense five times.
In three games since taking over the defense, defensive coordinator Greg hudson and head coach brian Kelly have seen statistical improvements both in the secondary and along the front seven. however, its last to matchups have been against north carolina state in defensively favorable weather conditions and against an anemic stanford offense without christian mccaffrey. The hurricanes will represent the biggest challenge yet to the improving but largely untested Irish defense under Kelly and hudson.
e Dge : mIA mI
HuRRIc A ne S SPecIAL te A mS
Junior kicker michael badgley has been effective this season for the hurricanes, hitting seven of his 10 field goal attempts, including all three of his tries from beyond 40 yards. senior punter Justin vogel, meanwhile, has averaged 44.1 yards on his punts this season and has pinned teams inside their 20 on over a third of his punts this season.
Although the Irish have shown flashes on special teams with one blocked field goal and two blocked extra points, the unit has struggled to make a consistent impact this season.
e Dge : mIA mI
HuRRIc A neS ScHeDuLe (4-3)
sept. 3 Florida A&M (W, 70-3)
sept. 10 Florida Atlantic (W, 38-10)
sept. 17 @ Appalachian State (W, 45-10)
oct. 1 @ Georgia Tech (W, 35-21)
oct. 8 Florida State (L, 20-19)
oct. 15 North Carolina (L, 20-13)
oct. 20 @ Virginia Tech (L, 37-16)
oct. 29 @ Notre Dame
nov. 5 Pittsburgh
nov. 12 @ Virginia
nov. 19 @ North Carolina State
nov. 26 Duke
both notre dame and miami have struggled lately. The hurricanes, once considered a fringe national title contender until a missed extra point derailed their season, have regressed to 4-3 on the back of three straight losses. but unlike notre dame’s five defeats, the hurricanes’ losses are respectable — each of Florida state, north carolina and virginia Tech are ranked, with one of the latter two likely to play for the Acc title in december. The larger storyline might be brad Kaaya against deshone Kizer, two quarterbacks that could very well be first-round picks in the spring, but the more important one is whether or not the Irish defense can continue to improve in Greg hudson’s fourth game.
one of these teams will get back on track this week. That team is not notre dame.
FINAL SCORE: m iami 31, notre dame 24
HEA d
Zach Klonsinski Assistant managing e ditor
What looked like a matchup with playoff implications — at least for one team — when the calendar flipped to october now features two teams in utter free fall trying to do damage control.
Luckily for notre dame, last week’s fall break provided a chance to hit the reset button and get away from everything for a few days. It might just be the antidote the Irish needed, since nothing else seems to have worked so far.
Unluckily for the Irish, this miami squad has the most raw talent of any team notre dame has played this season.
I want to say what happened to the Irish offense against stanford was a fluke, not a trend.
There’s only been one consistent trend this year, though. If brad Kaaya returns to form, the Irish could be all but eliminated from bowl contention before november.
FINAL SCORE: m iami 31, notre dame 17
Will a bye week change notre dame’s fortunes and get its season back on track?
Probably not. The defense has certainly looked good sans vanGorder, but the Irish have yet to play a complete team game.
The special teams needs work, the defense needs to prove itself and the offense now has a turnover problem.
To make matters worse, miami has a solid team coming into south bend, led by future-nFL prospect brad Kaaya. The hurricanes defense isn’t sophisticated, but it is extremely athletic. And deshone Kizer needs to make sure he doesn’t develop an interception problem.
Utlimately, the defense has an oK game, but Kizer and the offense continue to struggle. This season isn’t getting better anytime soon. FINAL SCORE: m iami 28, notre dame 20
Marek
KELLY VAUGHAN | The Observer
HEA d
No TRE DamE
IRISH PASSIng
m iami is not the only team in this matchup with a potential first-round talent at quarterback, as notre d ame has depended on the play of d e s hone Kizer for its offensive success this year. The junior has thrown for 1,775 yards in notre d ame’s seven games this season and has accounted for 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. h owever, Kizer, like Kaaya, has struggled as of late, completing under 50 percent of his passes in his last two games, both notre d ame losses.
The last three games have seen the hurricanes’ secondary struggle, as the unit has allowed seven total passing touchdowns while intercepting just one of the last 112 passes thrown against them during that span. m iami’s pass rush has been modest during its current losing streak, however, accumulating six sacks over the three games.
For notre d ame to rediscover its success through the air, the Irish offensive line will need to protect Kizer and provide him with time to take advantage of a struggling hurricane secondary.
e Dge : not R e DA me
IRISH RuSHIng
In addition to his arm, d e s hone Kizer’s legs have been notre d ame’s most effective weapon on the ground as of late. he led the team in rushing with 83 yards against stanford two weeks ago, and he leads the team on the season in rushing touchdowns with seven. he’s joined by a trio of running backs in the backfield, as senior Tarean Folston and sophomores Josh Adams and d exter Williams have all rotated in for the Irish this season at the position. o f the three, Adams has the most carries (89) and yards (416), while Williams has hit paydirt the most with his three rushing touchdowns.
o n the other side of the ball, the hurricanes have largely been effective against the run this season, holding opponents to under 150 rushing yards per game and just 3.4 yards per carry. In two of their last three games, however, the hurricanes have allowed an opposing back to rush for over 130 yards. In its latest defeat to v irginia Tech, m iami
Associate sports e ditor
on paper, this matchup looks like it should be close one between two sliding programs in desperate need of a midseason turnaround.
notre dame has struggled to find any amount of consistency this season, as just when the defense appears to be finding something that works, the offense has fallen off entirely.
And on the other side, miami started its year with four straight wins before quickly dropping each of its last three games.
but miami’s losses have all come to teams ranked in this week’s top 25, and it still has an nFL-level quarterback leading the way in brad Kaaya. despite the extra week to prep, notre dame has too many holes to expect a turnaround this week.
FINAL SCORE: m iami 45, notre dame 24
As it was against stanford, notre dame is fortunate to meet the hurricanes at the lowest point of their season, coming off a miserable three-game losing streak after they had won their first four games to rise to no. 10 in the national rankings.
Less fortunately, notre dame has proven time and again that it is incapable of consistently taking advantage of its opponents’ deficiencies. The defense was able to contain stanford’s struggling offense well enough, but in the end, it didn’t matter. similarly, the Irish will probably be productive passing against an injury-plagued defense and might even record a sack or two. however, expecting them to pull out a win at this point would require ignoring the in-
shown all season.
allowed mobile quarterback Jerod e vans to rush for nearly 100 yards and touchdown, indicating Kizer’s ability to run could also pose problems for a hurricane defense that starts three freshman linebackers.
e Dge : not R e DA me
IRISH oFFenSIV e coAcHIng
In it’s last two games, the Irish offense has totaled just 13 points after scoring at least 28 points in its previous five games. b oth games have featured decisions by head coach b rian Kelly that received heavy criticism, as he featured a relatively pass-heavy game plan in unfavorable weather conditions against n c s tate and pulled Kizer midway through the team’s loss to stanford.
o n the other side, m iami is led by head coach m ark r icht and defensive coordinator m anny d iaz. d iaz in particular has been successful in his career as a coordinator, having coached a defense at Louisiana Tech that led the nation in turnovers forced in 2014 and a defense at Georgia that finished in the top 10 in redzone defense just last season.
eDge : mIAmI
IRISH SPecIAL te AmS
s ophomore kicker Justin Yoon has converted a modest six of his nine field goal attempts on the season for notre d ame, but his longest make on the season is just 40 yards, as he has only attempted one field goal longer than that distance this year. Junior punter Tyler newsome has averaged 43.7 yards on his 35 punts this season.
e Dge : e V en
IRISH S cHe DuL e (2-5)
sept. 4 @ Texas (L, 50-47, 2OT)
sept. 10 Nevada (W, 39-10)
sept. 17 Michigan State (L, 36-28)
sept. 24 Duke (L, 38-35)
oct. 1 vs. Syracuse (W, 50-33)
oct. 8 @ NC State (L, 10-3)
oct. 15 Stanford (L, 17-10)
oct. 29 Miami (Fla.)
nov. 5 vs. Navy
nov. 12 vs. Army
nov. 19 Virginia Tech
nov. 26 @ USC
Ben Padanilam
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
By RENEE GRIFFIN sports Writer
notre dame’s pass rushing stat line in the 17-10 loss to stanford on oct. 15: three sacks for a total loss of 13 yards, plus two quarterback hurries.
notre dame’s combined pass rushing stat line in the six games prior to stanford: three sacks for a total loss of 11 yards, plus 22 quarterback hurries. The Irish were among the very last in the Fbs to record a sack this season, failing to do so until Week 4 against duke.
statistically, the defense’s efforts to hassle the stanford quarterback was its most successful since a 2-sack, 11-hurry performance in the 50-33 win over syracuse on oct. 1.
senior captain and defensive lineman Isaac rochell, who is the team leader in quarterback hurries by far with nine, said the improvements are largely due to the team’s upbeat mentality.
“I think guys have bought in and had really positive attitudes,” rochell said. “Guys have been excited about playing well, and when you get excited about playing well, you keep playing well.”
The Irish weren’t the only team able to take advantage of poor pass protection by the cardinal and the orange, who are among the worst in the ncAA at sacks allowed, with stanford giving up three per game on average and syracuse giving up 2.75 per game.
miami may be similarly vulnerable to sacks after its star junior quarterback, brad Kaaya, was taken down behind the line of scrimmage eight times in his team’s loss to virginia Tech last week, though rochell emphasized how the hurricanes’ tempo and athleticism will keep the Irish defense on its toes.
Graduate student defensive lineman Jarron Jones, whose strip-sack and fumble recovery was one of the highlights of notre dame’s performance against stanford, agreed with rochell’s assessment of the eagerness to compete that remains strong in the Irish locker room.
“We just play for each other,” Jones said. “Just being here, at notre dame, a lot of people would kill to have this. Yeah, our season’s not going the way we wanted, but we’re blessed to be here. not the best situation, but we’re going to make the most out of it. Football ends at some point … you’re gonna miss your brothers.”
Jones said that fraternal
atmosphere is directly related to the team’s ability to step up and make plays. he pointed to coaches and player leaders demanding accountability, like the way junior linebacker nyles morgan sometimes gets on sophomore defensive lineman Jerry Tillery in practice: “You’d think he’s about to fight him.”
“It trickles, and it leads to a better defense,” Jones said.
With an interception and two quarterback hurries this season, in addition to the sack and fumble recovery he recorded two weeks ago, Jones hopes his presence in the middle frees up his teammates – and Tillery in particular – to take down the quarterback, he said.
“[The offensive line will] pay attention to me regardless, just because I’m the biggest guy that comes out there on the d-line,” said Jones, who stands at 6-5 1/2 and weighs in at 315 lbs. “Jerry, I want to give him a lot of opportunities, because to be honest I think he’s a better pass rusher than I am. … he’s better one-onone pass rushing. It’s kind of a team thing.”
Jones said his big play against stanford was possible because of his ability to catch on to how the cardinal were guarding him in certain formations, but that it’s rare he can expect to penetrate the opposing line so successfully.
“I just always expect a double block. When I bull rush somebody like that, especially, a lot of times a guard will come down and just knock me out of the gap,” Jones said. “I’m just trying to look out for my teammates and making sure I’m not making too big of a seam for their quarterback.
“I’m just trying to push the pocket and keep the quarterback corralled.”
Looking beyond the line, Jones said he’s seen significant progress from the defense in practice, making him think that the Irish will finally begin to turn around their 2-5 season in the upcoming matchup with miami.
“I really expect a shutout out of our defense, because our defense has been playing lights out in practice,” Jones said. “The way we carry ourselves in meetings, there’s just a new sense of excitement. even though our record’s not where we want it, there’s still excitement to come to meetings, to go to practice.
“I really feel like this will be the game we put it all together.”
Contact Renee Griffin at rgriffi6@nd.edu
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish graduate student defensive lineman Jarron Jones dives over Cardinal senior quarterback Ryan Burns to recover a fumble during Notre Dame’s 17-10 loss to Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 15.
Please
hurricanes look to rebound after recent downturn
By BEN PADANILAM Associate sports e ditor
It’s been a tale of two halves for m iami up to this point in the season.
The h urricanes (4-3, 1-3 A cc ) started their season with a four straight wins, a stretch in which they outscored their opponents 188-44. s ince then, however, they’ve played three teams ranked in this week’s
AP Poll — n o. 12 Florida s tate, n o. 21 n orth c arolina and n o. 25 v irginia Tech — and have failed to score 20 points against any of the three teams en route to three straight losses.
And it’s the lack of offensive production which several members of the team believe has been the difference in the two contrasting performances. Part of their recent struggles is the result of the strength of the opponents the h urricanes have faced in their last three games, and part of it comes down to their recent inability to execute offensively.
“I think we played better defenses the last couple weeks, which makes a difference,” h urricanes offensive coordinator Thomas b rown said Tuesday. “ o bviously, when you play better talent and better-coached teams, it’s gonna be hard to run the ball against them and also throw the ball against them.”
“We just haven’t scored enough points on offense,” junior quarterback b rad Kaaya said after m iami’s loss to v irginia Tech on o ct. 20. “We gotta help our defense out, gotta score and find a way to get the ball in the red zone. We can’t settle with field goals — just have to get the ball in the red zone somehow and someway. [We] gotta make plays.”
In particular, m iami’s offensive struggles have been highlighted in two areas specifically: pass protection and third-down conversions. In their last three games, the h urricanes have allowed 13 sacks and converted on just 11 of their 43 third downs.
b rown said the recent uptick in sacks allowed does not fall squarely on the shoulders of the team’s offensive line, but it is rather the result a combination of factors.
“I think a lot of things kind of go into what [has] happened from a sacks standpoint,” b rown said. “… It’s all including us offense
— being able to protect the quarterback but also getting the ball out on time. When their bringing pressure, we can’t hold the ball forever. We can block guys for a certain amount of time, we gotta give [Kaaya] answers and he gotta be confident to throw the ball and let it rip.”
The same sentiment was echoed by Kaaya when explaining the team’s struggles on third down. h e said success on those plays comes down to everyone executing their individual assignments.
“At every position, we have to come together because it takes all 11 [players],” Kaaya said. “ s o on third down especially, you have to do the right things to stay on the field. … If the [offensive] line does their job [and] gives me time, the receivers run their routes, running back either blocks or runs his route, if we all come together and do the right thing [and] if I put it on the money, we’re going to be successful on third down. b ut if one position doesn’t do their job, then it’s very hard to be successful.” h oping to turn their season around and return to the form they displayed early on in the season, the h urricanes will look to incorporate some of their more basic offensive sets, which they had moved away from lately, b rown said.
“I think being able to be multiple on offense — get back to being more under center at times and having some play-action shots — will help us out,” b rown said.
As for the players, Kaaya said the h urricanes know they are struggling but still fully believe in themselves and will find a way to dig themselves out of their current funk.
“I think this team has been close, even before the season, and right now our camaraderie and our family is gonna get tested,” Kaaya said. “We just have to stay together and keep playing and keep grinding. … We can’t just sit here and mope around and keep losing. We have to just stand up and fight. We can’t just be mediocre — we have to do something.
“… m iami h urricanes don’t quit. n o matter what the record is, we aren’t gonna quit.”
Contact Ben Padanilam at bpadanil@nd.edu
PAI d AdverTIsemen T
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish sophomore receiver Chris Finke carries the ball after a shovel pass during Notre Dame’s loss to Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium. Finke lost a yard on the play.
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish sophomore kicker Justin Yoon connects with his only field goal attempt of the game during Notre Dame’s loss to Stanford. Yoon’s 29-yard attempt was good.
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish junior quarterback DeShone Kizer drops back and loads to throw during Notre Dame’s 17-10 loss to Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 15.
CHRIS COLLINS | The Observer
Irish freshman cornerback Donte Vaughn covers Cardinal sophomore receiver Trenton Irwin coming off the line of scrimmage during Notre Dame’s 17-10 loss to Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 15.
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer Irish senior receiver Torii Hunter Jr. cuts upfield after making a reception during Notre Dame’s loss to Stanford on Oct. 15.
MONICA VILLAGOMEZ MENDEZ | The Observer
Irish senior running back Tarean Folston carries around the edge as senior offensive lineman Mike McGlinchey leads the way.
