shouldn't be a surprise, I think every Kelly OL has gotten better as the season progressed- OL play takes time
Also true, and it’s evident when you watch other teams play. I still think Quinn should be fired but he was definitely dealt a shit hand
so 11 feels totally fine, but there are like 5 top10 teams this year, also iowa plays wisky next week
Freeman whispering in his ear at the end that the same model Ferrari that Brey got JJ Starling is out waiting in the back
Reading all the fans reply on that is pretty gross. Why do people think responding to/at recruits with emojis or memes is gonna sell them on a school
it eludes me, this all started in the early 2000s and I thought people would realize pretty quickly how stupid and unproductive it is to write to famous people… Write that off as a L for me. But I still do not understand it.
styles was always a better prospect than lenzy, lenzy was a great take and I am glad Nd got him but that was a tough project. Styles is already good
* styles was already advanced when he came in. It’s incredible how some of these freshmen come in so ready. The next one is cj williams. This guy has better thecnique than chase claypool
Do either Lenzy or Wilkins get 5th years next year? I'd assume we'll bring back one of them, but Austin / Styles / Colzie with Williams / Merriwhether as true freshmen seems like a pretty solid core
i would want lenzy back but I would not be too mad if he left, I wish all the best to wilkins’s family and their futur projects
Damn, I had successfully blocked this from my memory. The pep rallies during that era were the only enjoyable moments and even they were a clown show.
Was there ever a story about how ND got punked into working with Freekbass? They are not a big name & it seemed so random. Bad agency advice? Forged resume?
I was going to make a joke about ND owning Freekbass and using that shit in stadium. Then I watched the first 30 seconds again, good lord it's so bad.
ow cmon, defense can be pure trash and still lucky with the score, just like the offense against wisky was absolute trash and yet the 41 was the most points theyve allowed
yeah I just worry about a shootout on the road. this is the exact opposite of a Virginia team as I would have expected to see
I’ll be at the UVA game. Was hoping for a non-cardiac arrest inducing afternoon but now fully expect a shitshow …but still a win.
UVA has a stud WR and a playmaking dual threat QB. I don’t know if they’re the best team left on the schedule, but the QB makes me wonder if they’re the toughest matchup.
for one, i have a free pass for all stupidity during night games, secondly the defense held USC to the same yards per play as the rest of their schedule except friggin colorado. That might be a level of defense you are comfortable with, but given the talent on the roster i am not
so im really worried about a game against UNC where all things on their side are clicking. I think they were overranked coming into the season but believe they sure as hell are more talented than theyve played up to be
Loy's recruiting scoop Spoiler It was an incredible night inside Notre Dame Stadium this Saturday, as the Fighting Irish defeated the visiting USC Trojans, 31-16. As is always the case every year, there were a ton of top recruits from all over the country in South Bend to watch this high-profile matchup and get a great look at this rivalry up close. Here is the latest recruiting scoop from Irish Illustrated and 247Sports. SLIDE1 of 18 FIVE-STAR SAFETY XAVIER NWANKPA Notre Dame feels great about how things went this weekend. Sure, they would have loved to get a commitment out of him and see him shut down his recruitment. However, that’s not realistic at this point. Nwankpa wants to visit Ohio State and then strongly consider all three of his finalists behind closed doors before making a decision in December. For the Fighting Irish, they still believe it’s going to be Notre Dame or Iowa. One thing working in ND’s favor, at least in their opinion, is that the family is higher on Notre Dame than any other school in his top group. They believe his mom wants him at Notre Dame. That said, this is Xavier’s decision and he’ll do what’s best for him. Defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman and safeties coach Chris O’Leary have done everything possible to get a win here and the on-field showing Saturday night, as well as the game day atmosphere, only helped the Fighting Irish in this one. We’ll see how this one plays out. Notre Dame and Iowa are both confident as of today, but only one will eventually secure his commitment. SLIDE2 of 18 FIVE-STAR QUARTERBACK WALKER HOWARD There is a feeling inside the Gug that Notre Dame is very much a contender to land the LSU commit. This visit couldn’t have gone better from everything we’re told. I think the staff is taking a wait and see approach, just like the Howards are, as it pertains to what LSU does regarding its head coach vacancy. I believe everyone just assumes that if LSU hires the right guy, a guy Walker likes, that it’ll workout for both parties and he’ll stick with his commitment. However, it’s not that simple. What if Walker isn’t a huge fan of the new head coach or his style of offense? What if LSU’s new head coach decides to pursue another quarterback instead? There is a lot left to play out in this one, but one thing Notre Dame believes after this weekend is that the Irish, led by Brian Kelly and Tommy Rees, made a very real move to land him down the road and that there is a strong mutual interest from the five-star quarterback. All that said, Notre Dame is keeping its options open at the position as well, and as we reported last week, could make a move toward trying to get USC quarterback commit Devin Brown on campus in the very near future as well. SLIDE3 of 18 FOUR-STAR OFFENSIVE LINEMAN BILLY SCHRAUTH Notre Dame believes they lead for the Wisconsin native. No, it doesn’t seem as though Schrauth made a commitment to the staff before leaving campus, but that doesn’t have the staff too stressed at this time. The visit couldn’t have gone better from everything I’m told. Notre Dame expects good news on this front and believes it has done everything possible to get the win here over the in-state Badgers. Leading up to the visit, Wisconsin felt he was in the bag and they expected his commitment. Now they are not so sure. This sounds like how Notre Dame felt early in his recruitment before his change of heart. I’m told Schrauth felt at home at Notre Dame this weekend. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, offensive line coach Jeff Quinn, director of recruiting Aaryn Kearney and offensive director of recruiting Dre Brown are leading the charge on this one. In addition, I’m told the game itself was a big plus here, as the Irish have now put on two great showings in person this season right in front of Schrauth’s eyes. SLIDE4 of 18 FOUR-STAR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN ANTHONY LUCAS While I believe Notre Dame did a great job this weekend, I don’t see this recruitment as one the Fighting Irish will eventually win. Lucas had nothing but great things to say about the trip, as did his father in an interview with 247Sports National Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong. The connection with defensive line coach Mike Elston and defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman is very real and one that has the Irish firmly in the mix, but when it comes down to it, the majority inside the Gug believes they will come up just short in this one. Will there be a shock in their favor? Who knows. That said, if you think they are going to give up, you have another thing coming. Look for the staff to continue working hard on this one. SLIDE5 of 18 FOUR-STAR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN HERO KANU Not a lot of juice coming out about this one, but I think there are reasons for that. My guess is that it’s not going to work out for Notre Dame. Not much more detail needs to be discussed, but that’s the vibe I got from talking to people this weekend. We'll see if I can gather some more information but I'm not expecting him in the class for what it's worth. SLIDE6 of 18 FOUR-STAR OFFENSIVE TACKLE AAMIL WAGNER Notre Dame laid it all out on the table for the talented tackle prospect. The staff left no stone unturned. They took things up a notch just prior to kickoff when head coach Brian Kelly spent some one-one-one time with Wagner, which made a very strong impact. I still believe his comfort level with Kentucky and the coaching staff, as well as the fact that his brother is on staff there, is going to tip things in favor of the Wildcats. However, Wagner made it very clear to the Fighting Irish staff that he is strongly considering them, he loved everything about this trip, and they are right there at the top for his services. We’ll see what happens, but I know that Tommy Rees, Jeff Quinn and Kelly would love to see this work out for the Fighting Irish. SLIDE7 of 18 THREE-STAR OFFENSIVE ATHLETE CARSON TABARACCI This one is pretty interesting. From what I’ve gathered, Notre Dame isn’t pushing for him all that hard. His recruitment is still in the early stages. They are still trying to make things work on their end and find the right fit for him within the program. Some like him on offense, others like him on defense. The visit, as a whole, did go well from everything I’ve been told, so the groundwork has been laid. If Notre Dame wants him and pushes, I think they will land him. I’m just not sure the Irish have started that move quite yet. It’ll be interesting to see how things go in the coming weeks. SLIDE8 of 18 FIVE-STAR LINEBACKER DRAYK BOWEN I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, when Bowen makes his decision in November, I expect it to be Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish coaching staff has done a tremendous job with him since day one and the relentless effort continues to pay off in a big way. That said, Auburn is still pushing extremely hard to land the class of 2023 recruit and isn’t giving up at all. The staff has enough confidence in this one that they are coming to his game soon to watch him play just like Freeman did a week or so ago. Notre Dame will continue working hard on this one up until decision day, but this just isn’t a recruitment I expect Freeman to lose. SLIDE9 of 18 FOUR-STAR CORNERBACK JUSTYN RHETT On Sunday, the talented class of 2023 prospect narrowed his recruitment to 11 schools. The Irish made the cut. I feel good about Notre Dame’s chances to land him following his time in South Bend this weekend. I know cornerbacks coach Mike Mickens has done very well with Rhett over the past few months, which is why I initially put in the 247Sports Crystal Ball for Notre Dame to land him. During pregame, I saw defensive director of recruiting Chad Bowden on the field with Rhett and his family and everyone was having a great time. There is a closeness between Rhett and this staff that gives me a strong feeling he’ll eventually end up Irish. All that said, don’t count out Alabama, Georgia, LSU, LSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oregon. Each of those schools are pushing extremely hard for him and want him in their respective classes. Notre Dame is in a dog fight, but I like the Irish to get this one done. SLIDE10 of 18 FIVE-STAR OFFENSIVE TACKLE KADYN PROCTOR Notre Dame is a big fan of the young man and on the other side, I’m told the class of 2023 standout had a great time on campus around the coaches, players and recruits. This recruitment has a long way to go before it wraps up, so Notre Dame just needs to continue to pushing the right buttons and Proctor needs to continue doing all the right things, and we’ll see if the two eventually connect even further after additional visits. As it stands now, the Irish are very much a top contender. SLIDE11 of 18 FOUR-STAR OFFENSIVE TACKLE CHARLES JAGUSAH The one player that made the biggest impression on the Notre Dame staff this weekend may have been this class of 2023 recruit. The Irish loved him from a physical standpoint and had a great time getting around him. I’m told he’s a perfect fit and one the Irish will push extremely hard for moving forward. The Irish believe they are a very real threat to land him and their chances should only improve with Tommy Rees, Jeff Quinn and others starting to pick things up even more moving forward. SLIDE12 of 18 FOUR-STAR QUARTERBACK AVERY JOHNSON Another good visit to Notre Dame for the class of 2023 recruit. I said it before the visit and I still believe the Irish are the team on top at this point. Tommy Rees seems to be the main reason behind Johnson’s strong interest in the program. They were able to talk for a while before the game and really connected. Johnson will take plenty of visits moving forward, so don’t look for this to shut down anytime soon. Notre Dame will remain patient at the position, one in which five-star quarterback Dante Moore looks to be priority No. 1. SLIDE13 of 18 FOUR-STAR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN LUKE MONTGOMERY From all accounts, Notre Dame did really well this weekend with Montgomery, a class of 2023 recruit, and his brother Ryan Montgomery, a class of 2025 prospect. Both now officially hold an offer from Notre Dame, as the young gunslinger added the Irish offer this weekend during his visit. I’m told the Montgomery family is very high on Notre Dame and they were great to be around all weekend long. Luke is really close with defensive line coach Mike Elston and that is huge in ND’s pursuit. Ryan hit it off with Tommy Rees during this visit and the offer didn’t hurt either. I expect Notre Dame to be in it until the end for both. When official visits kickoff next spring, look for Luke to lock one in immediately for Notre Dame, as the Irish are a top contender to secure his commitment alongside Ohio State and a few others. SLIDE14 of 18 FOUR-STAR RUNNING BACK JUSTICE HAYNES Notre Dame believes it crushed the visit with the top class of 2023 running back target. The connection to Jerome Bettis, who the family spent plenty of time with this weekend, is definitely helping from a comfort standpoint and when discussing the big picture of what Notre Dame can do for a young man. The Irish, led by running backs coach Lance Taylor, would jump at the chance to get Haynes committed early in the process. However, they expect him to take his time and consider the Irish, Georgia, Ohio State and a few other. There is also a feeling inside the Gug that Notre Dame’s depth chart sets up nicely in their favor compared to Georgia and Alabama. He’d surely play as a freshman in South Bend. Haynes is one of only a couple running backs that could commit to Notre Dame right now, which tells you all you need to know about his talent level and how highly they think of him. Notre Dame thinks it made a big move on Saturday and will look to continue that in the coming months. SLIDE15 of 18 FOUR-STAR RUNNING BACK JAYDEN LIMAR This is another class of 2023 running back that I’m told has the green light to commit to Notre Dame now or in the future. My sources believe the Irish might be the team to beat right now for the top prospect from the pacific northwest. Notre Dame is in great shape at this point. Washington looks to be the top contender right now, but there is a feeling inside the Gug that it’s the Irish on top. I’m told Brian Kelly, Lance Taylor and Dre Brown were the ones leading the charge here with Limar and the coaches that made the greatest impact. I’m told the closeness between the players, especially at the running back position, is what really hit home for the talented back. SLIDE16 of 18 THREE-STAR ATHLETE KADEN FEAGIN It seems as though Notre Dame is the team to beat for the class of 2023 running back / defensive lineman. Feagin had nothing but great things to say about the Fighting Irish following his trip to campus. I do believe there is a pecking order for that second running back spot, so the Irish are going to be patient at the position beyond Haynes and Limar, so we’ll see how things shake out. The atmosphere, life after football, and his time with Tommy Rees and Lance Taylor is what made this trip a special one. Iowa and Illinois look to be the other two major contenders in this race. SLIDE17 of 18 FOUR-STAR SAFETY PEYTON WOODYARD Some inside the Gug believe that Notre Dame is at the top for the elite class of 2024 recruit. Long way to go in this one, but the Irish now have two great visits under their belt. The coaching staff, the fanbase, the diversity, the culture, the on-field performance, it all played a big role in a successful trip from what I’m told. His cousin, Kyle Hamilton, as well as his father Derrik, always have good things to say about Notre Dame, which carries some weight with Woodyard. In addition, Marcus Freeman and Chris O’Leary are doing a great job at this point in his process. I believe if things continue to trend in the right direction, it’s hard to see the Irish losing this battle. SLIDE18 of 18 FOUR-STAR QUARTERBACK JULIAN SAYIN Notre Dame is going to be a major player in the recruitment of the elite class of 2024 signal-caller. He’s been to campus a few times now and the Irish have impressed him every visit. Tommy Rees looks to be the key here. That connection is strong right now and the two have a great relationship. Notre Dame needs to continue pushing the right buttons here and stay active with Sayin, who some believe could be the No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 class. So far, so good for the Irish.
I don’t really get this. We’re there issues? Was a top 5 defensive player out for a significant portion of the game? Yes. This is the exact same stuff they ran under Lea where they allow yards and tighten up in the red zone. There were hiccups but trash is a bridge too far for me
ToT Spoiler “(The USC rivalry) is our game and it means a lot. It means a lot to our kids. It means a lot to our university and everybody associated with it. “To come out victorious, there was a lot of preparation. They were difficult to defend and we needed to see our offense mature, which I thought was probably that first step where we felt like from the start of the game to the end of the game, the offense began to come together in the manner we wanted. “We played faster. We put Jack (Coan) in a position where the ball came out quick. We gave him quick, definitive run/pass reads and it seemed to give us the kind of offensive flow we were looking for.” - Brian Kelly • It probably shouldn’t have taken until the final two drives of the Virginia Tech game (Game 6) for the Irish to come to the realization that Jack Coan needed to function within a quick-throw, up-tempo style of play. But now that they’ve found it, it’s something upon which to build the offense moving forward. “The times when he struggles are when he has to hold the ball and they don’t hold up well up front, so he’s taking hits, getting sacked, a lot of negative plays,” said NBC analyst Drew Brees. But the Irish found a key to success against USC, which should open up some longer/deeper drops as opposing defensive lines anticipate the quick delivery of the pass and don’t go all-out, thinking that the ball will be gone by the time they get there. Coan was very accurate within the new style of attack. He was 20-of-28 for 189 yards. That makes him 29-of-40 (72.5 percent) in the last two games. He had two great reads on 3rd-and-long – a 17-yard pass to Kyren Williams on 3rd-and-13 and a 13-yard pass to Kevin Austin Jr. on 3rd-and-6. He even showed an attribute seldom seen from Coan – he hung in there under pressure from a safety blitz by Isaiah Pola-Mao and completed a nine-yard pass to Williams. If the USC game was the first you saw of Notre Dame’s 2021 season, you’d wonder why the uproar about Coan as the starter over Drew Pyne and Tyler Buchner. Notre Dame has been sacked 25 times, which is 119th nationally. But just five of those sacks have come in the last three games after absorbing 20 in the first four games. • When Coan and the Irish passing game thrives like that, it makes the insertion of Tyler Buchner all the more exciting and unpredictable. He threw just twice, but both were impressive – a nine-yard completion to Kyren Williams from a two-back set with an initial play-action fake to Logan Diggs and a rifle shot to Michael Mayer for a gain of 15 yards. When Buchner is quick-and-tight and over the top with his throws, as he was with Mayer’s completion, he looks like the quarterback of the future. That in turn opened up the running game with Buchner and the backs, including Buchner’s second touchdown run in as many games. The throw to Mayer was a perfect example of the improved play of the offense line as the five-man unit formed a cup around Buchner. • The physical abilities of Kyren Williams are a joy to observe. His 25-carry, 138-yard, two-touchdown rushing performance, coupled with his six receptions on six targets for 42 yards, marked the kind of numbers we grew accustomed to in his breakout 2020 season. He made an amazing spin on 3rd-and-1 to pick up a first down in the opening series. He spun out of a tackle attempt by linebacker Kana’i Mauga for a gain of 17 on a 3rd-and-13 pass. Most of what he gained early on – before the offensive line really started to get a push – came on Williams’ individual effort and desire. Williams’ vision was particularly acute against the Trojans as you could see his awareness of where he had the most room to maneuver, due in part to the space his offensive line created for him, but even when space was difficult to come by. Williams’ verbal game was at his best against the Trojans as well. He frequently engaged in conversation with USC safeties Xavion Alford (29) and Calen Bullock (27), and linebacker Ralen Goforth (10). Williams’ body language on the football field is a how-to video. Think about how much of a struggle it was early in the season when the offensive line wasn’t creating room and Williams had to claw for every inch. Still, you never saw Williams show dejection toward his teammates for not creating space. He just played as hard as he could and moved on to the next play. He is brimming with optimism, even when things are going poorly. That’s leadership and the kind of player teammates want to rally around. • The opposite of that body language is frequently displayed by wideout Kevin Austin Jr. If Kyren Williams’ body language is the picture of optimism, Austin’s – at times – is a picture of pessimism. It’s always exciting when the ball is in his hands, but when he struggles with his game, the body language deteriorates. It impacts his game individually and it can’t be fun as a teammate to see his negative reactions. Austin made a superb grab on a long out for a five-yard gain. He found a seam in the USC zone for a 15-yard gain. He drew a key interference penalty in the second half. He contributed to the winning cause. But several plays were negatives. Three in particular: 1) the inability to get his body turned for a back-shoulder throw in the opening series. Jack Coan put it there, but Austin didn’t/couldn’t get his body turned on the second play from scrimmage and the pass fell incomplete. How often do you see a receiver unable to get his body turned on a back-shoulder throw? It can’t and shouldn’t be an issue. 2) On 3rd-and-4 from the USC 17, also in the opening series, he ran a crossing route and Coan’s throw was ever-so-slightly behind him. He threw his hands up for the grab, totally took his eyes off the ball and turned upfield as the ball slipped through his hands. He has a habit of just throwing his hands at the football and losing concentration. Jonathan Doerer then missed the field goal and a quality opening drive went by the board. 3) Many are complaining about the official’s call of an interception by Chris Steele instead of simultaneous possession, and thus, the tie goes to the receiver. Agreed, but Austin made several mistakes on the play. He had inside position, which was good, but he allowed Steele – who played really well after struggling early in the season – to be the aggressor. If you didn’t know who was on offense and who was on defense, you would have thought Steele was the receiver and Austin was the defender based upon the way each played it. Steele clearly was the aggressor. Maybe the official was unconsciously biased to make the call because of the way the two combatants played the football. Seven games into the season, the Irish don’t have a true No. 1 wide receiver. Austin is too inconsistent to be a true No. 1. Lenzy makes plays but in short supply. Avery Davis is the closest to a No. 1, but he’s not targeted enough – generally speaking – to be a No. 1. Notre Dame’s No. 1 “wideout” is tight end Michael Mayer, who is averaging 11.2 yards per catch, which is fine for a tight end, but not enough as the top pass-catcher. • There are not enough good things to say about the progress of Jeff Quinn’s offensive line in the last two games, particularly against the Trojans when LT-Joe Alt, LG-Andrew Kristofic, C-Jarrett Patterson, RG-Cain Madden and RT-Josh Lugg formed a shell around Jack Coan and gave Kyren Williams all kinds of options to make moves – particularly as the game progressed – and do what he does best. • If you’re going to mercilessly criticize Quinn for the wrongdoings of his offensive line, you must praise him for the rapid development of the left-side combo of Alt and Kristofic. The Irish can confidently run to the left side behind the true freshman and red-shirt sophomore as readily as they can behind the fifth-year senior Lugg and sixth-year senior Madden. The group is responding. Madden has played like a completely different player the last two games, particularly against USC. One play stood out that reminded me of his Marshall film. He effectively took on nose tackle Stanley Ta’ufo’ou (47) and immediately scraped to the next level and put a block on linebacker Ralen Goforth (10). The play netted five yards by Williams. Another Madden surge created a six-yard run by Williams. On Tyler Buchner’s three-yard touchdown run, Madden completely sealed off USC standout Drake Jackson (99). It was without a doubt Madden’s most impactful game of the season. He got a ton of push in this game. The offensive line has now paved the way for 350 yards rushing in the last two games. That’s 46.4 percent of the yardage in seven games. Rushing touchdowns for the season are up to nine (two vs. Virginia Tech, three vs. USC) after four through the first five games. After averaging 80 yards rushing through the first five games, the Irish are up to 107.5. Sacks, as mentioned above, have gone way down. • The offense sure is better with Michael Mayer back in action. He did most of his damage early, settling into pockets within the zone and catching four of his five on the day within the first two series. It was a mostly exceptional day of blocking by Mayer, particularly on Kyren Williams’ five-yard touchdown run when he obliterated linebacker Kana’i Mauga, and on Lorenzo Styles’ 29-yard up-the-sideline reception. When attached, Mayer blocked at times like an additional tackle. He showed no ill-effects of the groin/adductor injury, although the first time he caught a pass and was knocked back, you wondered if he had aggravated the injury. • With the Irish down to five scholarship wideouts contributing, it is imperative they continue to look to freshman Lorenzo Styles, who set career-highs in targets (four), receptions (three) and yards (57). Particularly impressive is how hard he runs his routes, how quickly he gets his shoulders turned upfield, and his go-for-it attitude once he has the football in his hands. On his 29-yard reception up the sideline, he saw it, hit it and maximized every inch of the opportunity. He and Deion Colzie, who caught an important 3rd-and-8 pass for 13 yards on what would become a 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, are on the rise after Colzie’s poor route on the pick-six at Virginia Tech. On his reception against the Trojans, he was redirected at the top of the route, but shot across the field expecting the football before making a tumbling, cradled catch. With Austin and Lenzy struggling to be consistent, the two freshmen should get more reps, particularly Styles for Lenzy. • How ironic with North Carolina coming up that it was TaRiq Bracy who was shellshocked early against the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, which forced the Irish to turn to freshman Clarence Lewis to get them through a rough patch. Against the Trojans, it was Lewis struggling in the boundary against the irrepressible Drake London and Bracy thriving at nickel with a team-high six solo tackles and the late fumble recovery on the heels of his first career interception against Virginia Tech. Such is the rise and fall in the life of a cornerback. “I was really impressed with TaRiq Bracy’s play,” Brian Kelly said. “He played physical for the first time, and I mentioned him to our team. He bullied some receivers in getting off blocks. He came up big on the fumble-sack at the end of the game. He played the way I was hoping he would play when he came in as a freshman. It’s great to see a player play his best football in his fourth season. Really proud of him tonight.” Bracy made a great open-field tackle of tight end Malcolm Epps. He fought off a block by receiver Gary Bryant Jr. to make a stop on Drake London for no gain. He wrestled down hard-to-wrestle-down running back Keontay Ingram. With back-to-back games of effectiveness, Bracy is rising. Now they need Lewis to get back on track. It was a tough day for Lewis, but it’s a tough day for every boundary-side cornerback that goes against London. The Trojans make it impossible to keep the football out of his hands. As mentioned in our film review of USC during the week, they’ll put London in a bunched formation to one side of the field, duck him under and allow the one or two receivers to be lead blockers. USC will motion London, and then he’ll step back for the throw or they’ll run him on a shallow cross. You can’t stop those passes, and thus, 20 targets, 15 receptions, 171 yards, 87 yards after the catch but no touchdowns. Offensive coordinator Graham Harrell has created a multitude of ways to get London the football. He’s not a blazer, which is why they work him underneath so much, but at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, he is a beast. “One-on-one, it’s like one-on-none,” Drew Brees said. “With his size and physicality, I don’t care how good the other guy is. I don’t care if he’s standing right next to him. There’s a place I can throw to my guy where your guy can’t get it.” • In Irish Illustrated’s pre-game analysis, it was speculated that the Irish might use 6-foot-2½ cornerback Cam Hart to match up on Drake London. But with London generally lining up on the left/boundary side, defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman kept Hart to the field, where he shut down Tahj Washington (two receptions), including a 3rd-and-8 sideline throw that was blanketed. • Great credit to safety DJ Brown for stepping in and playing well in the absence of Kyle Hamilton. Like Bracy, he was physical on a hit of running back Keontay Ingram. He made sure the end-zone pass to Malcolm Epps fell incomplete and did not target him, as the replay showed. He was physical against London and prompted London to get up slowly after one hit. The Irish need Brown to take that next step because Houston Griffith has not. Griffith played the USC game as if his strength training is woefully lacking. When he makes a tackle, he swings him to the ground. To be fair, Keontay Ingram and Drake London are strong and difficult to bring down. But Griffith was yanked from the lineup when London easily broke through a tackle attempt. What an interesting exchange between Griffith and Brian Kelly on the sideline. Kelly obviously was chewing Griffith and Griffith responded with a back-of-the-hand smack to Kelly’s chest as if to indicate, ‘I got it, coach!’ Kelly looked none too pleased and has been given little reason to believe Griffith’s got it. • What a dynamic performance by Irish defensive ends Isaiah Foskey, Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa and Justin Ademilola. Foskey now has eight sacks and four quarterback hurries on the season while MTA has two sacks and seven quarterback hurries. Foskey whipped left tackle Courtland Ford (74) on a play that will be at the forefront of his NFL audition tape. While locking Ford out with his left arm, Foskey continued to progress to the quarterback and disrupted Kedon Slovis with his right arm. It was the quintessential highlight of a great pass rusher. To show he was an equal-opportunity left tackle abuser, Foskey beat Ford’s replacement – Jalen McKenzie (70) – for the game-ending sack. It was Tagovailoa-Amosa who created the interception by Bo Bauer by deflecting Slovis’ pass into the air. MTA had two quarterback pressures in USC’s opening series. Justin Ademilola was just as impactful with a huge 3rd-and-11 pressure at the Irish 15 that caused an incompletion and forced USC to kick a field goal trailing 10-0. He knocked a pass down while manhandling McKenzie. He drew a holding penalty in the Trojans’ final drive. Twin Jayson Ademilola, who frequently pops outside in Notre Dame’s three-man front, beat right tackle Jonah Monheim for a sack on USC’s first snap of the game. • And how about Bo Bauer? He was moving as fast as he could, but Justin Ademilola just wasn’t fleet-of-foot enough to get in position to block Kedon Slovis for what would have been an 83-yard interception return for a touchdown. After the field goal, it was Bauer who made the tackle on the ensuing kickoff. Sure, would have been great for Bauer to have an entire season in a starting role. • It’s easy to fall into clichés when it comes to football because there are catch-phrases to lean on that aren’t grounded in truth. The notion that Notre Dame automatically is in a prevent defense when they rush three or when opponents face a significant deficit late in the game is not accurate. Every defensive coordinator in the country rushes three and drops eight into coverage at times, particularly in long-yardage situations or when opponents need to move the football down the field quickly. If you’re only going to note it when an offense makes a play against a three-man front, that’s not analysis. When the Irish make plays in a three-man front – which happens all the time – it is never noted by those falling back on the “prevent” cliché. It’s not a prevent defense when Drake London is targeted half the time and USC throws to tight end Erik Krommenhoek for an 18-yard gain. He had just eight catches in six games. That’s a good play call because of the element of surprise. It’s not a prevent defense when the Irish rush four and Drake London catches a 44-yard pass. It was a double-move that beat Clarence Lewis. It has nothing to do with a prevent defense when Ramon Henderson commits a bad interference penalty. It has nothing to do with a prevent defense when a determined Joseph Manjack IV battles his way through a tackle to convert on third down. It’s not a prevent defense when you rush five and USC runs a delayed handoff to Keontay Ingram and he races 13 yards. It has nothing to do with a prevent defense when your nose tackle can’t get off a block and a talented running back like Ingram snaps one off. The opponent is in desperation mode. They’re playing hard. They’re playing with their hair on fire because it’s the only way they can come back and win. Should Toledo and Virginia Tech be dinged for running a prevent defense because Jack Coan beat them late with game-winning drives? Or did Notre Dame simply out-execute the opponent with the game on the line? When you’re up by two- and three-scores, especially against a pass-heavy team like USC, you must have personnel on the field to defend the pass. You can’t be in base defense in the fourth quarter when you’re leading by two scores and they’re playing in desperation mode. You’re not going to run a whole lot of man-to-man in that situation when the opponent is looking for chunk plays. Is everyone playing soft, prevent defense against Tom Brady, or has he made a living picking defenses apart because he’s great and late-game situations naturally favor the offense? What’s better: a six-yard run with a two-score lead and the clock running or a downfield throw on a 50-50 ball with just one legitimate cover corner (Cam Hart) to defend and Kyle Hamilton out of the game? On the play in the fourth quarter in which Drew Brees said Notre Dame had gone into prevent mode, the Irish rushed five. Offenses desperate to score quickly frequently score. It’s the nature of the game, not necessarily a result of a “prevent” attitude. • Begging for calls from the referee is not going to help Ramon Henderson’s cause. Raising your palms up as if someone has perpetrated a crime against you will not get you calls. If Henderson wants to play, he’ll need to change his mindset. Coaches do not want alibis; they want technique and the corresponding play on the ball…Really impressed with Keontay Ingram coming into the game and even more impressed coming out of the game. I like their red-shirt sophomore running back Darwin Barlow, too. Both are difficult to bring down, not just by Notre Dame. Their physicality showed up in their first six games, too…The fallacy is that USC doesn’t play games in the cold. If you’ve been to the Los Angeles Coliseum the last week of November – I’ve made that trip 17 times – you will encounter cold nights amidst the mountains in southern California…The Trojans stayed true to form with nine penalties. They now have 40 for 378 yards in their last four games… • Must admit that I’ve never heard of a “pinched fat pad on the knee” suffered by Kyle Hamilton. Brian Kelly said it’s not a serious injury. We’ll see if that proves accurate…I really like the potential of defensive tackle Rylie Mills, but he must work harder to get off run and pass blocks. He accepts being blocked too easily at times. He was badly pushed off the football on a 2nd-and-2 by USC right guard Liam Jimmons. But he did bounce back and make a couple of stops. The Irish need him to continue his progression because Jayson Ademilola could be playing his final games in a Notre Dame uniform this year…While JD Bertrand’s hit on Kedon Slovis certainly wasn’t late, his “body weight” personal foul for driving Slovis into the ground was, by rule, the correct call. Credit to the officials for picking up the targeting flag on DJ Brown in the end zone… • C’Bo Flemister can be a key component of the offense. His seven-yard run on his first touch of the season reminded us just how powerful he can be running the football. His collision with Isaac Taylor-Stuart sent the USC cornerback to the sideline…Logan Diggs had a nice 12-yard run that was called back because of a George Takacs hold. But on two of his runs, he looked to kick it outside when the path – particularly inside the five – was straight ahead. That’s something he’ll need to keep working on. It was a negative trait at times during his high school career…Love the creativity in the name of USC tight end Malcom Epps… • I marvel at Joe Theismann. The guy is 72-years old. I remember him throwing for 526 yards in the rain at Southern Cal in 1970. In addition to becoming a Super Bowl champ with a noteworthy NFL career, he remains sharp as a tack in his observations and analysis of football. If you don’t believe me, listen to Theismann: “I liked the way Tommy Rees called the game for Jack (Coan in the first half). I thought the rhythm was very, very good for the Irish offense.”… • Don’t understand the angry Notre Dame fans after a two-touchdown victory over USC because it wasn’t a three-touchdown victory. Of course, it would have been better for Notre Dame to score late to make it a 38-16 game. It looks more convincing. Once USC used its second timeout, that makes it fair game to go for the score. But when Josh Lugg jumped the gun and pushed the Irish back to the eight, followed by Donte Williams declining to use his third timeout, Brian Kelly did the sportsmanlike thing and just let the clock run out. Sportsmanship used to be a thing in athletics. To allow not adding the last touchdown to override the feeling of defeating a rival for a fourth straight time and fifth in a row in Notre Dame Stadium is perplexing to me. I get the feeling some fans go into Notre Dame games waiting for – wanting -- something bad to happen so they can be angry at Brian Kelly, one of his assistants, one of the players, or all of the above. What a miserable way to watch the privilege that is Notre Dame football.
and there is the point we disagree, i dont think the 16 points was a fair representation of what happened on the field, or to put it differently, if they played the game 100 times in identical locations i dont think 16 would be close to the median total of points USC would score given the ease with which they moved the ball. For the full year USC has averaged about 15 yards per point (which is more or less the average for CFB as well, so thats nice), apply that to the total output for the game saturday and they score 29. That bauer interception was lucky, very lucky, that fuckup at the end of the half was lucky. That had absolutely nothing to do with sustainable defensive domination. I like 16 points and i like it a lot, but just like the 41 points scored against wisky, it was luck, just luck. Winning based on luck is not something that excites me
i hope im not one of those guys, cuz i can easily say the biiiiig positive which does have me excited and that is the offensive line being a hell of a lot better, also less drops