just back home from the states. Felt quite tiring going pretty much straight from the airport to work but now im gonna sleep for the better part of a decade
The more I think about it even with the loss in 89 ND was the best team in the country. They beat the number 1 team in the nation in their bowl game and a total of 7 teams that ended up ranked. Also Air Force was ranked when they beat them so 8.
I like how the same logic used for denying ND a title in 89 was the exact opposite when ND did not get the title in 93 Cool times
Let’s not get carried away here. 88 the Cleveland Gary fictitious fumble was a big reason ND won that game even Holtz mentions the refs blew that call in his book. Than 93 yes ND beat FSU at ND that came down to last play at South Bend. Nd than goes on to lose to a marginal BC team at home while FSU went on the road to beat Florida that was ranked 7 and than Nebraska who was ranked #2
Wtf ESPN rankings show just had some PlayStation rating for Bilal at like a 98. 1 of only 24 players to get that rating.
That ND team had 3 Top-10 wins (#1FSU, @#3UM, #7A&M) and that marginal BC team was ranked in the top 20 and finished the season in the top 15 you dolt.
Well than I guess I should mention that FSU also beat than #3 ranked Miami , along with ranked North Carolina, Clemson and Virginia
still had to respond to this. Really stuck out to me that Quinn Caroll mustve still grown a bit or something cuz he really stood out to me as the guy i would have to look up to a bit. Siting across the pond and really having the games as the main source of exposure also makes me forget at times that these are just young boys, barely young men if at all. It was so fun seeing a bunch of yall IRL. Really was so awesome as was the whole trip. The shift in weather (almost overnight) from peak dutch summer to trough dutch winter came out of left field a bit for me though
99 things to say... Spoiler 1 — It’s difficult to come up with a lame opening montage for the ND/USC rivalry. Difficult but apparently not impossible. 2 — You guys might stop reading this now…but I don’t mind that song once a year. 3— Kinda fun to see the USC sidelines get excited when the first bar of “Shipping Up To Boston” hit the loudspeakers…. 4 — All hands on deck for the opening kickoff: That’s Bilal, Pride, Claypool, Gilman, Elliott, Tony Jones, Jamir Jones, Bauer, Hamilton and Kmet running under Jonathan Doerer’s touchback. 5 — Opening Nickel is 4-2-5 (DL-LB-DB). It’ll be a 3-3-5 soon enough… 6 — Notre Dame brings 6, each is picked up expertly by the Trojans blocking scheme and Kedon Slovis drops a 19-yard dime to the far hash corner (WOW) to Amon-Ra St. Brown. (This throw was remarkable live as I saw it drop in right below me.) 7 — Lotta talking between the Irish and Equanimeous’ brother. Both Bilal and Gilman get into it with the One that Got Away on the ensuing snap… 8 — Clark Lea changes up, loads the box, and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah makes the play of the drive with a 2nd-and-7 sack of Slovis back to midfield. JOK fits the ‘as athletic as anyone’ mold to be sure. 9 — Cam Hart was on the punt return unit? That’s two games down for the freshman who debuted last week. I guess you need your backup corners to do something. Maybe he and KJ Wallace will both put in four games (they’ve both played two) over the next month. By the way, that’s Game #3 for Liufau—three of the last four, not Bowling Green. He debuted in Athens. 10 — BK’s pre-game speech was outstanding. Great message explaining why USC will talk trash “They’re trying to distract so you’ll lose focus for one play.” 11 — Speaking of trash talk, Claypool leaps over this defender for a 26-yard fade route on Notre Dame’s first play, then leaves the ball in the fallen cornerback’s hands as he rises to celebrate. That’s a fight starter in most instances… 12 — Claypool is damn good. He could use a speed complement on the other side, eh? 13 — Book can really move when he’s decisive, eh? That’s a quick 17 yards and why the hell is Christian Rector the spy? Who came up with that zone blitz scheme to drop the defensive end into the middle (not the flat, that’s understandable). 14 — Tommy Kraemer holding on a first down pull to the right side puts the Irish behind the chains, 1st and 20 and the offense never recovers. Punt. 15 — Man Finke was wide open on that 3rd-and-13 crossing route. Weird miss by Book. “RELAAAAAX” says BK as Book comes to the sideline… 16 — Nine USC starters are set to return next season defensively. Who’s Meyer’s coordinator-in-waiting again? 17 — My goodness St. Brown is a pain, eh? This time blocking Owusu-Koramoah past the whistle. 18 — THAT’S ASMAR BILAL. (Something you never thought you’d read circa Labor Day evening.) Explodes down the right side after Jamir Jones strings out the play to record the TFL. 19 — Pride had no clue where that ball was on the 3rd-and-8 miss of Tyler Vaughns. None. 20 — USC’s front seven looked Uber-athletic on the ensuing 3-and-Out. Of course, it was the only three-and-out… Terrible throwaway attempt by Book, too. 21 — Claypool drops St. Brown on the punt return. Smacks his head twice. St. Brown pops up, smacks Claypool’s head right back. I must admit, I do enjoy a little mutual distaste with my film reviews… 22 — Gilman over-pursues a run fit, is thus sealed by the puling guard and Markese Stepp rips through untouched for 19 yards. 23 — Irish D should’ve had Stepp for a loss on 3rd-and-1 at their 20-yard line but MTA—while being blatantly held and pulled to the ground—bounces off the determined de-commit. MTA really needs to be better at staying on his feet and tackling the guy in front of the ref while a 320-pound tackle has two handfuls of jersey… 24 — Elliott beaten for a touchdown but Slovis throws short of St. Brown. Credit Kareem with the hurry…3rd Down and it’s Okwara this time, pressuring Slovis out of the pocket while Jones adds another to force the poor throw. Jones bounced Slovis as he released. He literally bounced. I’m enjoying this game. Chase McGrath with a field goal and it’s 3-0 USC. 25 — Jamir Jones is on kickoff and kick return now. He’s the Chase Claypool of the defensive line. 26 — Tony Jones’ confidence is through the roof right now. He expects to run through tackles now. Jones better get 15 carries at Michigan, minimum. (And 8-10 for Jahmir Smith.) 27 — Let’s scrap these horizontals to FInke and Young, okay? It might work against Lenzy as a cushion is needed. 28 — Another great defensive play. How is USC 3-3? It’s almost as if coaching matters or something. 29 — Really gotta hope that guy stays retired, girls and boys… 30 — There’s Owusu-Koramoah in space again. You wonder if Wu would’ve started over Bilal (miscast at Rover) eventually late last season had the former not broken his foot? 31 — Drew White with his team-leading seventh TFL. Not in the pre-season Monday Musings predictions…. 32 — Jamir Jones is also on punt return. That’s three of the four Run teams. I promise you they could’ve redshirted him before this season. In fact, last year was the perfect time as they had the same remarkable defensive end depth as today. (If not as a freshman, the actual perfect time.) Regarding his freshman year non-redshirt: he might not’ve been a guy that seemed like they wanted around for five years. That happens, too. And sometimes, it comes back to bite you, too. Remember, they ran Kareem and Okwara out there in 2016 freshman as well—no one saw co-captaincy coming from those two. 33 — Irish start with possession at their own 3-yard line: Notre Dame’s screen game is comically poor this season. It was just standard bad last year. 35 — A little breathing room thanks to a diving 9-yard catch by Claypool on 3rd-and-7. Wow. He just ripped it out of the air. 36 — Jones. Eschews tacklers for 12 yards over the left side…Jones, runs through a tackle and erupts for a (career-long) 43 yard gain. If you have this game on DVR, check out Claypool blocking at the end of the run. What a Richard. And what would they do without him?! 37 — Hey it’s Lenzy! +8 on a quick hitch. You know why that worked? Cushion. Fear. 38 — Book to Claypool…he’s just physically imposing, man. Chris Steele (enrolled early at UF in the spring, now starts for USC this fall) is having a rough time of it against the senior’s physicality this half. 39 — Beautiful crossing route to Cole Kmet for the easy touchdown. Live I thought it was dirty hit by #6 Isaac Stuart-Taylor going low on Kmet inside the goal line, but I think he launched himself low before it was clear Kmet was going to score. 40 — That’s three TD for Kmet. Anyone else on board that he’s going to break, not tie the single season record at the position as noted in Monday Musings two weeks ago? 41 — Claypool with another ST tackle. He’s like a 6’5” Steve Tasker out there! 42 — Stepp just owned half the Irish defense. QUIT TACKLING THE BALL!!! They deserve the ride they got at the end of those 19 yards… 43 — Oh my goodness…7:29 mark of second quarter. A screen to Pittman…watch St. Brown vs. Pride. 44 — Pride with nice coverage, Pittman leaps above him to make the apparent catch but the ball comes out as the receiver hits the ground. (And out of bounds.) Pride with an exaggerated ‘Incomplete’ sign. That’s a lot of talking for a guy that got bundled one snap prior. 45 — Graphic shows Pete Carroll and Lane Kiffin back to back. As Kid Rock once mused, “I ‘aint no cheat, I’m just a regular failure…I'm not straight outta Compton, I'm straight out the trailer.” 46 — Jones. Barreling. Get some! It’s like Spring 2017 all over again!! 47 — Kmet with the backside seal. Claypool with the stalk block. Chris Finke with the 50-yard fight. And Braden Lenzy’s rocket-fueled feet do the rest, a 52-yard end-around touchdown of raw, unadulterated speed. That cat can run. The best part: he didn’t get cute near the pylon, just used his momentum to ensure the six. 14-3 IRISH at 4:38 mark of the first half 48 — I’m onboard with Flutie’s notion that Notre Dame can be as physical as anyone in the country, but come on…as athletic? They are second tier athletic for sure, but there are six teams deeper athletically than everyone else. Of course, one of those teams that’s more athletically gifted lost at home to South Carolina as a three-touchdown favorite, so there’s clearly more to winning than athleticism. (The other five teams are a combined 30-0 and at least three will be in the playoffs…) 49 — USC goes three-and-out thanks to a Julian Okwara pressure (maintained his lane integrity) and resulting Khalid Kareem sack. That was a 3-man rush, I might add. 50 — Holy Moses Greg Johnson lit up Finke on that Jet Sweep. Finke looked small on that one… 51 — 3rd-and-1 Liam Eichenberg false start. What took so long? 52 — Tony Jones rumbling! Banks and Eichenberg (way to make up for it) hammering on 3rd-and-6. Great kick out by Kraemer in the backfield to make it possible. 53 — That hit by Houston on Book is ALWAYS called when the quarterback is involved. More unnecessary roughness than a late hit, but they usually call the late hit. 54 — Jon Doerer. 45 yards between the pipes to end the half against USC. What were you crazy fans reporting to us last spring?? Irish lead 17-3 at the break 55 — So here’s the deal with the fight: I took off my glasses, rubbed my eyes, and by the time Prister said ‘Look look look!’ I couldn’t really focus on the halftime scuffle. So I basically saw what you saw, but Adam Derengowski from WSBT-TV in South Bend has an extended version on his Twitter feed, here: Adam Derengowski ✔@AdamDerWSBT Little late on this but here is my view of how the whole halftime incident got started. Stepp and Kareem talk a little, only escalates further when USC's Jalen McKenzie gets into it. Then Kelly and a USC assistant start jawing....good fun all around. https://twitter.com/ISDUpdate/status/1183190642266124288 … Irish Sports Daily@ISDUpdate Was informed by @AdamDerWSBT that Markese Stepp and Khalid Kareem started the fight before the half. Quickly escalated from there. 478 1:15 AM - Oct 13, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 142 people are talking about this In other words, I failed you. And this is what I’m best at: monitoring trash talk during sporting events. It’s my true calling. 56 — Why didn’t NBC use the Ice-T halftime montage for its pre-game?! That was actually good! 57 — Would that have been a 99-yard or 100-yard return for Michael Young? Bo Bauer, Tony Jones, and Paul Moala with the key blocks on what became the best full speed offensive fumble recovery I’ve ever seen on a kickoff return. Glass Half Full… 58 — FInke for 18 yards between the hashes. I expected a dozen more of those through the first six games. 59 — Notre Dame runs its standard screen with the FieldTurf as primary target…. 60 — Jon Doerer. 52 yards. Into the wind. Ties Kelly Era record. Second longest in Notre Dame history. That’s the same guy we watched miss by 15 yards short and wide at Culver Academies? HE CRUSHED that ball. Effortlessly, too. 61 — Kyle Hamilton with at least his third big hit this season. (Fourth?) Drills Amon-Ra St. Brown after the first-down catch. St. Brown pops up unfazed. They both have the right kind of screw loose. 62 — Gilman and Pittman hand-fighting before, through, and after the whistle. I’m pretty sure there’s no one Gilman likes on a football field. I’m positive in that regard for Pittman. 63 — 3rd-and-1 and USC’s up-tempo catches the Irish in their 3-Down look, gain of 10 yards over the left side, though when it’s 20-3, that’s acceptable. But it should be noteworthy to the defensive staff as well with more than 25 minutes to play. 64 — Coverage error in space by JOK to leave the tight end and attack a rolling Slovis. Odd, backyard mistake by a junior that’s had a strong first half of 2019. 65 — Flutie references basketball quite a bit…Gotta imagine that dude could hoop in his day. 66 — It’s Pride on Vaughns, this time as the Irish bring the blitz (6) inside the red zone. Pretty obvious hold by Pride but the officials didn’t call it on the other end (deep post to Claypool) either. 67 — Jamir Jones with the 3rd-and-5 pass breakup, following his running back from the pocket to the flat to the end zone. This kid can flat out play. Of course, he’s not a kid, he’s a senior, and the defensive end depth Mike Elston has built at Notre Dame is astounding. 68 — If Jones were eligible to return in 2020, would he start over Daelin Hayes? Field Goal USC, 20-6 Irish midway through the third quarter 69 — Jafar Armstrong in no way looked ready to produce. He looked like Tony Jones on a sprained ankle as a freshman on that TFL. 70 — 3rd-and-9, Book steps up in the pocket, stays alive and finds Finke coming across to help for the first down. Again…Finke’s best game this season and there is no relevant No. 2. 71 — Another 3rd Down, this time Jones behind Patterson and Kraemer (two defenders, including the final would-be tackler) for the first down. This could be a playoff-game winning line in 2020. They’ll be in the 120-25 start range as a unit. 72 — I thought Banks had a good game. He had a bad drive. That designed draw by Finke was going to bust but Banks got high, then busted the chops, and lost his assignment Brandon Pili who corralled Book at scrimmage. 73 — 4th-and-5, Tremble runs a 3-yard drag…he’s held up by the defender (legally)…Book throws it anyway. Incomplete. What was the point of that pass? Horrible routes by Irish receivers and Kmet had a safety over the top. 74 — No. 62 on USC helps people up all the time. Center Brett Neilon. 75 — Looked like Gilman was late getting over to get under St. Brown down the seam and it’s a one-handed jugging catch by the hard-nosed slot receiver. I officially feel your pain, Irish fans. This scheme was harder to watch on TV than it was live, for some reason. 20-13 Irish and it’s a little tenuous up in this piece… 76 — Jahmir Smith for 8 yards around left tackle—unique misdirection design as the runner looped around Book from right to left for the handoff (with Finke on Jet Sweep action the other way). Smith is my pick for a breakout game (8-10 carries, 50-55 yards, TD) vs. Michigan next week. 77 — #89 Christian Rector. I’m going to miss that guy almost as much as Clay Helton. 78 — Roughing the passer called on Palai Gaeteote. Yikes…Nothing to see here…please disperse… 79 — Tommy Kraemer, Cole Kmet, Robert Hainsey, Jarrett Patterson—buy ‘em some Jets Pizza, Tony… Jones might not be fast, but he was plenty quick Saturday night. 80 — Finke is tossed like a rag doll on 3rd-and-3 Jet Sweep by sprinting boundary safety Isaia Pola-Mao, who sprinted across two hash marks. Ridiculous if Javon McKinley, the W receiver, was actually assigned to make that block on the boundary safety as it appeared (watch McKinley chase from the outset.) 43-yard Field goal Jonathan Doerer—this was the clutch kick. The one you’re SUPPOSED to make and give your team a 10-point lead. Irish 23-13 with just under a quarter to play… 81 — Carr for 9 yards, then Jim Brown (I think it was Jim Brown) rips off 25 yards on 3rd-and-1 vs. the Irish Nickel. Forget gaps, the Trojans have airplane hangars to run through. It was officially past time to tweak the defensive approach at this point. 82 — 3rd-and-7 and Vaughns goes plastic-man on Troy Pride for the leaping back-shoulder conversion. Toe-tapper on the sidelines. Pride hasn’t had a great year, but man there’ve been some athletic plays made against him. 83 — Pittman takes Donte Vaughn on a slant. Vaughn, who others played well and thus probably regained some confidence in this contest, too often stops his feet prior to a tackle attempt. It creates needless separation between him and the pass-catcher. 84 — Vaughns one-on-one vs. Pride. That’s not a fair fight. Touchdown Trojans. 23-20 85 — 3rd-and-7 and when it starts to get worrisome, you dial up Cole Kmet: Cole Kmet vs. a Nickel linebacker…also not a fair fight. First Down Irish. 86 — Tony Jones uses his body as a battering ram and Liam Eichenberg puts his elbow in the throat of his pancaked defender on a 9-yard gain over the left side. A thing of beauty is indeed a joy forever… 87 — Smith’s forward lean is the key to his production…but I wonder if he can keep his feet better in future seasons. 88 — Book rolls to find Kmet on the move. Book on a keeper loses 2yards. It’s readily apparent this game is in Ian Book’s hands…. 3rd and 10 and Book escapes to his left for the game’s most important conversion to the Trojans 14-yard line. 89 — You can think Ian Book isn’t good enough to try his hand at the NFL after this season. You can desire more arm talent in the future from the Irish triggerman. And you can tell me Book will never make it in the NFL. And you’ll probably be right on all counts. But Book is a winning player at quarterback. And Notre Dame history will judge him as such as it does Tom Clements, Tony Rice, and Kevin McDougal. (And as Jarious Jackson should be.) 90 — Designed draw by Book, execution by the offensive front and Tony Jones in space, and Chase Claypool (decoy route) exalts as the Irish all-but-cement the victory, 30-20 91 — If I were a USC fan, I’d be furious that Clancy Pendergast let Ian Book’s feet and guile, rather than arm, beat me. 92 — Captain Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem congratulate the offensive line on their MVP-level performance. Good stuff. 93— Ah yes…the Prevent D. Isn’t there a version that includes a maniacal four-man pass rush to provide consistent pressure up front? Has someone not invented this yet, or is it exclusive to my high school math notebooks? 94 — Jamir Jones sack. Of course he did. What’s his production per play ratio over the last 2.5 games? 95 — Amon Ra for 20 more as Jayson Ademilola buries Slovis upon release. Slovis vs. J.T. Daniels next spring and summer is going to be one of Urban Meyer’s chief decisions to make entering the 2020 campaign. 96 — After a brilliant Donte Vaughn PD that does not count because of a whistle from the crowd (Where’s David Shaw to complain?!) it’s touchdown Markese Stepp from 2 yards out. Just shedding kids all night long. Hell hath no fury, eh? 97 — Gilman needs to attend technique boot camp in the off week. 98 — Houston Griffith is trusted enough to be on the hands team? That’s a good sign for the future. Regardless, Brock Wright recovers the ensuing onside kick and Brian Kelly’s second-biggest special teams gaffe of his coaching career ALSO does not count. 17COMMENTS 99 — He was WAAAAAY too far on the field! Come on, man! At least the PAC-12 officials were consistently awful to the final gun.
Patterson and Hamilton named freshman all-americans by the Athletic Spoiler On Tuesday, The Athletic unveiled its midseason All-America teams. Now it’s time to turn our attention to some of college football’s most exciting young talent. This is our midseason freshman All-America team, made up of the true freshmen and redshirt freshmen who’ve made the biggest impact for their teams thus far. In evaluating these players, we’re prioritizing production and judging them by what they’ve done in the first seven weeks, not by what they might do in the future. This is an especially strong squad on defense, and it includes three players who were good enough to be named to our national All-America team on Tuesday. Offense QB Jayden Daniels, Arizona State: This pick required a lot of deliberation, because it has been a pretty great year thus far for freshman QBs. Auburn’s Bo Nix, Boise State’s Hank Bachmeier, UCF’s Dillon Gabriel and North Carolina’s Sam Howell have all enjoyed big moments early on in the season. Indiana’s Michael Penix Jr., USC’s Kedon Slovis and South Carolina’s Ryan Hilinski have flashed exciting potential but have dealt with injuries. Any of these guys could end up being the top freshman quarterback in the country by the end of the season. But we’re going with Daniels, who has the Sun Devils off to a 5-1 start and up to No. 17 in this week’s AP poll. He has won road starts against the tough Michigan State and Cal defenses. Daniels’ 1,610 passing yards rank second-most among FBS freshmen just behind Gabriel, and he’s currently No. 12 nationally in passing yards per attempt at 9.8. He’s also getting 6.4 yards per carry this season when excluding sacks. And he has only turned the ball over once all season, which is rare for a true freshman. On a Sun Devils team whose last five games have all been close contests, Daniels has proven clutch. RB Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis: The fifth-leading rusher in the country is a redshirt freshman. Gainwell has rushed for 726 yards and scored eight total TDs. He’s averaging 7.64 yards per carry, which ranks best in the FBS among all backs with more than 80 carries. After a career-high 98 receiving yards last week against Temple, he has also put up 237 receiving yards on 25 catches. Memphis had to replace two NFL running backs in Darrell Henderson and Tony Pollard heading into 2019, but the Tigers are still thriving on the ground thanks to Gainwell, a former high school quarterback who was an unranked recruit when he pledged to the Tigers. RB Javian Hawkins, Louisville: The redshirt freshman nicknamed “PlayStation” has put up three 100-yard performances in his first six games, and his 622 rushing yards rank second in the ACC. There’s a long list of backs who could contend for freshman All-America honors by season’s end, including Michigan’s Zach Charbonnet, Temple’s Re’Mahn Davis, Penn State’s Noah Cain, N.C. State’s Zonovan Knight, Michigan State’s Elijah Collins, Texas’ Roschon Johnson and Wake Forest’s Kenneth Walker III. But Hawkins has been the most productive of the bunch thus far. WR Dante Wright, Colorado State: The nation’s leading freshman receiver both in catches and receiving yards is Wright, a 5-foot-10 true freshman out of Florida who has become a do-it-all threat as a pass catcher (595 yards, three TDs) and rusher (180 yards, two TDs) while also serving as the Rams’ punt returner. WR David Bell, Purdue: Purdue needed a playmaker when Rondale Moore went down, and Bell, a four-star freshman out of Indianapolis, has stepped up with 438 receiving yards and three scores on 26 catches. He has recorded eight or more catches and more than 100 yards in two of his last three games. One extremely talented wideout who just missed the cut here: Georgia’s George Pickens, who leads the Bulldogs in targets (30), catches (19) and receiving yards (283). If Georgia gets him the ball more, he’ll have a chance at end-of-season freshman All-America honors. Wright scored five touchdowns in the first three games of his college career. (Nelson Chenault / USA Today) OT Wanya Morris, Tennessee: The five-star true freshman enrolled early and proved he needed to start right away as the Vols’ left tackle. That’s a lot to ask of a 19-year-old newcomer in the SEC, but Morris is learning on the go and improving. The investment the Vols have made in starting Morris and fellow five-star Darnell Wright in their first year will pay off in the long run. OG Evan Neal, Alabama: The massive 6-foot-7, 360-pound true freshman was a five-star recruit for a reason. Neal’s future is at tackle, but he earned the starting job at left guard this season and has started every game for a line that has allowed just seven sacks through six games. C Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame: The redshirt freshman, a backup left tackle last year, took on the tall task of replacing a three-year starter and senior captain in Sam Mustipher. Patterson has done a nice job so far and has earned praise from coach Brian Kelly for his length, athleticism and smarts. OG Dohnovan West, Arizona State: The true freshman has graded out as the Sun Devils’ top lineman in four of six games and looks like he’ll have a bright future. West thought he would redshirt this year but has instead started every game and has succeeded in moving from center to right guard. OT Jacob Monk, Duke: Monk had the unenviable task of starting against Alabama in his first career game, so he got thrown right into the fire as a true freshman. But the right tackle survived that battle and has improved ever since for a Blue Devils offensive line that has given up just one sack per game this season. TE Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M: The true freshman has scored touchdowns on four of his nine catches and is coming off his best game yet, turning three receptions against Alabama into 49 yards and two scores. He’s developing into a better blocker and should become a bigger piece of the Aggies’ passing game. Patterson (center, with ball) and his linemates have kept Ian Book clean and helped power a quietly effective run game. (Matt Cashore / USA Today) Defense DE George Karlaftis, Purdue: The hometown hero has been everything Purdue hoped and more as a true freshman. To put his impact as a pass rusher in perspective, Sports Info Solutions credits Karlaftis with 34 pressures (which ties him with Ohio State’s Chase Young for third-most in FBS), 24 quarterback hurries (second-most in FBS) and 19 hits on quarterbacks (most in FBS). DT Tyler Davis, Clemson: They call this kid “Baby Dex” based on his resemblance to former Clemson star Dexter Lawrence, and he’s starting to play like Lawrence on the Tigers’ new-look D-line. The true freshman has started five games and recorded 19 tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks on 182 snaps. DT Keondre Coburn, Texas: The redshirt freshman has started every game in the middle for the Longhorns and has become a force with his impressive motor. Several big men were considered for this spot, including Alabama’s D.J. Dale and Virginia’s Jowon Briggs, but Coburn has been the most disruptive with 12 stops, seven pressures and one sack. DE Drake Jackson, USC: The hype on Jackson this spring was that the early enrollee was flashing first-round pick potential. Yep, we’re seeing it. Jackson has started every game this season for the Trojans and ranks second in the Pac-12 in tackles for loss with eight. Miami’s Gregory Rousseau and Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux were strong candidates for an edge spot, too, and should shine in the second half of the season. LB Henry To’o To’o, Tennessee: To’o To’o has started all six games for the Vols and is currently their second-leading tackler with 34 tackles (2.5 for loss). The four-star from California was quite a coup for Jeremy Pruitt and his staff and is another one of those highly touted freshmen the Vols hope can benefit long-term from playing a big role right away. LB Mase Funa, Oregon: The Ducks found an aggressive playmaker in the four-star from California. Funa has only logged 14 tackles this season, but nearly half of them have been tackles for loss (6.5), and he’s already picked up three sacks. Imagine what he can do when he breaks into the starting lineup. LB Shane Lee, Alabama: The Crimson Tide got hit hard by injuries at linebacker and have turned to freshmen to fill in. Lee has emerged as their second-leading tackler with 38 stops and has 2.5 tackles for loss (including 1.5 sacks) and a fumble recovery. Learning to play in this defense and play at a high level is a challenging process, but Lee has handled it well. Karlaftis is the third highest-rated recruit to sign with Purdue this century, per 247Sports. (John Jones / USA Today) CB Derek Stingley Jr., LSU: A true freshman just might be the best corner in the country. Folks at LSU have been comparing him to their all-time great DBs ever since he arrived, and the five-star has more than lived up to the hype, recording three picks and nine pass breakups and playing big in the Tigers’ biggest games. S Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame: Hamilton hasn’t started a game for the Irish yet as Alohi Gilman’s backup, but that hasn’t slowed down the hype train one bit. He’s been targeted 11 times this season and has given up three catches and grabbed two interceptions, one of them a pick-six. He’s a special talent, and he’s only getting better. S Demani Richardson, Texas A&M: The former top-100 recruit has started every game as a true freshman and become the Aggies’ second-leading tackler with 33 stops. He notched his first career pick last week with an end-zone interception of Tua Tagovailoa, the first pick Alabama’s star passer had tossed all season. CB Trent McDuffie, Washington: The Huskies have put three freshman DBs in the lineup this season in McDuffie, Asa Turner and Cameron Williams, and all three have real potential. McDuffie has been targeted 20 times this season and is giving up just 4.4 yards per attempt with no touchdowns allowed. The competition for freshman All-America honors at corner will be fun to watch as more guys like Oklahoma’s Jaden Davis, Indiana’s Taiwan Mullen and Florida’s Kaair Elam rise up in the second half of the season. Specialists K Brandon Talton, Nevada: Talton was also our pick for first-team All-American, which is truly a wild feat for a 5-foot-8, 165-pound walk-on who earned not just fame but a scholarship for his game-winning 56-yard field goal to upset Purdue in the season opener. And he was no one-hit wonder. Talton has converted every one of his 11 field-goal attempts ever since. P Jake Oldroyd, BYU: Here’s another unique story. Oldroyd played in three games for BYU in 2016 and kicked a game-winning field goal to beat Arizona. Then he took a medical redshirt, went on a two-year mission to Chile and rejoined the football program this year as a redshirt freshman. He’s averaging 46.95 yards on his 19 punts this year, which would rank ninth-best nationally if he had enough kicks to qualify, and he’s also made 13 of his 17 field goal attempts. AP Wan’Dale Robinson, Nebraska: The electric 5-foot-10, 190-pound playmaker has been instant offense for the Huskers as a receiver, rusher and returner. Robinson has produced 738 all-purpose yards on his 85 touches this season and has lived to up the hype as the Huskers’ go-to guy in key moments this season.
midseason report from Pete Sampson Spoiler Notre Dame at midseason: Irish staging a worthy encore to Playoff trip By Pete Sampson 2h ago 10 SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Khalid Kareem had a few things to say but little time to say them and even less voice to get out the message. The potential All-American defensive end was fresh off one of his better games of the season, a seven-tackle, one-sack performance during Notre Dame’s 30-27 win over USC that kept the program’s College Football Playoff aspirations alive. Kareem arrived wearing a stylish tan fedora that didn’t exactly match his green Under Armour pullover or pink hair beads. And then he spoke to the media for less than two minutes, his voice giving out as he talked through Notre Dame’s solid if not spectacular first half of the season. “I think I was losing (my voice) before the game started. Felt little underneath the weather. Obviously lost it during the game,” Kareem said. “I’m sorry about that.” But Notre Dame shouldn’t need to apologize for anything to date. The Irish are almost exactly where everybody thought they’d be at the midpoint of their follow-up to last season’s undefeated regular season and blowout loss to Clemson in the Playoff. The path to this point might be different than expected, of course, but college football is a destination game and not one necessarily reliant on the journey. After Kareem all but guaranteed that Notre Dame would run the table in the immediate aftermath of the Georgia loss, the senior defensive end is now looking like a good fortune teller along with a star defensive end and fashion mashup. As Kareem put it before ducking out, “We’re on the right path.” Best surprise When the season started, Notre Dame’s biggest concern was the linebacker play with Drew White, Asmar Bilal and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, plus Jack Lamb working in the dime package. And after that Week 1 performance at Louisville, those concerns felt well-founded as the Cardinals rushed for 120 yards on their first 12 carries, with Notre Dame’s linebackers seemingly overmatched and out of position. Turns out, the position just needed a quarter to get its bearings. All four of those linebackers have thrived in different moments this fall, with Owusu-Koramoah a revelation in space. He was the best player on the field during moments at Georgia. Bilal led the Irish in tackles against USC with 11 stops and two tackles for loss. White leads the team with 7.0 TFLs. For the linebacker position to go from massive question mark to team strength in six games is an incredible testament to the teaching acumen of defensive coordinator Clark Lea. Last year’s starting linebackers totaled 21.5 TFLs for the season. This year’s group is almost already there with 17.5 and seven games to go. Worst surprise Ian Book’s climb toward the top of college football’s quarterback hierarchy is no longer gaining elevation. And compared to the Book most people expected to see this season, including Book himself, that’s been a disappointment. Still, Notre Dame’s QB1 is 14-2 as a starter and the first Irish quarterback to beat USC in back-to-back seasons since Rick Mirer. Book’s passer rating of 157.54 ranks No. 23 nationally, ahead of Jake Fromm, Jacob Eason and Trevor Lawrence. And that rating is also a slight improvement on his junior season, even if his completion percentage is down a significant five points to a pedestrian 63.2. This all gets to a recurring theme for Brian Kelly, the second-year regression of his quarterbacks. Is that happening with Book? That depends on how you want to spin it. Notre Dame’s offense has not operated with a full cast of skill position talent at any point this season. That’s not Book’s fault. But the vertical passing game seems to be almost ignored for long stretches, and some of that is on Book. Last year, Book averaged five deep shots per game (passing for more than 20 yards). This year that figure has dropped to just three deep shots per game, with an ominous start at Louisville in which Notre Dame didn’t attempt a single pass beyond 20 yards. For all the talk about a new-and-improved quarterback, Ian Book looks a lot like last year. It’s probably worth remembering that that model was good enough to get Notre Dame into the College Football Playoff. Defining stat 26-4. That’s Notre Dame’s record in the last 30 games, which is the best 30-game stretch since a 26-4 run that started midway through the 1991 season and ended with the win over No. 1 Florida State in 1993. The Irish have also won 15 consecutive games at home (three home games remain) and 16 straight as favorites (Notre Dame will likely be favored in every game the rest of the way). The Irish may still be a few strides off Clemson and Alabama, but they’re running close with just about everybody else. Breakout player Running back Tony Jones Jr. felt like a rotational player when the season started. Then Jafar Armstrong got hurt on the first series of the Louisville game. Then Jahmir Smith got hurt during the off week after Louisville. Suddenly, the Irish were going to have to create a run game with a back who may have 4.7 speed against a schedule that included Georgia and USC. And while the Georgia game was a wash from the run game point of view, it underscored how valuable Jones was as an all-around back. The Irish couldn’t live without him on the field to pick up blitzing linebackers and safeties. Since then? Jones has rushed for 100 yards in three consecutive games, including a career-high 176 yards against USC last weekend. Have the Irish found a true No. 1 back hiding in plain sight? “Coach letting me out the cage a little bit,” Jones said on Saturday night. Maybe Jones continues to rumble through the season. Maybe he doesn’t with Armstrong and Smith set to return in full for the second half. But that doesn’t matter as much as the fact the Irish have something in Jones now that everybody respects, including the opposition. It wasn’t always that way. If the senior averages 63 yards per game the rest of the way, he’ll hit 1,000 yards for the year. Best play Notre Dame has options, from Braden Lenzy’s 51-yard reverse against USC to Kyle Hamilton’s pick-six on his first home snap to Ian Book’s game-clinching touchdown run against the Trojans. But the nod goes to the Irish defensive line, which has improved by the week after a slow start. That line posted eight sacks by itself against Virginia, even while losing rush end Daelin Hayes for the season to a torn labrum. Notre Dame is on pace for a ridiculous 115 tackles for loss, a figure that would have ranked third nationally last year and led the country two seasons ago. Maybe Julian Okwara has not had the banner senior season expected, but this strip sack of Virginia quarterback Bryce Perkins shows his NFL ability off the edge when there’s a target in the pocket. Backup Ade Ogundeji’s fumble recovery represents the Irish’s depth at this position, a luxury when the season started that’s now a necessity with Hayes out. Notre Dame on NBC ✔@NDonNBC .@NDFootball's defensive pressure does it again! 477 6:19 PM - Sep 28, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy 89 people are talking about this Biggest question Is Notre Dame’s defense really this good? And is there anybody on the schedule that can really answer that question? What’s left in the second half looks like a bunch of offenses operating on spare parts, plus a rejuvenated Navy working the triple option. In terms of yards per play, Notre Dame faces four programs ranked No. 80 or worse in Michigan (No. 81, 5.64 yards per play), Virginia Tech (No. 101, 5.18 YPP), Duke (No. 90, 5.50 YPP) and Stanford (No. 99, 5.22 YPP). The only functioning Power 5 offense remaining would appear to be Boston College (No. 36, 6.25 YPP), but the Eagles just lost starting quarterback Anthony Brown for the season. If Notre Dame’s defense really is this good, especially if cornerback Shaun Crawford returns against Michigan as expected, the Irish should be able to scratch their way to an 11-1 record considering the consistency of Clark Lea’s group. On top of that, Rover Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and safety Kyle Hamilton could both take massive steps forward in the second half considering this is their first season of action. Recruiting update After years of striking out on five-star talent, Notre Dame has two committed in running back Chris Tyree and receiver Jordan Johnson, two positions where the Irish have not landed a five-star in more than a decade. At the moment, only Clemson and Georgia have more five-star prospects committed than Notre Dame, per the 247 Sports Composite. The Irish are sitting at 17 commitments overall and may not move off that figure unless it takes another project at defensive back or forces a flip of an elite prospect (Ohio State graduate transfer Isaiah Pryor may qualify for this at safety). This class was always going to be small because of roster attrition and the 27-man class Notre Dame signed two years ago. For the most part, the Irish have judiciously managed the numbers this cycle, specifically on offense. The biggest issue is defensive back, where the Irish have three three-star prospects committed. Will Notre Dame be able to get creative late like it did last cycle by making room for linebackers JD Bertrand and Marist Liufau? Is there a late steal like Isaiah Foskey? The Irish added all three in the final weeks of the last recruiting cycle. It’s hard to pick out who that prospect might be for 2020, but the staff is on the hunt. Most important remaining game There’s no argument. It’s Michigan. After this weekend’s open date, Notre Dame heads to Ann Arbor on Oct. 26 for a game that can assure this season will be remembered as a very good one, even without College Football Playoff participation. Beating USC and Michigan in back-to-back games represents the kind of natural high Notre Dame doesn’t achieve often. It would also mean the Irish would be under discussion for the Playoff during ESPN’s rankings shows through November. While those fabricated dramas can be annoying to consume, it’s better to be listed on the same graphics as Clemson, Alabama and Ohio State than not. If Notre Dame needed more incentive for the primetime Michigan game than just winning, the chance to put significant heat on Jim Harbaugh would probably do. While the Irish rest this weekend, the Wolverines travel to Penn State as an eight-point underdog. Back-to-back losses with Ohio State still to play would make for a miserable second half of the season for Michigan. Considering what follows — Virginia Tech, at Duke, Navy, Boston College, at Stanford — the Michigan game offers a chance to assure Notre Dame will be 10-1 heading to California on Thanksgiving weekend. It’s worth remembering that Brian Kelly is 8-1 coming off an idle week. Projected final record It’s hard to look at Notre Dame and see an 11-1 roster on paper, yet the Irish are trending that way with the remaining schedule and if a few key components get cleaned up. Still, the hunch is Notre Dame falls once more, whether that’s at Michigan later this month or a surprise upset in November. A 10-win season would likely send Notre Dame back to the Cotton Bowl with a chance to end a major bowl losing streak that stretches back to the 1993 season. While that’s not a return to the Playoff, it’s not a massive step backward, either. (Photo: Robin Alam / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
so worried about corner beyond this year. The rest of the team sets up nicely even if Kmet and Gilman go pro but i really dont know who will start beyond bracy at this point and its not like there is a ton of talent coming back. Why did we move Wilkins to a loaded WR position again?
If we can randomly find another Cody Riggs from somewhere, I think we’ll be fine. And yes, I needed to Google that name.
itd would for sure be appreciated. The thing is we need to hit on 2 of KJ Wallace, Isaiah Rutherford and DJ Brown regardless as we are just down on numbers. With what hamilton has shown and the talent around I feel somewhat more comfortable at safety but corner has few bodies and they are lowly rated to boot. Cant really rely on transfers to fix holes, we tried that with Cam Smith, Freddy Canteen and Avery Sebastian a few years ago and they were transfers for a reason. Cody Riggs was more of a happy accident iyam. That being said, the rest of the team ought to be loaded and with the front 7 largely returning the DBs should probably be more protected
a couple of guys ND is trying to get for the 2020 class Spoiler According to multiple sources, Notre Dame is starting to show an increased interest in a former target, who is now committed elsewhere. Irish Illustrated has the latest. Earlier this week we hinted that Notre Dame was going to be checking in on a few targets committed elsewhere and one of those visits is likely to happen on Thursday. Look for safeties coach Terry Joseph to stop by Frederick (Md.) Tuscarora high school to gather some updated information on three-star two-way talent Jordan Addison. A wide receiver commit for the University of Pittsburgh, the 5-11, 165-pound speedster has been recruited by the Fighting Irish staff as a cornerback for a long time. For a couple of other reasons, Notre Dame slowed down its pursuit of Addison after extending an offer in the offseason, but it looks like things are picking up. According to a source, if everything checks out and he's given the green light to potentially jump on his early offer, this one could very well come down to offense vs. defense. Pittsburgh wants him as a receiver, which we're told is his preferred position, while Notre Dame sees him as a special talent in the secondary. If he buys into the vision of Joseph, defensive coordinator Clark Lea and cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght, the Irish could make a move here. For what it's worth, he recently told Pittsburgh that he's 100 percent solid in his pledge to the Panthers and playing offense is a huge reason why. We'll see how things shake out. 16COMMENTS At the time of his commitment, Addison chose the Panthers over offers from Wake Forest, Virginia, South Carolina, UMass, Maryland and many others. 247Sports is very high on Addison and lists him as a four-star talent, the No. 280 overall player in America, No. 23 cornerback in the country and No. 7 prospect in Maryland from the 2020 class. The 247Sports Composite Rankings peg him as a three-star prospect, No. 533 overall recruit in the country, No. 42 cornerback in the nation and No. 17 target from his home state. Spoiler According to a one-time Florida State commit, Notre Dame is pushing hard to get a visit from the class of 2020 recruit and is looking to make a major move in his recruitment. Irish Illustrated has the latest. Hialeah (Fla.) Champagnat Catholic - Hialeah four-star cornerback Jalen Harrell tells 247Sports that Notre Dame has been showing a ton of interest since he announced his de-commitment from Florida State on Oct. 15. The Fighting Irish were among the first schools to reach out to see how interested he is, gather information on his academic standing, and see how quickly he’d like to lock in an official visit to South Bend. According to Harrell, Notre Dame is an intriguing option, but nothing is locked in yet regarding a visit. He is planning on talking with defensive coordinator Clark Lea, safeties coach Terry Joseph and cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght regarding his interest and he wants to see how he’d be used, talk depth chart, and look at the academic opportunities. According to a source, a heavy-hitter in this recruitment is actually Nebraska. The Huskers are currently the one and only school that is definitely going to get him on campus for an official visit. That is expected to change, but right now it looks like Nebraska may be the way-too-early team to beat here. 11COMMENTS As of today, others in play for Harrell include Florida, Miami, Washington and Alabama. The 247Sports Composite Rankings list Harrell as the No. 235 overall player in America, No. 18 cornerback nationally and No. 39 recruit in Florida from the class of 2020. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 287 overall talent in the country, No. 25 prospect at his position this cycle and No. 40 player in his home state.
Meh. I have faith in the staff at this point that if they get bodies we will be ok. Hell the best lb since manti was a three star safety prospect and we have stopped recruiting Bruce heggies and John turners
There’s no stat more damning for Ian Book right now than that one. Protection wise, he has the easiest job as a QB in the entire country. And he still decides to run around like a chicken with his head cut off.
Pass blocking has been outstanding all year imo Run blocking was bad early but they seem to have turned a corner there the last few weeks
honestly the OL against USC was amazing when you rewatch the game. Book had decades to throw and the running game was humming as much as you could possibly want
so whats the nicest thing about the OL is that its not 1 guy being great and the rest being solid or even 2/3 guys being great and the rest being solid, Its 5 guys being very good (but not so good they should consider going pro). If this line can improve a normal amount they could bring home another joe moore award next year
As for CB I dont see a sure fire guy on roster. But the staff seems to turn Q Mark's into at least serviceable guys. I was worried about LB and didnt expect Drew White to be as good as hes been
We don't man up a ton on defense. If our front 7 and safeties perform like we expect I don't see the corners killing us.
How weird is it by the way that ND has a legit team yet no single player is mentioned as a regular All American. Dont think anyone is even that close except Kmet
Likely not, but is it a possibility? https://collegefootballtalk.nbcspor...ted-2019-signee-now-officially-in-the-portal/
so the first quotes i found on this made me think this kid had some issues mentally that he needs to work through. Depending on his beliefs and stuff ND might actually be a good spot for that
ow id agree there for sure. Heggiebear was the most useless scholarship in ND history probably. But just saying its not a guy who just wants out, its a bit more complicating than that. (granted that might, if ND would want to pursue this, actually be a good thing for NDs chances)
No chance. ND couldn’t take him out of high school and I doubt his months at Alabama have changed that
He'll undoubtedly go to a team that we either hate or play regularly, or both. This is how things work.
if i recall correctly, Alfano came to visit ND for a camp I believe after his sophomore season with ND having a very good shot at him. After the visit, it went COMPLETELY quiet with him. It later came out that ND wanted nothing to do with him as it was clear he was not a "fit" for ND I think it's obvious he's not coming to ND now either nor would the coaches want him to
In retrospect, I think that Louisville was exactly what we needed to open up the year for our defense. A team that was good enough to expose some flaws/get new starters useful experience, but bad enough that we could win by playing a C- game across the board. I think our LBs learned a lot from that game and have significantly improved.