Notre Dame needed to come out and continue what they started with Purdue by playing with their hair on fire, and the defense did just that on the first series. But after the defense played at a high level, special teams muffed a punt and put the defense right back on the field. That’s usually a momentum killer, but not for this defense, as they got right back on that field and dominated followed by a Christian Gray tipped pass at the line of scrimmage and Junior Tuihalamaka secured the interception. This defense continues to prove that it is one of the best in the country.
Photo by The Irish Tribune
Notre Dame’s first offensive series left much to be desired, although they were deep in their own territory due to the defensive turnover. The O-line struggled to open up lanes for the run game, which is seemingly Notre Dame's only viable offensive threat. Riley Leonard didn’t get much time from the line, and the wide receivers didn’t have time to get separation before the pocket crashed, and Leonard was taken down for a very short gain if any. The offense continued to look flat in their opening, series but the highlight here is that Punter James Rendell finally got a hold of a ball and boomed it for 53 yards, something ND fans haven’t seen yet from him.
The staff continued to roll Riley Leonard out, and he continued to make inaccurate throws, as he missed Kris Mitchell followed up by another bad throw to a wide-open Mitchell Evans. Leonard still seems to lack major confidence in his passing abilities. It wasn’t until late in the first half that Riley Leonard finally threw a beautiful pass to Beaux Collins for a touchdown. Will that be the turning point that gives Leonard confidence in his passing? Time will tell, but so far, that hadn't happened at the half. This offense is out of sync and just bad right now. It continues to put major stress on the defense, which will eventually run out of gas if something doesn’t change.
Notre Dame continues to shoot themselves in the foot with bad penalties and securing the ball. Coach Biagi dialed up one of the best kickoff returns in a reverse play we haven’t seen in years, only to be brought back by a block in the back. That’s after Jordan Faison muffed a punt to give Miami (OH) great field advantage in Irish territory. Add to that a great play by Adon Shuler only to be nullified by a bad penalty on his part. And Riley Leonard failed to secure the ball on a run in the 3rd quarter, resulting in a fumble with a Miami (OH) recovery. These things mount up and destroy momentum and confidence. It has to be fixed by this staff, and be preached until they are blue in the face that penalties are unacceptable at the capacity that this team commits them.
The defense was on the field for the majority of the game. This just isn't sustainable, as they will wear out not only during a single game, but as the season progresses they could wear out as a unit. The offense has to find an identity and learn how to sustain drives. You can’t expect the defense to constantly save you! I feel bad for this defense - they have been tasked with keeping this team in the game every week. If it wasn’t for their stellar play, this team could be 1-3 right now.
It has to be studied why this team can go to an away stadium and outplay an opponent, in the case of Purdue destroy them, and come home to fall flat in front of a home crowd. Of course, it all starts at the top with Freeman, and he needs to evaluate his game preparation and figure out why it keeps happening at home. And if he can’t, a more difficult conversation will have to be had.
This team came into the season with very high expectations, and was a “shoe-in” by many to be a playoff contender. Right now, it appears this team is a long way from playing at the level that was hoped coming into the season. Notre Dame would go on to get the win, but it certainly didn't feel like on. Something has to give!
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You sound like an analyst with a mission to denigrate Freeman ands his team. We knew what we were getting with Leonard—it wasn’t passing excellence— and show me a more respected running QB. Enough with the pessimism Cassandra! Find yourself another viiral ND critical audience and wax to your heart’s content. I’m not paying for anymore of your sorry dibble. Go Irish!