The Athletic continued its look at life behind the scenes with Miami of Ohio, watching the Redhawks’ coaches break down Notre Dame game film.
The article is illuminating — while some things have likely changed after the Fighting Irish beat the Redhawks 28-3 — there is some insight into what opposing coaches think Notre Dame does and doesn’t do well. Or at least through the first three games.
The biggest concern for Irish fans is that quarterback Riley Leonard came off looking bad. Miami coaches saw a QB who couldn’t get past his first read and was “flustered” by pressure.
Again, the film study occurred before the game, and Leonard did look better late after a sluggish start. And it’s clear through four games that he is a true running threat. Still, given how touted Leonard was coming over from Duke via the transfer portal, it’s not good to have opponents hoping he passes the ball.
On the other hand, if he continues to improve, these concerns, as well as the inconsistent passing offense from the first few games, could be a thing of the past.
Another takeaway from the article: Miami coaches pointing out that Notre Dame’s defensive backs are physical, even at risk of being flagged for defensive pass interference. Miami staff also said the offensive line, while inexperienced and lacking a true star, was better than most people think. Finally, the coaching staff was in disagreement over whether Irish linebacker Jaylen Sneed was a disruptive defender or a poor tackler. We’ll remind you one final time to try not to overreact to anything, good or bad, that the Miami coaches saw on film a week ago. But the bit about Leonard is a tad worrisome, even if he improved later in the game against the Redhawks.
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