Tag: 2020 acc football

Tale of the Tape: Leading Rushers – Kyren Williams vs. Travis Etienne

No one on Notre Dame’s offense has been more consistent than Kyren Williams.

No one on Notre Dame’s offense has been more consistent than Kyren Williams. He will need to bring that consistency when the Irish face Clemson for a second time but with much higher stakes involved. The kid clearly has talent, and most games, he’ll put that to use to the tune of 100-yard games. It’s translated into a 1,000-yard season, and not every quality team can boast of having a running back like that in the age of the quarterback.

Then again, Travis Etienne doesn’t have to do too much when the Tigers have Trevor Lawrence. Still, Etienne can be just as effective when he gets his opportunities. In fact, he does just as much damage when he’s being thrown to. The Irish will have to remember that because if they don’t watch him enough, he could pull a rabbit out of his hat and be just as dangerous as Lawrence.

Tale of the Tape: Starting Quarterbacks – Ian Book vs. Trevor Lawrence

It took until the ACC Championship Game, but Notre Dame and Clemson finally will see how Ian Book and Trevor Lawrence match up.

It took until the ACC Championship Game, but Notre Dame and Clemson finally will see how Ian Book and Trevor Lawrence match up. Book is a winner, and he deserves to prove it on a stage that can guarantee the Irish a spot in the College Football Playoff. As we’ve seen, he’ll carry his team himself if he has to either on the ground or in the air. Not every quarterback is as versatile as him, and if he’s going to make it to the next level, a performance that proves it and also leads to win will go a long way in making that happen.

On the flip side, the Tigers have the most prolific college football player in Lawrence. His numbers are a bit misleading because of the time he lost to his COVID-19 diagnosis, so don’t be fooled by the fact that they’re only slightly better than Book’s. If anyone can rise to the occasion when the stakes are raised, it’s him. There’s no bigger X factor in the country, and you better believe he’s not going to hold anything back.

No ACC Championship Game Would Give Notre Dame Conference Title

If you have the chance to win a championship, you always want to do it the right way.

If you have the chance to win a championship, you always want to do it the right way. Notre Dame will have that chance when it battles Clemson for the ACC title.

But what if the game isn’t played?

Ralph D. Russo of The Associated Press has learned what would happen in that case:

Naturally, the replies to this tweet were along the lines of Notre Dame players will purposely go out so they can get infected with COVID-19 and cause this game not to be played. After all, how many times in the history of sports have we seen teams change their approaches when a scenario in which they would be safe is in play? They don’t care about the integrity of competition as long as they get what they want.

One would think Brian Kelly will teach his team to be smarter than that. The last thing a program that takes a lot of criticism from outside its fan base wants is to have its first and possibly only conference championship come with an asterisk. More importantly, being reckless on purpose would compromise the health of the players and the community at large. It’s better to keep doing what they’ve been doing and go about this ethically, safely and correctly.

 

Notre Dame vs. Syracuse: Fourth-Quarter Analysis

Just as we had hoped, the fourth quarter between Notre Dame and Syracuse mostly was anticlimactic.

Just as we had hoped, the fourth quarter between Notre Dame and Syracuse mostly was anticlimactic. The only drama left was whether Kyren Williams would reach 1,000 rushing yards for the season, and he did exactly that. Oh, and Chris Tyree ran for a 94-yard touchdown, the third-longest in program history. It was the cherry on top of a 45-21 Notre Dame win.

The Irish (10-0, 9-0) did not get off to the best start, but once the Orange (1-10, 1-9) began playing like they’ve been known to play this season, all bets were off. Though Cooper Lutz countered Tyree with an 80-yard touchdown run, hardly anyone batted an eye. After all, the game was long out of reach at that point.

The emotional high point came when Ian Book, now the winningest quarterback in program history, left a game at Notre Dame Stadium for the last time. The sparse crowd gave him a standing ovation, and Book received congratulations everywhere on the sidelines. No, it wasn’t a Rudy Ruettiger moment, but he might as well have deserved one. He never once lost a game in The House That Rockne Built.

Now, the Irish will wait to see who they play for the ACC championship two weeks from now. It’s going to be a challenge whether they get Clemson or Miami. Still, the Irish have answered every challenge so far this season. If there’s any team in college football capable of meeting the highest of expectations, it’s this one.

Notre Dame vs. Syracuse: Third-Quarter Analysis

At halftime, Brian Kelly told his team to win the third quarter.

At halftime, Brian Kelly told his team to win the third quarter. Instead, we got maybe the sloppiest two-way quarter of any Notre Dame game this season. Nobody seemed to want to take control. Nevertheless, the Irish enter the final 15 minutes of the regular season leading Syracuse, 38-14.

The Irish recovered a fumble on the Orange’s first drive only to watch Ian Book cough the ball right back up. With his team given new life, Sean Tucker soon ran for a 40-yard touchdown. It was the perfect representative of an uncharacteristically rough day for the Irish’s run defense. That it’s happening against Syracuse of all teams is stunning.

When Book returned to the field, he threw only his second interception of the season to Ja’Had Carter. It didn’t matter because Rex Culpepper lost a fumble on the first play of the drive. Kyren Williams then put together some nice runs before Book called his own number and ran 17 yards for his second touchdown of the game. Some probably felt a serious sense of deja vu.

Any hopes that Syracuse’s play since late in the second quarter was an aberration were snuffed out when Daelin Hayes intercepted Culpepper for the Orange’s third turnover of the third quarter and fourth overall. The DJ at Notre Dame Stadium marked the occasion by playing My Own Worst Enemy by Lit. It was such a level of savagery that no one seemed to mind when Jonathan Doerer missed a 50-yard field-goal attempt.

After the defense forced a three-and-out, the offense immediately benefited from a roughing the passer call. Williams came closer to the 1,000-yard mark with a 23-yard run. Two plays later, Javon McKinley continued to make up for lost time by scoring his third touchdown of both the game and season on a 26-yard reception. All of the offensive leaders are chipping in.

Notre Dame vs. Syracuse: Second-Quarter Analysis

When Clark Lea stepped off the Notre Dame bus Saturday, he probably didn’t expect Syracuse to present such a challenge to his defense.

When Clark Lea stepped off the Notre Dame bus Saturday, he probably didn’t expect Syracuse to present such a challenge to his defense. In the first half, we saw that at times. A victory that appeared to be such a foregone conclusion didn’t seem like it midway through the second quarter. Then, the Irish woke up, and they now hold a 24-7 halftime lead.

The Orange started their first drive of the second quarter at their own 38-yard line and executed it to perfection. Rather than go for it all on one big play, they successfully relied on a series of runs and short passes. It paid off when Rex Culpepper connected with Anthony Queeley for an 18-yard touchdown to give their team the lead. Dino Babers said that this is his team’s title game, and that’s how it’s played for the most part.

For most of the second quarter, the Irish’s offense continued to have trouble getting anything going. On one drive, they got into Orange territory and appeared to pick up a fourth down, but Michael Mayer’s momentum carried him back behind the marker, and the Irish turned it over on downs. Everyone was waiting for anything to happen to get this unit going.

The Orange inadvertently provided a spark for the Irish when they appeared to force a three-and-out, but Kingsley Jonathan was flagged for roughing the passer. Ian Book made Jonathan pay for his mistake with a couple of first-down completions to Tommy Tremble and Javon McKinley. He put a stamp on the drive with a 28-yard touchdown run to put the Irish back in front. That’s what happens when you give a team like this second chances.

After that, the Irish we’ve come to know finally showed up. Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa sacked Culpepper and forced a fumble that was recovered by Marist Liufau. It took forever for the replay booth to confirm that, but it finally happened. Speaking of things finally happening, McKinley, the Irish’s leading receiver, scored his first touchdown of the season on a 21-yard pass from Book on the first play of the drive.

With time running out in the half, the Orange gave the Irish another opportunity when Cooper Lutz ran into Matt Salerno after Salerno had called for a fair catch on a punt. The Irish took advantage of this latest in a series of Syracuse mistakes by putting together a drive in which they marched down the field as quickly as any offense in college football is capable of. Book’s 21-yard pass to Ben Skowronek put the Irish in field-goal range, but Book decided that wasn’t enough, and he hit McKinley for a 28-yard touchdown pass with six seconds left. All of that took 32 seconds, and the Irish went into the locker room feeling much more confident about their chances of a blowout win.

Notre Dame vs. Syracuse: First-Quarter Analysis

Notre Dame has not gotten off to the hot start against Syracuse that many expected.

Notre Dame has not gotten off to the hot start against Syracuse that many expected. In fact, the Orange have entered Notre Dame Stadium with a full intention to compete. There’s a lot of game left to determine whether that will hold up. For now, the Irish will have to be content with a 3-0 lead after the first quarter.

The Irish took the ball first and put together a nice drive highlighted by lengthy receptions from Avery Davis and Ben Skowronek. They got to the Orange’s 7-yard line, but Ian Book’s two shots at the end zone to Kyren Williams and Javon McKinley were unsuccessful. Jonathan Doerer had to salvage the opening drive with a 25-yard field goal. Success in the red zone remains an issue for the Irish as it has for a while.

When the Irish’s defense came out, they were met by an Orange offense that worked to make things happen quickly. In fact, it barely had to break a sweat getting into Irish territory. Fortunately, the defense kept it from getting beyond the 41-yard line. A early disappointment was dodged.

The teams then traded possessions that ended in punts. No matter what happens, the Orange seem bent on beating the spread at worst as they reached Irish territory again. We won’t be able to speculate if they can pull off the upset until they make a play that really turns some heads. So far, we have yet to see that.

Watch: Photos of Notre Dame Football Seniors Then and Now

Notre Dame football players come from different backgrounds, but they all share the common goal of doing their school proud.

Notre Dame football players come from different backgrounds, but they all share the common goal of doing their school proud. That’s what makes football a brotherhood. You might win or lose, but the pursuit of the mountaintop is what brings them together. Pretty soon, Notre Dame’s seniors will stop wearing the gold and blue uniforms, and most of them never will play football again, which makes Senior Day at Notre Dame Stadium a real celebration.

Before the Irish take the field against Syracuse, a video featuring this year’s seniors both in their younger days and now was released. It only proves the theory that time really goes by too fast:

As you can see, some of these players always have had their hearts set on Notre Dame, so their time in an Irish uniform is the fulfillment of a childhood dream. That they were able to achieve it is a source of pride for the rest of their lives. Of course, winning the whole thing would make it even sweeter.

Tale of the Tape: Team Stats – Notre Dame vs. Syracuse

Don’t expect much different from Notre Dame when it plays Syracuse in its regular-season finale.

Don’t expect much different from Notre Dame when it plays Syracuse in its regular-season finale. A dominant defense, especially on the ground and in third-down situations, will compliment a strong rushing offense. Overall, that offense is more likely to find success on third down than not, and it has the ability to pick up score regularly. Even if it’s not facing third down, the offense will pick up first downs anyway, and it will hold onto the ball for long periods of time.

The Orange practically have nothing to counter any of that. They rank dead last nationally in time of possession, second-to-last both in total offense and giving up first downs, third-to-last in red zone offense and fourth-to-last in rushing offense and third-down conversions. All of this is why this game will be over quickly, which will be bad news for NBC’s ratings in its final Irish telecast of the year. But if you’re on the team or simply a fan, you’ll take a nice easy game before the real work begins.

Tale of the Tape: Leading Receivers – Javon McKinley vs. Taj Harris

Syracuse is the best opponent yet for Notre Dame’s leading receiver to get his first touchdown of the season.

Syracuse is the best opponent yet for Notre Dame’s leading receiver to get his first touchdown of the season. Though Ian Book is a proven winner, he has yet to throw a scoring pass to Javon McKinley in 2020. Based on McKinley’s receiving yards a catch, his best chance to find the end zone might come if the Irish are inside the red zone. He might want to get that monkey off his back before the stakes get higher after this game.

The Orange have a quality top receiver in Taj Harris. In fact, he’s been one of the few bright spots on an offense that has not been able to accomplish much this season. He will need to be one of, if not the only primary factor if the Orange are going to shock the world. At the same time, the Irish will know who to focus on to try and make that putrid unit even worse than usual, which might not even be that difficult.