Tag: 2020 acc football

Tale of the Tape: Starting Quarterbacks – Ian Book vs. Sam Howell

Ian Book will need every bit of his balanced attack when Notre Dame takes on North Carolina.

Ian Book will need every bit of his balanced attack when Notre Dame takes on North Carolina. The frequency with which he carries the ball makes him as much of a threat as any quarterback who relies heavily on passing. You can’t knock anyone at his position who’s able to run effectively. Also, that he’s gotten this deep into the season with only one interception shows how smart he is with the ball and how well his receivers are hitting their marks.

Sam Howell is the leader of a Tar Heels offense that simply gets the job done very well. Just look at his passing numbers, and not much further explanation is needed. His rushing numbers aren’t that impressive, but he doesn’t need to rely on that part of his game with the arm he has. The Irish’s defense will have to pressure him from his first snap, and everyone needs to be involved if that’s going to happen successfully.

Shaun Crawford, Tommy Kraemer Earn Weekly ACC Honors

Notre Dame is reaping the benefits of its win over Boston College.

Notre Dame is reaping the benefits of its win over Boston College. Not only did it retain its No. 2 ranking, but the ACC has decided to reward a couple of players for their performances in that game. Shaun Crawford and Tommy Kraemer have been named the conference’s Defensive Back and Offensive Lineman of the Week, respectively. That makes 11 weekly ACC awards for the Irish.

Against the Eagles, Crawford had a team-leading and career-high nine tackles, an 8-yard sack and 1.5 tackles for loss. No other defensive back in the ACC this past week recorded nine tackles and a sack. Without him, Phil Jurkovec would have had a better day against his former team.

Anyone on the offensive line could have won Offensive Lineman of the Week, but the honor went to Kraemer. The Irish’s offense gained 561 total yards, and Ian Book never was sacked during the contest. If the unit is to repeat that success at all the rest of 2020, it will have to do so without starting center Jarrett Patterson, who suffered a season-ending foot injury in the game.

Notre Dame at Boston College: Fourth-Quarter Analysis

Forget all of that talk about Notre Dame letting everyone down right after a huge victory.

Forget all of that talk about Notre Dame letting everyone down right after a huge victory. The ghosts of the 1993 loss to Boston College have been vanquished. And now, we have an Irish team prepared for pretty much anything. What else can be said after a 45-31 win over the Eagles?

The Irish (8-0, 7-0) didn’t need to do anything fancy in the fourth quarter, so they decided to just keep the ball on the ground. That proved to be little consolation for the Eagles (5-4, 4-4), who saw Avery Davis run 29 yards on the very first play of the period. Ian Book ended that drive, which began the previous quarter, with a 6-yard touchdown run. The Irish’s quarterback had himself one heck of game, so that was the perfect way to put a stamp on his performance.

Not everything went the Irish’s way, however. C’Bo Flemister, who scored twice in this game, injured his left leg and had to be helped off the field after being unable to put weight on that leg. It would be a real shame to lose Felmister for any amount of time, and hopefully, the upcoming bye week will help him heal in time for the Irish’s next game against North Carolina.

The Eagles made the final score a little closer when Phil Jurkovec capped an 88-second drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Long, and Travis Levy successfully ran for the two-point conversion. By then, there was too little time left to make a serious comeback, though they made a futile attempt at it. For the second time in the game, they appeared to recover an onside kick only to be penalized for blocking before the ball traveled 10 yards. It was a fitting finish to a game that started well for them but just as quickly went south.

Notre Dame at Boston College: Third-Quarter Analysis

There were moments in the third quarter when it seemed Notre Dame might start bending.

There were moments in the third quarter when it seemed Notre Dame might start bending. But for almost every play like that, there was one that showed Boston College which team was in charge. Even if you didn’t see any of those, all you have to do is look at that 38-23 Irish lead after three quarters.

Phil Jurkovec began the second half by leading what looked to be a productive drive for the Eagles, primarily because of his arm. Though he got his offense to the Notre Dame 9-yard line, it was stuffed on fourth-and-1. The Irish’s offense also looked poised to drive the field for its first possession of the half. Ben Skowronek’s 31-yard reception nearly made that the case, but Josh DeBerry forced a fumble that was recovered by Max Richardson. Not to worry because Jack Kiser promptly picked Jurkovec off and gave his team great field position.

C’Bo Flemister made it his mission on this drive to really make his mark on this game, although he had one score already. He caught an Ian Book pass that he took for 27 yards all the way to the Boston College 1. It only made sense for Book to give the ball right back to him and finish what he started, which he did for his second touchdown.

You can’t count the Eagles out yet, though. Jurkovec led a drive that nearly ended prematurely on a interception, but he got right back to it when that pick was wiped out by a face-mask penalty. This time, he mixed up the run and pass a lot more, and it worked. David Bailey ran for a 3-yard touchdown, so the pressure on the Irish to finish remains.

Notre Dame at Boston College: Second-Quarter Analysis

It took a little longer than anyone would have like, but Notre Dame slowly is finding its rhythm against Boston College.

It took a little longer than anyone would have like, but Notre Dame slowly is finding its rhythm against Boston College. Of course, no Irish fan truly will rest until those 1993 demons have been vanquished. For now, they’ll be happy that their team has a 31-16 lead going into halftime.

Phil Jurkovec continues to be on a mission, as evidenced by a 34-yard completion to Jaelen Gill in which he barely avoided taking a sack on third-and-15. Two plays later, he took the ball himself for a 17-yard gain. The Irish’s defense locked down after that, but Aaron Boumerhi kicked a 31-yard field to break a 10-10 tie. The Eagles then tried to really seize momentum with an onside kick and nearly were successful but for a block that took place before Isaiah Pryor was able to touch the ball.

Given new life, the Irish’s offense made the most of it. Ian Book had a 20-yard run, then completed a 48-yard pass to Avery Davis from midfield. C’Bo Flemister only needed 2 yards to put the Irish back ahead with a touchdown. Near-disaster had turned into great fortune.

After the Irish’s defense forced a three-and-out, a fair-catch interference allowed the offense to begin its next possession at midfield. Book went right back to work, finding Javon McKinley twice for first downs. He then gave Ben Skowrenek his second touchdown of the game from 13 yards out. That made it clear that the Irish were intent on pouncing on anything that would give them an extra opportunity or advantage.

The Eagles weren’t ready to go into the locker room quietly, however. Jurkovec found Gill for a 40-yard completion on the following possession to set up a 35-yard field goal on Boumerhi. They then looked poised to get even closer after Chibueze Onwuka forced a Kyren Williams fumble that Isaiah McDuffie recovered. But that chance was wiped out when their own fumble was recovered by Daelin Hayes.

Out of that, Book was able to guide one final drive to end the second quarter. He mainly kept it on the ground with the longest play being a 16-yard run he executed himself to set up first-and-goal with time almost gone. After spiking the ball, he found Skowronek again, and the receiver completed the hat trick with a 4-yard touchdown catch.

Talk about a tale of two halves of a quarter.

Notre Dame at Boston College: Second-Quarter Analysis

It took a little longer than anyone would have like, but Notre Dame slowly is finding its rhythm against Boston College.

It took a little longer than anyone would have like, but Notre Dame slowly is finding its rhythm against Boston College. Of course, no Irish fan truly will rest until those 1993 demons have been vanquished. For now, they’ll be happy that their team has a 31-16 lead going into halftime.

Phil Jurkovec continues to be on a mission, as evidenced by a 34-yard completion to Jaelen Gill in which he barely avoided taking a sack on third-and-15. Two plays later, he took the ball himself for a 17-yard gain. The Irish’s defense locked down after that, but Aaron Boumerhi kicked a 31-yard field to break a 10-10 tie. The Eagles then tried to really seize momentum with an onside kick and nearly were successful but for a block that took place before Isaiah Pryor was able to touch the ball.

Given new life, the Irish’s offense made the most of it. Ian Book had a 20-yard run, then completed a 48-yard pass to Avery Davis from midfield. C’Bo Flemister only needed 2 yards to put the Irish back ahead with a touchdown. Near-disaster had turned into great fortune.

After the Irish’s defense forced a three-and-out, a fair-catch interference allowed the offense to begin its next possession at midfield. Book went right back to work, finding Javon McKinley twice for first downs. He then gave Ben Skowrenek his second touchdown of the game from 13 yards out. That made it clear that the Irish were intent on pouncing on anything that would give them an extra opportunity or advantage.

The Eagles weren’t ready to go into the locker room quietly, however. Jurkovec found Gill for a 40-yard completion on the following possession to set up a 35-yard field goal on Boumerhi. They then looked poised to get even closer after Chibueze Onwuka forced a Kyren Williams fumble that Isaiah McDuffie recovered. But that chance was wiped out when their own fumble was recovered by Daelin Hayes.

Out of that, Book was able to guide one final drive to end the second quarter. He mainly kept it on the ground with the longest play being a 16-yard run he executed himself to set up first-and-goal with time almost gone. After spiking the ball, he found Skowronek again, and the receiver completed the hat trick with a 4-yard touchdown catch.

Talk about a tale of two halves of a quarter.

Notre Dame at Boston College: First-Quarter Analysis

So much has been made of Boston College upsetting Notre Dame right after the Irish last took down a top-ranked team.

So much has been made of Boston College upsetting Notre Dame right after the Irish last took down a top-ranked team. Through one quarter of the 2020 edition of this meeting, the seeds for history repeating itself could be sewing. Whether the Irish still are getting adjusted or the Eagles are exceptionally prepared remains to be seen. All we know is we have a dogfight to the tune of a 10-all tie.

The Irish had a chance to assert themselves on their first drive as the Irish had a nice mixture of runs and passes to get into the red zone. They even earned a first-and-goal after a defensive holding call, highlighting the problem with penalties the Eagles have had. But Ian Book had trouble finding open receivers, and the drive stalled out. Though the Irish gladly took a 23-yard field goal from Jonathan Doerer, it was a disappointing end to a promising drive.

Phil Jurkovec only was too pleased to take advantage of his current team’s fortune and begin his revenge against his former team. On his opening drive, he went 4 of 6 for 51 yards and got some help on a 22-yard run from Travis Levy. Though Shaun Crawford sacked Jurkovec right after that run, all that did was delay the inevitable. Jurkovec found Zay Flowers for a 4-yard touchdown to put the Eagles in front.

The Irish’s offense never got a chance to immediately respond to that touchdown because on the very first play of their next drive, a handoff between Book and Chris Tyree was botched, and Brandon Barlow recovered it to set the Eagles up in the red zone. Fortunately, the defense pushed the Eagles back, and the turnover only cost the Irish an Aaron Boumerhi 41-yard field goal. That turned out to be crucial because Book responded to that with a quick, complete 77-yard drive. It ended with a 10-yard touchdown to Ben Skowronek, so no real harm has been done so far.

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

The main difference between Notre Dame and Boston College is that the Irish actually among the best in the country in some areas.

The main difference between Notre Dame and Boston College is that the Irish actually among the best in the country in some areas. The overall defense remains strong, especially on the ground, which only makes their own rushing dominance look better than it otherwise might. They also continue to do extremely well in third-down situations on both sides of the ball. First downs, time of possession and penalties all remain strong, too.

Looking at the Eagles, picking up first downs is the only thing they’re extremely good at. Their turnover margin is decent, as are their third and fourth-down conversions. To beat the Irish, they’ll have to do it in the ways where they have a clear advantage, namely the arm of Phil Jurkovec and success in the red zone. It would be nice for them if they got their running game going and were more disciplined, but those don’t appear to be likely possibilities.

Tale of the Tape: Leading Receivers – Javon McKinley vs. Zay Flowers

It’s still almost inconceivable that Notre Dame’s top receiver going into the Boston College game has yet to score this season.

It’s still almost inconceivable that Notre Dame’s top receiver going into the Boston College game has yet to score this season. However, that’s exactly where Javon McKinley finds himself. It’s not really his fault as the Irish don’t have a dominant player at the position this season, and he earns his credibility by averaging only a little below 20 yards a catch. He still has a few games to get to the end zone, but you have to wonder where his patience is with that.

The Eagles have no issues with getting points from their receivers because they have Zay Flowers. Plus, Flowers has exactly twice the number of receptions McKinley does. There’s no question Phil Jurkovec will look to him frequently, and the chances he scores at least one touchdown are high. The Irish will have to limit his opportunities, and no matter how well they play defense, that might not be easy.

 

Tale of the Tape: Leading Rushers – Kyren Williams vs. David Bailey

Notre Dame and Boston College feature two running backs, one on a higher tier than the other.

Notre Dame and Boston College feature two running backs, one on a higher tier than the other. Kyren Williams is on the higher one, coming off a game in which one of his three touchdowns came from 65 yards out. He continues to be reliable at reaching the 100-yard mark and remains decent at catching the ball. He has shown no signs of slowing down and might even be improving.

That’s not to say there are few praiseworthy attributes about David Bailey. His numbers are about on par for someone who doesn’t do a whole lot with their opportunities compared to someone like Williams. The question is whether he can play a factor if the Eagles are to repeat history and upset the Irish off a win over a top-ranked team. There’s not a lot to suggest that will be the case, but as Irish fans will tell you, anything can happen after their team seemingly gets one step closer to the mountaintop.