Tag: Isaiah Foskey

Notre Dame vs. North Carolina: Second-Quarter Analysis

That was an action-packed first half.

Notre Dame had to know it was facing a North Carolina team that has been struggling. We don’t know how much that went into the preparation for this game. What we do know is that in spite of recent trends, we’re seeing signs of why the Tar Heels were hyped up as an ACC contender coming into the season. Still, the Irish hold a 17-13 lead at halftime.

The Tar Heels picked up where they left off in the first quarter as Ty Chandler scored a 3-yard touchdown to tie game on the first play of the second. The tie didn’t last as Jack Coan hit Avery Davis for gains of 10 and 20 yards, respectively, on the next drive to get to midfield. The Irish mostly focused on runs from there and were able to get to the 13-yard line. After Coan was forced to throw away a third-down pass, Jonathan Doerer kicked a 31-yard field goal to put the Irish back in front.

The Tar Heels moved the ball almost at will on their next drive, but they were helped by a couple missed tackles from the Irish. When Josh Downs received a 31-yard pass from Sam Howell, it was first-and-goal. On that series, the Tar Heels were hurt by a holding call. Then, Isaiah Foskey and Jayson Ademilola sacked Howell on third down, forcing Grayson Atkins to kick a 38-yard field goal to salvage the drive and knot things up again.

Coan and Michael Mayer put the Irish in position to score again when they connected on a 30-yard completion to get into Tar Heels territory. Faced with a fourth-and-2 at the 35, the Irish opted to go for it. The subsequent pass fell incomplete, but a face-mask penalty kept the drive going. Coan made the Tar Heels pay when he immediately found Kevin Austin in the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown.

Ja’Qurious Conley set the Tar Heels up nicely when he returned the ensuing kick 40 yards. Three straight solid runs by D.J. Jones continued to make conditions favorable for a Tar Heels score. Another Howell-to-Downs connection placed the ball in the red zone. With only seven seconds left and the Tar Heels getting possession to start the second half, they opted to take the points on a 26-yard field goal from Atkins, which gives us our halftime score.

Five keys to Notre Dame defeating North Carolina

What do you think will decide the game for the Irish?

The Tar Heels have massively underachieved this year, playing themselves to a 4-3 record and right out of the polls. This seems like a Mack Brown old Texas team, tons of talent but wildly inconsistent however extremely dangerous. Find out below five keys for the Irish to contain the Tar Heels and avoid an upset at home.

Notre Dame’s all-time single season sack leaders

Will Isaiah Foskey be atop this list in another month?

Notre Dame is known by some as “Tight End U” or “O Line U” because of the talent they put into the NFL seemingly annually at both of those positions.  Defensive line is another spot they’ve excelled historically and the Irish have another great defensive front this fall.

Part of that unit, Isaiah Foskey, has already recorded eight sacks this season which tie him for the most by a Notre Dame player since a pair of players recorded eight during the 2018 campaign.

Where does that eight rank on Notre Dame’s all-time single season list for most sacks in a year, however?

Here are the top seven (14 individual seasons total) single season sack leaders in Notre Dame football history:

Notre Dame statistical leaders through seven games

Here’s who’s pacing the Irish.

Notre Dame is coming off its win over USC and heading into a game with North Carolina. Some have questions about how well the Irish match up with the Tar Heels. That’s why the heroes of South Bend will have to step up. Here they are:

5 Stars: The best and worst of Notre Dame’s win against USC

More good than bad tonight for the Irish

The Irish got a very nice win against USC, 31-16, extending their winning streak against the Trojans to four games. There was a lot to like about what Notre Dame accomplished throughout the game, but there were still some areas that they could have been better. Here are the best performances, 5 stars, and worst performances, 1 star, from the Irish in their win over USC.

Notre Dame vs. USC: Fourth-Quarter Analysis

Little has changed with this rivalry, and that’s a good thing.

Rivalries are when you really find out about your team. This surely was on the minds of both Notre Dame and USC ahead of Saturday’s game at Notre Dame Stadium. In the end, we saw both teams for what they were. It was Notre Dame walking out with a 31-16 victory.

The Trojans (3-4) finished what they started late in the third quarter when Keontay Ingram scored his team’s first touchdown on the second play of the quarter. There was little reason for concern at that point as the Irish (6-1) still had a two-score lead. When they marched into Trojans territory, a response to that touchdown appeared to be in order. Instead, Chris Steele took away a pass that would have set the Irish up in the red zone.

The Trojans immediately took advantage of the turnover when Kedon Slovis completed a 44-yard pass to Drake London on the first play of the possession. There was little trouble reaching the end zone after that, which happened on a 3-yard run from Darwin Barlow. However, Parker Lewis missed the extra-point kick. That could have made things interesting but for what followed.

Rather than stay disciplined, the Trojans’ defense committed a pair of 15-yard penalties. It was a particularly bad time to take them because Kyren Williams continued to add to what already had been a great night for him. Ironically, it was Tyler Buchner who finished the drive off with a 3-yard touchdown run. So much for a late surprise from the visitors.

All that was left for the defense was for Isaiah Foskey to force a fumble on a sack of Slovis on fourth down and for TaRiq Bracy to recover it. The Irish were deep in Trojans’ territory after that, but they didn’t need to score again. Just take the win and look forward to North Carolina.

Notre Dame statistical leaders through six games

Who are the guys everyone is watching?

Fresh off a bye week, Notre Dame is heading straight into its annual rivalry with USC. You better believe all of its big players will be more ready than usual. But who are the absolute best that the Irish likely will depend on? Here they are:

Four Changes Notre Dame should make following the bye week

Which changes would you make this bye week?

The first “half” of the season is over and this week the Irish will surely work hard and do some self-scouting. Head coach Brian Kelly has a big time job to do, there are some holes that need to be fixed and now is the time to address them. Let’s take a look at a few changes the Irish make before the hit the field against USC on October 23rd in South Bend.

Notre Dame at Virginia Tech: Second-Quarter Analysis

Progress has been made.

The second quarter went much better for Notre Dame. It was able to make a key stop and get on the board before Virginia Tech completely took over the game. Next thing you knew, they were ahead on the scoreboard shortly before halftime. The Irish gladly will take a 14-13 lead into the locker room.

The second quarter began with the Hokies continuing to march on a drive that began in the first. They got into the red zone, then to the Irish’s 1-yard line on a 15-yard reception by Tre Turner. The Irish pulled off the goal-line stand by stuffing Raheem Blackshear, then forcing two incomplete passes. The Hokies had to settle for a 19-yard field goal from John Parker Romo.

The Irish went to their third quarterback in four drives when Tyler Buchner was called upon. This time, the offense looked like a well-oiled machine, getting the ball to midfield on runs before Buchner hit Kevin Austin for a 46-yard completion. Two plays later, Buchner ran 3 yards for the Irish’s first touchdown.

The Irish’s defense then forced a three-and-out. The highlight came when Isaiah Foskey sacked Braxton Burmeister for a 10-yard loss on third down. The offense couldn’t respond on the next drive as it also failed to pick up a first down. It could have happened but for Chris Tyree dropping a short pass from Buchner right by the marker.

After another Hokies drive went almost nowhere, the Irish had one more chance to get points on the board before the half. When Buchner completed a 37-yard pass to Avery Davis, that possibility became very real. Aided by a defensive holding call, the Irish quickly got themselves in the red zone. They then quieted Lane Stadium completely when Buchner hit Kyren Williams with an 8-yard touchdown pass.

With time running out in the first half, the Hokies made a final desperate attempt to get the lead back or at least chip into their new deficit. They were able to get across midfield and then into field-goal range. Only three seconds remained after that, so they only had time for Romo to attempt a 52-yard field goal. The kick was successful, so the message was sent that this game is not going to be won easily by either team.

Let’s get wild Virginia Tech! Predictions for Notre Dame vs the Hokies

Five predictions for Notre Dame football they get set to visit Virginia Tech Saturday evening.

It didn’t go the way many of us would have liked it to last week, but the season rolls on. Up next, the Irish travel to Virginia Tech to take on the Hokies in a raucous night environment. This contest won’t be easy by any means, as VT was once ranked before losing on the road to West Virginia in their third game. They rebounded two weeks ago beating Richmond, but not very convincingly, 21-10. The bye week bodes well for the Hokies but the Irish are hungry after the loss to the Bearcats. Here are five bold predictions for the Irish on Saturday night.