Tag: Javon McKinley

Notre Dame vs. Clemson: Third-Quarter Analysis

Well, we finally have the barn burner we were expecting in South Bend. Is it because Clemson is figuring out Notre Dame’s defense?

Well, we finally have the barn burner we were expecting in South Bend. Is it because Clemson is figuring out Notre Dame’s defense? Perhaps it’s the long time of possession the Tigers had in the third quarter. Whatever the reason, the final 15 minutes of regulation will begin with a 23-all game.

The Tigers took the ball to begin the second half and got far enough down field for B.T. Potter to kick a 46-yard field goal. The Irish promptly went three and out, Jay Bramblett had a short punt, and that began a Clemson possession that lasted nearly six-and-a-half minutes — longer than anyone in gold and blue would have liked. Led by D.J. Uiagalelei, the Tigers used every offensive weapon in their arsenal to pick up a third down, a fourth down and finally, a 10-yard touchdown caught by Davis Allen. The Tigers had scored 13 unanswered to knot it up.

The Irish appeared poised to take the lead right back. Ian Book opened the next drive with a 45-yard pass to Javon McKinley that required a replay review to confirm. Another review had to confirm a much shorter catch by Michael Mayer. Finally, Book was about to run for the touchdown from 7 yards out, only to lose the ball and have Baylon Spector recover it in the end zone for a touchback.

Notre Dame vs. Clemson: Positional breakdown advantages

A breakdown of each position for Notre Dame and Clemson and who has the advantage.

This is the game of the year in the ACC, if not all college football, at least in the regular season. No. 1 Clemson travels to South Bend to take on No. 4 Notre Dame. This highly anticipated game will feature a number of future NFL stars.

A look at each position and which team has the advantage in Saturday’s huge contest.

Don’t forget to take a look at each of our tales of the tape as well (wide receivers, running backs, and quarterbacks)

(Some photo’s courtesy of Notre Dame Athletics)

Tale of the Tape: Leading Receivers – Javon McKinley vs. Amari Rodgers

If there ever was a time for Javon McKinley to be a leader for Notre Dame’s receiving corps, it will have to be against Clemson.

If there ever was a time for Javon McKinley to be a leader for Notre Dame’s receiving corps, it will have to be against Clemson. Despite having the most yards out of that group, he still has not scored a touchdown this season. On the flip side, he’s been key in helping the Irish reach the end zone more than doing so itself, which is valuable for any football team. It just so happens that the one for the Irish has more production than might be expected for that particular player.

The Tigers clearly have the edge in this category via Amari Rodgers. He has nearly triple the receptions and more than double the receiving yards of McKinley, not to mention his six touchdowns. Even without Trevor Lawrence, there’s no reason to think Rodgers won’t have close to his normal production while catching passes from D.J. Uiagalelei. If the Irish’s defense lets him get free, it could be a long night for the home team.

 

Notre Dame at Georgia Tech: Third-Quarter Analysis

It took a quarter longer than it should have, but Notre Dame finally has Georgia Tech on the ropes.

It took a quarter longer than it should have, but Notre Dame finally has Georgia Tech on the ropes. Some quality play on both sides of the ball puts the Irish within striking distance of keeping their perfect record heading into Clemson. While the college football world was reacting to the news of Trevor Lawrence being out for that game, the Irish were building a 24-7 lead that last through the end of the third quarter.

The Yellow Jackets threatened to close the gap after a 39-yard completion from Jeff Sims to Jalen Camp put the ball on the Irish’s 22-yard line. That hope was snuffed out on the next play when Daelin Hayes IV strip-sacked Sims, and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa recovered the ball. Though the subsequent drive was defined by the run once again, the big blow was Ian Book’s 31-yard completion to Javon McKinley that put the Irish in the red zone. Kyren Williams took the ball for the next two plays because that’s all he needed, scoring a touchdown from 4 yards out on the latter of those plays.

The Irish suffered a loss for this game and next week when Marist Liafau was disqualified was ejected for targeting. He will miss the first half of the Clemson game as a result. Jude Kelley badly missed a field goal for the Yellow Jackets on the same drive, so no harm was done, at least in the short-term.

Tale of the Tape: Leading Receivers – Javon McKinley vs. Jalen Camp

Though Notre Dame receivers as a whole are getting better, they still don’t have a true leader.

Though Notre Dame receivers as a whole are getting better, they still don’t have a true leader. You can’t say that when their most productive member, Javon McKinley, still hasn’t cracked 200 receiving yards, reached double digits in receptions or scored any touchdowns going into the Irish’s Halloween matchup with Georgia Tech. To be fair, this should be expected of a unit that had nobody of note return from the previous year, and the loss of Kevin Austin for the season certainly doesn’t help. Still, you’d think more would be happening on a team that remains a College Football Playoff contender.

The Yellow Jackets’ top receiver is Jalen Camp, who’s only been moderately better than McKinley. Though he’s not blowing anyone away by any stretch, he’s still where an average top receiver probably would be at this point in the season. The only exception there is that he’s scored only a couple of times. Even so, the battle between Camp and McKinley should be almost even.

 

Notre Dame at Pittsburgh: Third-Quarter Analysis

The third quarter between Notre Dame and Pittsburgh saw the Irish kick it into even higher gear.

The third quarter between Notre Dame and Pittsburgh saw the Irish kick it into even higher gear. They’re holding onto the ball for extended and/or productive periods, and the Panthers either can’t get anything going with the ball or even hold onto it. So it only makes sense that we have a 45-3 Irish lead going into the fourth.

Notre Dame’s defense is living up to its reputation of keeping points off the scoreboard. The unit is well-rested thanks to doing its job quickly and efficiently. We’ve even seen interceptions from Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Nick McCloud, the first of their respective collegiate careers. Owusu-Koramoah, widely seen as the unit’s best player, has made little impact for much of the afternoon, but at least he finally has that first pick out of the way.

The Notre Dame offense had a lengthy first possession of the second half, highlighted by a 41-yard pass from Ian Book to Javon McKinley. Though the drive stalled out at the Pitt 2-yard line, Jonathan Doerer salvaged the drive with a 21-yard field goal. The next time the Irish had the ball, Kyren Williams tried to throw a touchdown pass to Tommy Tremble from 27 yards out, which was unsuccessful but became a positive anyway after a defensive holding call against the Panthers. Two plays later, Book threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Michael Mayer, who had a 23-yard reception earlier in the drive.

That second drive of the half was made possible by Owusu-Koramoah’s interception. McCloud set up the third, this time with a short field at the Panthers 35. This one saw Avery Davis record a 21-yard reception that was added onto after a roughing the passer call. With C’Bo Flemister’s 2-yard touchdown run coming soon after, the rout definitely is on at Heinz Field.

Notre Dame vs. Louisville: Third-Quarter Analysis

For the first time this season, we can legitimately say Notre Dame is having a difficult time with an opponent.

For the first time this season, we can legitimately say Notre Dame is having a difficult time with an opponent. We just didn’t think Louisville would provide that before Clemson. Yet somehow after three quarters, the Irish find themselves ahead, 12-7.

The Cardinals got the ball to begin the second half and started to move the ball well, mainly on the ground. They dealt the Irish a back-breaker when Malik Cunningham took it himself and converted on a fourth-and-3, making his way into Irish territory in the process. From there, Cunningham attacked through the air and needed only three plays to find Marshon Ford for a 1-yard touchdown pass. Louisville nearly took the ball right back on a surprise onside kick, but a replay review showed that its kickoff team began blocking before the ball went 10 yards, so the recovery was nullified.

Given new life, the Irish’s offense took advantage and actually found success this time. The drive was highlighted by back-to-back 15-yard runs from Javon McKinley and Chris Tyree. Ian Book punctuated it by running 13 yards into the end zone on a third-and-8 to give the Irish the lead right back. But that was all the points the Irish got as an attempt to go up by a full possession failed after a two-point conversion pass intended for McKinley was broken up.

Depending on how you look at it, the Irish might have a chance of hanging on. On Louisville’s next drive and with time running out in the quarter, Cunningham left the game with an injury and was replaced by sophomore Evan Conley. We’ll see how this changes the course of the game if Cunningham doesn’t return.

Tale of the Tape: Leading Receivers – Javon McKinley vs. Tutu Atwell

Although Notre Dame still doesn’t have a breakout receiver, it enters Saturday’s game against Louisville with someone on the radar.

Although Notre Dame still doesn’t have a breakout receiver, it enters Saturday’s game against Louisville with someone on the radar. Javon McKinley played very well against Florida State, and he could be the leader of this receiving corps going forward. While his receiving yards a game remain very modest, he gains plenty of yards with each catch he makes, spanning nearly a fifth of the field. But the way the Irish have started this season, there could be another name in this spot next week.

The Cardinals have a much more productive player as their top receiver: Tutu Atwell. Though his receiving yards a game merely are decent for the college level, he’s averaging a touchdown a game, making him a bright spot on a struggling team. Malik Cunningham will throw to him often, so the Irish’s defense will be watching him like a hawk the entire game. If Atwell is shut down and the Cardinals can’t get anything out of Dez Fitzpatrick, another key receiver, this game should be a breeze.

Tidbits from Notre Dame’s head coach Brian Kelly’s Monday press conference

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly touched on Louisville, Kyle Hamilton, Liam Eichenberg, Kevin Austin, Tariq Bracy, Chris Tyree and more.

As Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly does every Monday, he met with the media this morning. He touched on a bunch of topics ahead of the contest with Louisville. Here are some of the highlights of what Kelly touched on today:

-Louisville will employ a 3-4 defensive scheme that will be “the first time we’ll see this,” so there might be a few early bumps in the offense this weekend.

-The struggles defensively against Florida State can be attributed to not having guys in practice. Kelly said “there were some defense lapses that occurred that we don’t normally have,” but he’s confident “they’ll be corrected for this weekend.”

-Kevin Austin is full go and will battle with Javon McKinley for playing time. Both of them will see the field together.

-Austin along with Matt Salerno will have the punt return duties after Lawrence Keys III struggled against Florida State

-Kelly has been impressed with the running back group, in particular Kyren Williams and Chris Tyree. Noted that the patience and ability Tyree has “you usually don’t get that with a young back.” Kelly pointed out both backs are impressive in yards after contact.

-Tariq Bracy’s improvement has been due to hitting the weight room hard. Kelly said with Bracy’s stronger lower half it has helped his explosiveness out of breaks and ability to tackle in space one-on-one.

-The return of Kyle Hamilton is such a game changer. Kelly said “he’s a difference maker, he covers ground like no safety that I have coached. He plays with physicality, it’s difficult for teams to go in his area.” That makes a lot of us happy that Hamilton has returned from his injury.

-Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah doesn’t really ever leave the field, Kelly has a few reasons why: “he gives us a lot of versatility, can play a lot of downs for us” due to his man-to-man coverage and pass-rushing skills.

-Liam Eichenberg’s has the respect of his fellow lineman, after playing with a swollen eye Saturday, he’s go the respect of everyone else now. Kelly said “it solidified respect that they have for him.”

Notre Dame vs. Florida State: Third-Quarter Analysis

The Seminoles have shown they’re able to put points on the board against a top team like Notre Dame.

Florida State has shown it’s able to put points on the board against a top team like Notre Dame. Unfortunately for the Seminoles, the Irish are answering every score with one of their own. It could only be a matter of time before the Irish make the deficit big enough to make a comeback almost impossible. They lead, 42-26, after three quarters.

The Seminoles started the second half fast with a 30-yard pass from Jordan Travis to Tamorrion Terry. They continued to go to the air until they got into the red zone. La’Damian Webb punctuated the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run. The subsequent pass on the two-point conversion was incomplete.

The Irish started the next drive on their own 14-yard line after a penalty on the kickoff. The distance didn’t matter because the offense put together perhaps its most impressive drive so far this season. Not only did it convert on a fourth down, but Javon McKinley caught a 38-yard pass from Ian Book to set the Irish up to score again. They did just a few plays later when Book took the ball into the end zone from 3 yards out.