Tag: Jonathan Doerer

Former Notre Dame player added to Giants rookie minicamp roster

Which of his game winning kicks at Notre Dame was the best?

Few if any kickers came up as clutch as [autotag]Jonathan Doerer[/autotag] in all of college football last fall as the Notre Dame graduate student nailed a walk-off winner from 41-yards out to beat Florida State in week one before connecting from 48-yards in the final seconds to beat Virginia Tech just over a month later.

Doerer used up all of his eligibility at Notre Dame but isn’t done with football quite yet as he’s listed on the New York Giants roster at rookie minicamp as of Friday, May 13.

Graham Gano is the Giants regular kicker and has been in the NFL for 12 years so it’s hard to see this turning into any type of competition but perhaps an impressive showing here can get Doerer some looks to catch on somewhere in the league.

Doerer hit 49 of 65 field goal attempts during his four seasons kicking at Notre Dame.

[lawrence-related id=35717,33721,33663]

[listicle id=41059]

Notre Dame adds walk-on to 2022 recruiting class

Who will Notre Dame’s kicker be at Ohio State to open the year?

How will Notre Dame replace Jonathan Doerer at kicker in 2022?  The answer seems to be by having anyone and everyone with interest in the position in as a third name has now emerged as a possible candidate to replace him.

Zac Yoakam of Upper Arlington High School in Columbus, Ohio made his commitment to walk-on to the Notre Dame football team on Friday, making the announcement on Twitter.

Yoakam never missed an extra point attempt in high school and went 6-of-7 on field goal attempts as a senior with his long coming from 44 yards.

Yoakam joins Blake Grupe, previously of Arkansas State, who transferred to Notre Dame this off-season while rising sophomore Josh Bryan also will compete.

Related:

Meet Notre Dame’s 2022 recruiting class 

Notre Dame football adds former Groza award semi-finalist

Notre Dame gets lent a helping hand…or leg

Notre Dame will have a change at kicker in 2022 after Jonathan Doerer exhausted all of his eligibility.  Who that kicker will be however isn’t as simple as looking at the next man listed on the 2021 depth chart.

Notre Dame has added kicker Blake Grupe to their roster for 2022.  Grupe scored the most points in the history of the Arkansas State program and will spend his finally year of collegiate eligibility at Notre Dame.

Grupe spoke to Irish Breakdown about his decision to attend Notre Dame.

“I was in the portal Sunday night, Notre Dame called the next day,”

“Some people have asked what are some other places have talked to you, but in my mind I saw Notre Dame come across my phone and to be real honest it didn’t matter who else was going to call. It was over after that.”

– Blake Grupe

Grupe shares the Sun Belt record for most career field goals with 62 and has a career-long field goal of 50-yards.  He earned first-team all-conference honors in 2019 when he was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award which goes to the nation’s top kicker.

Grupe also mentioned to Irish Illustrated that he is set to compete for the kicking job in 2022, as of now with rising sophomore Josh Bryan.

The addition isn’t going to bring much of a wow-factor but does bring experience to a position that would otherwise not have any entering next season.

Related:

Notre Dame Transfer Portal Tracker (2022)

Early look at Notre Dame’s 2022 football schedule

Notre Dame-Marcus Freeman coaching staff tracker (updated 1.13.2022)

Notre Dame at Stanford: Second-Quarter Analysis

More fun for the Irish.

Notre Dame is treating Stanford like the inferior opponent it is. In fact, the scoreboard is making the game look closer than it should be. The Irish could just go through the motions and probably still have a lead. Whether that’s the case or not, they have a 24-0 lead at halftime.

The Irish began the second quarter by continuing a drive that began in the first. Jack Coan hit Braden Lenzy for a 15-yard completion, then found George Tackas for a 2-yard touchdown. It was Tackas’ first touchdown in two years. Yep, it definitely is that kind of night.

The Cardinal’s first drive of the quarter lasted only two plays because Rylie Mills had a strip-sack of Tanner McKee, and Justin Ademilola recovered the ball after it was bobbled around on the turf a bit. The ensuing drive started at the Cardinal’s 23-yard line, but it was immediately set back by a holding call. The Irish were able to get enough yardage back to allow Jonathan Doerer to come out and kick a 36-yard field goal.

The Cardinal had another in what’s become a series of three-and-outs. Though the Irish took over at their own 25, Coan and the rest of the offense had a perfect mix of run and pass plays to move the ball further frustrate the Cardinal’s defense. Kyren Williams capped the 12-play drive that lasted over five minutes with a 1-yard touchdown run.

The Irish did suffer a setback on the next drive when Bo Bauer was ejected for targeting. Fox color analyst Brock Huard speculated whether watching one of their own be on the receiving end of a targeting might fire the Cardinal up. It looked like that would be the case when McKee threw an apparent touchdown pass to get his team on the board, but the score was nullified by an illegal block that was called at the line of scrimmage. The Cardinal were unable to recover from that, and they ended up punting once again.

The Irish had one final second-quarter possession in which they went three-and-out. The ensuing punt took a bounce into Irish territory, which prompted the Cardinal to attempt a 59-yard field goal with three seconds left. The Irish took a timeout in an attempt to freeze kicker Joshua Karty. We don’t know if that really worked, but while Karty’s kick had the distance, it was wide left, putting the perfect bow on this first half.

Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech: Third-Quarter Analysis

One quarter left in the home season.

It’s really just a matter of running out the clock at this point. Notre Dame has this game against Georgia Tech well in hand, but the scoreboard dictates there still is football to be played. Though the teams will play on, there isn’t a lot left to decide here. That’s the thought process as the Irish have a 55-0 lead after the third quarter.

The first three punts of the quarter ended in punts. At one point, Jack Coan nearly was sacked for a safety, but he got rid of the ball just in time. Perhaps that was enough to convince Brian Kelly that it wasn’t worth putting his top quarterback at further risk because he put Tyler Buchner in the next time the offense took the field. The underclassman ran for 68 yards on his first play, setting up a 26-yard field goal from Jonathan Doerer.

When the Yellow Jackets regained possession, Jordan Yates had a 54-yard run to put his team in the red zone for the first time. On third-and-6 at the Irish’s 11-yard line, Isaiah Foskey sacked Yates and forced a fumble, which Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa picked up and ran 70 yards the other way for the Irish’s second defensive touchdown of the game. An NBC interview with Tagovailoa-Amosa‘s family that took place right after indicated how emotional of a moment this was for the senior, who lost his dad in August.

With little left to play for except pride, the Yellow Jackets’ offense simply tried to move the ball and mostly used a running attack to get into Irish territory. A third-down sack from Howard Cross put the Yellow Jackets back in their own territory and forced them to punt again. That ended the quarter, and the game can’t end soon enough for the Yellow Jackets.

[lawrence-related id=38097]

Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech: First-Quarter Analysis

This is going great. Like, really great.

If you’re a betting person, putting money on Notre Dame backups receiving a lot of playing time against Georgia Tech might be a safe move. All indications are that senior day at Notre Dame Stadium will go as well as it possibly could. The only question appears to be how much the Irish will win by. That’s how confident Irish fans should be after watching the first quarter and seeing their team take a 24-0 lead.

This game has gone well from the opening kickoff, which Chris Tyree returned for 51 yards into Yellow Jackets territory. That was immediately followed by Jack Coan completing a 38-yard pass to Kevin Austin, putting the ball at the 10-yard line. However, that was as good as the drive got as Coan took sacks on two of the next three plays. Jonathan Doerer got the Irish on the board when he just barely made a 41-yard field goal that cleared the left upright.

The Yellow Jackets got into Irish territory on their first drive, but that’s when the Irish showed the strength of their defense. About to take a sack from Isaiah Foskey, Jordan Yates opted to get the rid of the ball, which was a big mistake. Jack Kiser was right there to take the interception and return the ball 50 yards for his second touchdown of the season. Sometimes, the sack is the best move.

After the Irish’s defense then forced a three-and-out, the offense went out for its second drive and was able to finish what it started this time. The drive nearly stalled out deep in Yellow Jackets territory, but Coan threw a 9-yard pass to Braden Lenzy on fourth-and-2 to get into the red zone. Two plays later, Kyren Williams ran for a 9-yard touchdown. Already, Williams has made a mark in what could be his final game in South Bend.

The Yellow Jackets managed to pick up a first down on their next drive but nothing more. Back on offense, the Irish converted on a third down to keep the game’s next possession going, and that appeared to be it for the first quarter. Instead, Coan then hit an open Michael Mayer for a 52-yard touchdown. Already, the rout is on.

[lawrence-related id=38072]

[lawrence-related id=38076]

Notre Dame vs. Navy: Second-Quarter Analysis

That’s more like it.

We might have more of a clear picture of how this game between Notre Dame and Navy will go. The Irish came in as the favorite, though they didn’t start like it. However, the talent discrepancy between them and the Midshipmen finally began to show itself. That means the Irish have a 17-3 halftime lead.

After stopping the Midshipmen on their first possession of the second quarter, the Irish showed more signs of life on offense. There was a Kyren Williams run here, a Michael Mayer gain there, and they set up a 38-yard pass from Jack Coan to Kevin Austin, which put the Irish at the Navy 11-yard line. An illegal block from Braden Lenzy set things back and might have cost the Irish a touchdown as they only got as far as the 6 after that. Jonathan Doerer tied the game on a 24-yard field goal.

The Irish then forced another three-and-out, which paved the way for a run-heavy drive mainly led by Tyler Buchner. Williams, Buchner and Logan Diggs pushed through on the ground before reaching the red zone. An 11-yard pass from Buchner to Austin was the first sign that this drive would end more successfully than the last one because that placed the ball at the 1. After that, Williams only needed one play to score the game’s first touchdown after that.

The Midshipmen once again failed to pick up a first down on the next possession, but they may have lost more than a chance to chip away at the deficit. Tai Lavatai suffered an injury on the field and was helped back to the locker room. Xavier Arline took over at quarterback for one play, but we’ll see if he’ll be needed for more in the second half. A 65-yard punt from Riley Riethman down the ball at the Irish’s 5.

All the Midshipmen had to do with time running out in the half was hold the Irish to their own side of the field, and they could go into the break down by only a score. It almost worked, but on third down, Coan found Austin for a 70-yard touchdown on his longest pass of the season. Slowly but surely, things have come up Irish.

Notre Dame statistical leaders through eight games

Who are the Irish most turning to?

After beating North Carolina, Notre Dame is ready to renew its rivalry with Navy. It felt weird to not see this programs play each other last year, but college football has been restored to normalcy. Here are the players the Irish can best look to for this game:

Notre Dame vs. North Carolina: Fourth-Quarter Analysis

Lots of points, and they led to another win.

Both Notre Dame and North Carolina have loads of talent. One of them has lived up to expectations, and the other has not. That was reflected by how Saturday’s game at Notre Dame Stadium turned out. The Irish won, 44-34, in their highest-scoring game of the season.

The Irish (7-1) were somewhat on their heels as the Tar Heels (4-4) were driving as the fourth quarter began. However, an incomplete pass by Sam Howell on third down set up a punt that downed the Irish at their own 9-yard line. Despite the long field to start, only one play was needed as Kyren Williams, who was back in action after suffering a third-quarter injury, took a handoff, made a nice move to the left, then executed a perfect stiff arm to run 91 yards for a touchdown. Mike Tirico told the NBC audience that it was the Irish’s play of the year, and it was hard to argue against it.

DJ Brown intercepted Howell on the first play of his next drive and returned the ball 15 yards into the red zone. After Avery Davis ran for 12 yards, another Irish touchdown appeared imminent. The Irish tried to punch it in on the ground, but the Tar Heels’ defense held. Jonathan Doerer kicked a 20-yard field goal to put the Irish up by two full scores.

Perhaps inspired by his defense’s effort, Howell went back to work. By mixing runs and passes, he was able to get the offense into field-goal range. However, he wasn’t satisfied with that, and he evaded a bunch of Irish defenders while running 31 yards for a touchdown. An Irish victory no longer appeared so certain.

Needing a response, the Irish’s offense did everything it could to get one. Jack Coan completed a pair of passes for first downs, and Williams had a couple of nice runs, one of which went for 20 yards. Eventually, the Irish had a third-and-long on which they drew a pass interference to give them first-and-goal. They once again failed to find the end zone in this situation, but they milked the clock down to the point where Doerer made a 21-yard field goal with 1:37 left.

Out of timeouts and needing more than one score, the Tar Heels marched down the field quickly. They made their way into the red zone and spiked the ball with 23 seconds left. On the next play, Howell was met by Jordan Botelho and threw the ball out of the box and was called for intentional grounding. He completed one more pass short of the goal line, and that was all she wrote in South Bend.

That game had a lot of action, and the Irish came out on top. Who would have it any other way?

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.