Tag: Jonathan Doerer

Notre Dame vs. USC: Second-Quarter Analysis

Things still are going all right, at least to a point.

Much like the first quarter, the second quarter was good for Notre Dame but also could have gone a lot better. There should be some greater distance between it and USC, but that’s not how it turned out. Still, the Irish gladly will take a 17-3 lead into halftime.

On the first play of the quarter, Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa tipped a Kedon Slovis pass that ended up in the hands of Bo Bauer, who returned it 79 yards to the Trojans’ 4-yard line. A touchdown appeared to be in the books, but Jack Coan was unable to follow two short runs by the Irish with a complete pass, even as he had all the time in the world to throw and run the ball himself. Although Jonathan Doerer salvaged the drive with a 21-yard field goal, the crowd at Notre Dame Stadium voiced that it was not pleased with what it had just witnessed.

With Kyle Hamilton questionable to return after suffering a knee injury late in the first quarter, the Trojans looked to take advantage of his absence. Slovis continually called Drake London’s number, and the Trojans were able to get into the red zone with relative ease, though they were aided by a questionable roughing the passer call against JD Bertrand. With a touchdown in sight, Slovis instead threw a couple of incomplete passes. Parker Lewis kicked a 33-yard field goal to get the Trojans on the board.

Coan began the Irish’s next drive with a 29-yard pass to Lorenzo Styles, putting the offense in Trojans territory right off the bat. Another completion to Styles, a 12-yard run by Kyren Williams, and 16-yard pass to Michael Mayer gave the Irish a first-and-goal in only three minutes of possession. Williams scored on a 5-yard run two plays later, though it took a lengthy replay review to confirm it.

The Trojans moved the ball nicely again on their final drive of the first half. They even converted on fourth down not far across midfield. However, they didn’t have any timeouts by then, and the clock ran out before they were able to spike the ball in field-goal range. Hey, the Irish will take whatever gifts they can get.

Notre Dame vs. USC: First-Quarter Analysis

This quarter was a mixed bag, but the Irish have the lead.

As is the case with nearly every rivalry game, there will be moments of frustration. Notre Dame certainly experienced some of that in the first quarter of its game against USC. Still, the Irish should be pleased with where they are at. A 7-0 lead through 15 minutes will do that.

The frustration came on the game’s opening drive. Jack Coan smoothly executed a game plan that got the Irish into the Trojans’ red zone. A drop by Kevin Austin on third-and-4 soon after derailed some of the excitement. All excitement went away when Jonathan Doerer kicked a 36-yard field-goal attempt wide right.

The Trojans were unable to capitalize on this break when they went three-and-out on a drive that began when Jayson Ademilola sacked Kedon Slovis on the first play. The Irish got the ball back and had an even better drive than the one before. A series of short gains were made possible by runs from Kyren Williams and a combination of passes from Coan and Tyler Buchner. The drive ended with the game’s first score when Coan threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Avery Davis.

The Trojans took the ball back looking like a much different offense. They went to their bread-and-butter by finding star receiver Drake London on back-to-back first-down plays. The second such play came at a hefty cost to the Irish as Kyle Hamilton went down awkwardly on his knee trying to defend the pass. He didn’t put any weight on his leg as he was helped off the field, so we’ll have to see what happens with him for this game and beyond.

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:

5 Stars: The best and worst of Notre Dame’s comeback win over Virginia Tech

If you didn’t think this game was a dog fight waiting to happen, you haven’t see enough of both Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. The two teams are similar, both hit hard and make plays on defense to keep them in games while having average offenses. The …

If you didn’t think this game was a dog fight waiting to happen, you haven’t see enough of both Notre Dame and Virginia Tech. The two teams are similar, both hit hard and make plays on defense to keep them in games while having average offenses. The two teams slugged it out over four quarters but the Irish prevailed with a quality and exciting, 32-29 road victory. Here are the best, 5 stars, and worst, 1 star, performances from the Irish this week.

 

Watch: Jonathan Doerer’s kick sends Notre Dame to victory over Virginia Tech

So clutch by everyone in the fourth quarter

It didn’t look promising. Tyler Buchner, who came in to replace starting quarterback Jack Coan, went down with an injury after throwing his second interception. Virginia Tech would then score a few plays later and take a 29-21 lead with 3:55 left in the game.

The momentum was clearly in the Hokies favor but that wouldn’t be for long. Coan came back into the game on fire, going 7-for-9 and 93-yard with this touchdown.

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There was an encore to his heroics, not just tying the game but leading the Irish into field goal range with under two-minutes left in the game. Kicker Jonathan Doerer came in, and after a lengthy pause where Brian Kelly asked the referee’s to get a laser pointer out of the stands, come on and gave the Irish an impressive comeback victory, 32-29.

Notre Dame at Virginia Tech: Fourth-Quarter Analysis

That was close, but they pulled it off.

When the book is written on the 2021 iteration of Notre Dame, it likely will be one of close calls and frustration. Too often, they have had to tough out games against teams that were considered inferior to them. This will include Saturday’s 32-29 road win over Virginia Tech.

Both teams traded punts to begin the fourth quarter. Then, the Irish (5-1) were able to get into field-goal range before a clipping call against Andrew Kristofic backed them up almost to midfield. Trying to make something happen on third-and-long, Tyler Buchner instead threw an interception to Nasir Peoples. Adding injury to insult, Buchner immediately ended up in the medical tent after favoring his right foot.

With Braxton Burmeister still dealing with an injury he suffered in the third quarter, the Hokies (3-2) had turned to Connor Blumrick at quarterback. However, Blumrick himself was injured on a run that went for no gain. By then, Burmeister had recovered enough that he was able to return. He completed a 13-yard pass to Tre Turner, then benefited from a roughing-the-passer call against Kyle Hamilton.

Burmeister will be considered a warrior after this game, and he showed why with the Hokies now in the red zone. After two Jalen Holston runs went backwards, Burmeister took the ball himself on third-and-15 and headed to the left side en route to a 19-yard touchdown. He headed back to the sideline afterwards in clear discomfort, so he definitely had willed himself to help his team.

With Buchner now injured, the Irish were forced to turn back to Jack Coan for his first action since the game’s opening drive. He got some help when Dex Hollifield targeted Kyren Williams on the first play, which was followed by Hollifield’s ejection. From there, Coan had little trouble leading an all-pass drive, which culminated in a 4-yard touchdown reception for Avery Davis. Faced with a two-point deficit with only 2:26 remaining, Coan avoided a swarm of defenders and was able to find Kevin Austin for the completion to tie the game at 29.

The Irish’s defense then forced a three-and-out, allowing the offense to dictate the team’s fate beginning at its own 25-yard line. Almost in the blink of an eye, the Irish made their way just inside field-goal range. Jonathan Doerer came on to attempt a 48-yard kick and give the Irish the lead with 22 seconds to play. After a Hokies timeout, followed by a slight delay to discuss what to do about a laser Brian Kelly said was coming from the stands, the kick was good, breaking the tension for what seemed like a longer play stoppage than it should have been.

A final Hokies desperation went nowhere, and that was that. Shortly after the clock hit zero, there was a brief skirmish between the teams, but nothing serious happened. That’s not what the Irish would have needed heading into the bye week.

Notre Dame vs. Cincinnati: Fourth-Quarter Analysis

And that’s all she wrote.

Notre Dame had a nice run of 26 consecutive home wins, but all good things must come to an end. It happened Saturday with a 24-13 loss to Cincinnati, and the Irish’s College Football Playoff hopes likely died along with the aforementioned streak. Meanwhile, the Bearcats’ playoff hopes remain alive, and they have their revenge against Brian Kelly and Marcus Freeman.

The Bearcats (4-0) looked to be in business early in the fourth quarter when Desmond Ridder completed a 44-yard pass to Alec Pierce to get to the 25-yard line of the Irish (4-1). They barely got into the red zone, prompting a call to Cole Smith to attempt a 37-yard field goal. Smith missed his second field goal of the half, and the score remained 17-7.

Drew Pyne came on to lead a drive that included completions of 14 yards to Lorenzo Styles and 20 yards to Michael Mayer. It culminated in a 32-yard touchdown pass to Braden Lenzy, putting the Irish within an extra point of a three-point deficit. Instead, Jonathan Doerer picked a bad time to miss his first extra-point kick since Oct. 2018, meaning the Irish would need another touchdown without giving one up to take the lead.

The Bearcats’ offense went right back to work. Jerome Ford ran for 16 yards on one play, and Leonard Taylor had a 36-yard reception on the other. After another Ford run that went for 11 yards, Ridder took the ball himself to earn a 6-yard touchdown run. Notre Dame Stadium was silent once again except for the large contingent of Bearcats fans in attendance.

Pyne did his best to manufacture a response with time running out, getting the offense to the Bearcats’ 41. That’s where Jabari Taylor and Malik Vann sacked Pyne on second down, and the Irish’s last flickering hopes went out with the back-to-back incomplete passes that followed. Let the party begin in Ohio for the Bearcats’ biggest win ever.

Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin: Fourth-Quarter Analysis

That was a fun final 15 minutes.

It didn’t always look easy. In fact, it looked downright scary a lot of the time. However, you never can argue with what the scoreboard says when you’re ahead and the clock hits zero. That’s Notre Dame after its 41-13 win over Wisconsin in its Shamrock Series game at Soldier Field. As an added bonus, it allowed Brian Kelly to surpass Knute Rockne as the winningest coach in program history with 106 victories and get a pair of Gatorade baths for the accomplishment.

The fourth quarter began with the Badgers (1-2) threatening to reach the end zone, but the defense that could become more valuable for the Irish (4-0) as the season goes on was able to hold them to a 27-yard field goal from Collin Larsh. That 13-10 Badgers lead lasted all of one play as Chris Tyree returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. It was the first time the Irish had scored on a kick return since 2016. Suddenly, the Badgers fans who were dancing to “Jump Around” a few minutes earlier weren’t feeling so hot.

The Badgers faced a third down on their next drive. The play that followed resulted in Jayson Ademilola forcing a Graham Mertz fumble on a sack and Isaiah Foskey recovering it. With Jack Coan still on the bench, Drew Pyne completed a 22-yard pass to Michael Mayer to set up the Irish in the red zone. Two plays later, Pyne hit Kevin Austin for a 16-yard touchdown that only could be described as a backbreaker. It was Austin’s second touchdown of the game.

Desperately needing a score, the Badgers advanced to the Irish’s 34-yard line. When the drive stalled out there, Larsh attempted a 52-yard field goal that sailed left. Hope remained alive for the Badgers after the Irish went three-and-out, but Cam Hart quickly picked off Mertz for his second interception of the game. The offense didn’t get far, not that it really needed to at that point, but Jonathan Doerer kicked a 37-yard field goal anyway.

Even with the outcome decided, the Irish’s defense decided it wasn’t done scoring. Jack Kiser came out of nowhere and returned an interception 69 yards for a touchdown. That somehow still wasn’t enough for the unit to make its statement. Drew White returned his own interception to the end zone from 45 yards out.

The Irish stomped on the Badgers, then stomped on them again. That’s quite the good feeling, isn’t it? What dominance at the end.

Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin: Second-Quarter Analysis

This is looking better.

We’ve reached halftime of this Shamrock Series game, and we still don’t have a clear direction of where this is going. There have been some plays that had potential to turn the tide, but they mostly haven’t meant much. We say “mostly” because Notre Dame has been able to separate itself from Wisconsin a bit as it holds a 10-3 lead.

The Irish began the second quarter with a long possession, converting on two third downs and one fourth down, the latter of which came on a Kyren Williams run against a tough Badgers run defense. That defense came alive once the Irish reached the Badgers’ 30-yard line as Jack Coan found him swarmed by Badgers on every play during that series of downs. Faced with a fourth-and-14 after a C.J. Goetz sack, Jonathan Doerer came on to attempt a 51-yard field goal after missing from 39 in the first quarter. This time, he converted to tie the game.

The Badgers nearly went three-and-out on their first possession of the quarter but for a roughing-the-passer call against Kyle Hamilton of all people. It turned out not to matter because on the next third down, Cam Hart came up with an interception near midfield. Coan nearly gave the ball right back two plays later on a Leo Chanel interception. That turnover was wiped out when Noah Burks was called for pass interference, allowing the Irish to keep the ball.

The negated turnover ended up costing the Badgers more than only the ball. The drive culminated in the game’s first touchdown as Coan found Kevin Austin for a 36-yard completion. There was a review to determine whether Austin maintained control of the ball as he fell in the end zone, but it didn’t take long to confirm the ruling.

Both teams went three-and-out on their next drives, but it led to a big play on special teams for the Irish. Jay Bramblett punted the ball a career-high 72 yards to pin the Badgers at their own 9. That, in turn, led to the Badgers failing to pick up a first down and punting once again. Having the lead and with little time remaining, Coan opted to take a knee, and that’s all she wrote for the first 30 minutes.

Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin: First-Quarter Analysis

Not the start we were hoping for.

This year’s Shamrock Series game looks like it will the barn burner everyone expected it to be. The game could just as easily swing as a dominant performance for one team or another. For now, Notre Dame has some work to do as it trails Wisconsin, 3-0, after one quarter.

The Irish took the ball first at their own 22-yard line and only moved backwards as Jack Coan was sacked by Matt Henningsen. Jay Bramblett couldn’t punt the ball out of Irish territory, and Graham Mertz made him pay with a 23-yard completion to Kendric Pryor on his first play. The Badgers couldn’t move much after that, but Collin Larsh salvaged the drive with a 37-yard field goal.

After Coan took another sack, his next drive went a lot better as he executed a pass-heavy attack to counter the Badgers’ strong run defense. He completed six passes to set up first-and-goal on the 10. When a pair of runs went nowhere, Coan went deep in the pocket for a pass but fell down at the 21. Jonathan Doerer came on to tie the game but missed a 39-yard field goal, keeping the Irish off the scoreboard.

The game then reached a stall as the teams traded three-and-outs. After that, Mertz seized momentum on a 42-yard pass to Clay Cundiff to set the Badgers up on the Irish’s 30. The Irish soon put a stop to that by stuffing Chez Mellusi on fourth-and-1. You never know what’s going to happen next in a game like that.