Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
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)
Football is a game that can make you feel feelings on both ends of the spectrum quickly.
Football is a game that can make you feel feelings on both ends of the spectrum quickly. That definitely was the case for Notre Dame in the second quarter against Georgia Tech. Just when it seemed like the Irish would break this game open early, the exact opposite happened. Fortunately, they bounced back to take a 17-7 halftime lead.
On the very first play of the second quarter, the Irish were within striking distance of the end zone. Instead, Kyren Williams lost a fumble, and Zamari Walton picked it up and ran 93 yards for a touchdown the other way. The Yellow Jackets tied the game on the extra point. It was the longest fumble return in Georgia Tech history.
Still, the Irish have responded well to adversity this season, and the next drive was no exception. The offense mainly went right back to the ground, and it paid off. Though Williams did most of the damage, the biggest play went to Chris Tyree, who had a 21-yard run. Williams finished it off with a 2-yard touchdown, succeeding where he had failed the last time down the field.
The Yellow Jackets got into Irish territory on their next possession, but Kyle Hamilton was there to stop Jahmyr Gibbs for a big loss on fourth-and-2. Starting in Georgia Tech territory, the Irish’s offense used running attacks from Tyree and Ian Book to get to the Yellow Jackets’ 14-yard line. From there, Book took a couple of shots at the end zone, but to no avail. Jonathan Doerer salvaged the short drive with a 32-yard field goal.
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’s offense is off to another slow start despite dominating time of possession through the first 15 minutes.
Notre Dame’s offense is off to another slow start despite dominating time of possession through the first 15 minutes. Louisville has to be happy to hold the Irish to such a low offensive output thus far. However, the Irish are happier to hold a 6-0 lead after one quarter.
The Irish put together a 12-play drive mainly consisting of runs to begin the quarter, but it stalled it out. Though Jonathan Doerer salvaged the drive with a 32-yard field goal, it was a disappointing outcome. Fortunately, the defense lived up to its name immediately as it forced on three-and-out on the Cardinals’ first possession.
When the Irish got the ball back, they held onto it for a lengthy amount again. This time, they got as far as the Louisville 7-yard line. Once again, a touchdown eluded them, which was a clear outcome once Monty Montgomery sacked Ian Book for a 5-yard loss on third down. Doerer kicked a 30-yard field goal this time, but again, it could have been much more productive.
The return of Notre Dame’s kicker will have a positive impact on what they’re able to do with the rest of their ’21 recruiting efforts
Notre Dame is set to benefit from the NCAA’s decision to essentially allow fall athletes to play this season without using a year of eligibility.
Placekicker and Lou Garza watch list member Jonathan Doerer told the media on Tuesday that his plan as of now is to remain in the blue and gold next fall.
“Most likely I’ll be coming back next year” Doerer said.
Doerer is 3 of 4 on field goal attempts this season and a perfect 9 of 9 on extra point attempts.
This allows Notre Dame to run the rest of their 2021 recruiting efforts without having to potentially offer a kicker as one of the better ones in the entire nation is set to return to Notre Dame.
That scholarship can then go to use at a different position of need for the 2021 season.
Doerer has been a pleasant sight for Notre Dame fans as he was successful on 17 of 20 field goal attempts last year, hitting both attempts from over 50 yards. He’s also only missed one extra point in his career.
Things have cooled off a little in South Bend. The third quarter didn’t feature nearly as much action as the entire first half.
Things have cooled off a little in South Bend. The third quarter didn’t feature nearly as much action as the entire first half. Still, Notre Dame added onto its lead to take a 45-0 lead over USF going into the final frame, and Drew Pyne will take over for Ian Book during that time.
USF took the ball to begin the second half and looked more like a college football offense. The Bulls converted on third and fourth downs during a drive that got them to the Notre Dame 36-yard line. Despite the improvement, the drive ended when Clarence Lewis broke up a fourth-down pass from Jordan McCloud he probably should have held onto for an interception. The flip side was it gave the Irish better field position for the possession that led to a 22-yard Jonathan Doerer field goal.
The Notre Dame offense continued to look good. A 27-yard pass from Book to Tommy Tremble initially was ruled incomplete, but a replay review gave Tremble the reception and, ultimately, Doerer a chip shot. While it was disappointing not to score a touchdown, it still was something.
Though the offense didn’t reach the end zone in the quarter, special teams did. USF had its second bad long snap on a punt attempt during the game. This time, Trent Schneider didn’t have time to pick the ball up. Osita Ekwonu blocked it towards the USF end zone, where freshman Jordan Botelho recovered it for the score. Botelho, a Honolulu native, weighs in at 6-foot-2 and 248 pounds, so add that play to your “big man scores” playlist.
It’s become clear that Notre Dame could have run out onto the field blindfolded against USF, and it wouldn’t have mattered.
It’s become clear that Notre Dame could have run out onto the field blindfolded against USF, and it wouldn’t have mattered. The Irish dominated the second quarter on both sides of the ball. They’ve shown no signs of letting up as they take a 35-0 lead into halftime. The only misstep was Jonathan Doerer’s missed 38-yard field-goal attempt.
On the second play of the second quarter, Ian Book finished off what had a been another nice drive for Notre Dame by scoring his second rushing touchdown of the day and the Irish’s second from the 1-yard line on the day. When the offense had the ball next, it only did so for less than two minutes thanks to another short field that culminated in a 26-yard touchdown run from C’Bo Flemister. Even the drive that ended in the missed field goal began with Chris Tyree running for 31 yards.
The defense kept USF from gaining a single first down the entire quarter. To add insult to injury, there was a bad long snap on Trent Schneider’s fourth punt attempt of the game, and Schneider was just barely able to get the ball out of the end zone before he was tackled. The ball only got to the Bulls; 21, ultimately setting up Book’s third rushing touchdown and second from only 1 yard out. Talk about the completely opposite directions this game is going in for the two teams.
There’s no doubt this game was torture for a lot of people.
There’s no doubt this game was torture for a lot of people. When was Notre Dame going to look like the national-title contender it’s supposed to be? We need a little more time to see that in earnest. Regardless, the Irish will take their 27-13 season-opening win over Duke.
Notre Dame (1-0, 1-0) continued its drive from the end of the third quarter by mainly going to the ground game that worked so well. Then, Ian Book hit Kyren Williams for an 18-yard completion that got the Irish into the red zone. After two incomplete passes, Book hit Avery Davis in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown pass that could have been caught by him or Blue Devils safety Michael Carter II.
Duke (0-1, 0-1) couldn’t get anything going on its ensuing possession, and the Irish moved again upon getting the ball back. Chris Tyree ran 25 yards on the drive’s first play, and Book hit Michael Mayer for 14 yards to get into Blue Devils territory. That set up a 34-yard field goal for Jonathan Doerer, the game’s final score. As the cherry on top of the victory, Adetokunbo Ogundeji recovered a fumble after a sack on Chase Brice that ended Duke’s final drive.
If Notre Dame wants to beat Clemson later in the season, it will have to do a little better than what it showed Saturday. It came out flat but slowly found its footing on both sides of the ball. Hopefully, that can be chalked up to opening-day jitters more than anything else. Regardless, it’s a good beginning to a season with high expectations.
Well, that’s a little more like it. Though it may not seem so, Notre Dame finally looks something like the team it’s expected to be in 2020.
Well, that’s a little more like it. Though it may not seem so, Notre Dame finally looks something like the team it’s expected to be in 2020. Thanks to a little trickery, the Irish find themselves ahead of Duke at halftime, 10-6.
When it looked like another Irish drive would die early, Jay Bramblett successfully executed a late punt. It woke the offense up, as evidenced by Kyren Williams’ 11-yard run, which was added onto by a face-mask penalty, and a nice catch by Jafar Armstrong, who took it 20 yards to the Duke 2. Williams ran it in for the Irish’s first touchdown of the season one play later.
The defense was picked apart on a drive that Duke got down to the Notre Dame 2. With the Blue Devils threatening to retake the lead on third-and-goal, Isaiah Foskey got to Chase Brice and ultimately was credited with a 10-yard sack after a replay review. Charlie Ham salvaged the drive with a 30-yard field, his second of the game and his career.
On the next drive, the Irish had a chance to extend their lead further after Williams caught an Ian Book pass and ran 75 yards to the Duke 11. But Book made an ill-advised throw into traffic, and Lummie Young IV intercepted it in the end zone for a touchback. Book then threw another interception when he got back on the field, but an offsides penalty wiped it out. The drive continued, and Jonathan Doerer kicked a 48-yard field goal as the clock expired on the first half.
What is particularly interesting to me here is that by simply counting, Notre Dame has three more members on the First Team than Clemson, with only Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne receiving that honor for the Tigers.
This is weird to write.
Looking at Pro Football Focus’s Preseason All-ACC Team and seeing Notre Dame players listed is strange. I’m used to seeing Notre Dame listed as an independent and not really looking much at it.
But it’s 2020 and Notre Dame is playing in the ACC as a full-time member this season. The Irish are all over the list with five players earning First Team status, a pair more making the Second Team, three more being named to the Third Team and one player earning an Honorable Mention.
Notre Dame’s First Team Selections:
OT – Liam Eichenberg
Eichenberg already earned the 18th-best pass-blocking grade among FBS tackles over the entire season, but his grade from Week 7 on actually cracked the top-10 (7th).
C – Jarrett Patterson
Patterson finished as the 19th most valuable player in the FBS at the position and produced an above-average pass-blocking grade on his true pass sets.
OG – Aaron Banks
He allowed zero pressures in seven of his 13 games and dominated against Power 5 competition. He actually produced an 85.6 pass-blocking grade in those matchups, third in the country among those with at least 175 such snaps.
LB – Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
From Week 10 on, Micah Parsons and Isaiah Simmons were the only Power 5 linebackers who earned a higher PFF grade.
S – Kyle Hamilton
The 6-foot-4 safety allowed only seven catches on 23 targets in coverage while making four interceptions and breaking up another five passes en route to a 1.3 passer rating allowed.
Notre Dame’s Second Team Selections:
OG – Tommy Kraemer
K – Jonathan Doerer
Notre Dame’s Third Team Selections:
OT – Robert Hainsey
Edge – Ade Ogundeji
LB – Drew White
Notre Dame’s lone Honorable Mention:
QB – Ian Book
What is particularly interesting to me here is that by simply counting, Notre Dame has three more members on the First Team than Clemson, with only Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne receiving that honor for the Tigers.
Clemson had four players on the Second Team, six on the Third Team and one player receive honorable mention.
Notre Dame actually has more players combined on the first and second teams than Clemson does but the Tigers have 13 players mentioned in total to Notre Dame’s 11.
