Tag: Jordan Botelho

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?

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 down two running backs, one defensive player vs. Seminoles

Some players will not be available for the opener.

Not long before Sunday’s season opener at Florida State, Notre Dame announced that three players will not be available. Their depth at running back will take a hit, and one defensive player also will be out:

Of these three players, only Flemister was listed on this week’s depth chart. Flemister, a senior, is coming off the best season of his career in which he ran for 299 yards and five touchdowns on 58 carries over nine games. He gained two yards on his only carry when the Irish played the Seminoles in 2020.

Diggs, a native of Marrero, Louisiana, is beginning his freshman year. He was a three-star recruit while running for 2,287 yards and 18 touchdowns in high school.

Botelho, who is listed as a linebacker on the above report but as a defensive lineman on the official roster, returns to the Irish for his sophomore season after playing four games as a freshman. He recorded two tackles, one of which came in the game against Florida State.

Five breakout candidates for Notre Dame in 2021

These 5 could have big time years for the Irish

In college football there is plenty of turnover each year, with players leaving to the NFL, entering the transfer portal or an unfortunate injury ends their playing career earlier than they anticipated. With that turnover comes new opportunities for other players to breakout. Here are 5 Notre Dame players who could make a big impact this fall.

Notre Dame spring game: Five questions that could be answered

Who steps up this afternoon?

The final taste of football is upon us, this weekend is the culmination of Notre Dame’s spring practice ending with the Blue and Gold game.

Heading into the season, there will be plenty of question surrounding the program, the biggest is undoubtably the quarterback position. Find out five question that could be answered during Saturday’s controlled scrimmage.

Reload or rebuild for Notre Dame in 2021?

Will Notre Dame have a season where they struggle like in 2016 or will it be a prosperous season like this past season?

The list keeps growing with Notre Dame players making their intentions for next year known, many of them opting to move on instead of come back. Quarterback Ian Book, tackles Liam Eichenberg and Robert Hainsey, guards Tommy Kraemer and Aaron Banks, linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, tight end Tommy Tremble, defensive lineman Ade Ogundeji, cornerback Houston Griffith transferring are just a few of the players on the move.

Recently, ESPN took a look at which schools have recruited the best (insider) to have success in 2021 due to their recruiting. Although Brian Kelly’s efforts have been great, they didn’t make the main portion of the article, the Irish were mentioned in the second group of teams.

Being on the list alone is a good omen for Notre Dame, as the list of players moving on that were major contributors from this past season is significant. Luckily, Kelly has done a great job accumulating talent in South Bend, giving hope that 2021 won’t have a similar result as the 2016 season did.

Per the ESPN article, the Irish will have 38 players returning to the 2021 roster at the current moment that were ranked inside their top 300. So what does that mean for the ‘21 season?

There will be some bumps in the road with many of the younger players getting their first significant amount of playing time, but that doesn’t mean it will be all bad. This past year saw multiple freshman (cornerback Clarence Lewis, tight end Michael Mayer, running back Chris Tyree, defensive end Rylie Mills and linebacker Jordan Botelho) each show flashes of their futures. The first three really shined and you can add Jordan Johnson to the list as well.

Second-year players like safety Kyle Hamilton, interior lineman Zeke Correll, defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey, running back Kyren Williams, linebacker Marist Liufau, and punter Jay Bramblett were major contributors. This group will need to continue to grow.

As for the 2018 class which was ranked in as the 10th best class nationally, they have struggled to make a significant mark. Griffith transferring along with quarterback Phil Jurkovec already leaving and wide receiver Kevin Austin unable to stay healthy has hurt the classes outlook. Those three were the top ranked players in the class. There, however, have been contributors from that class, with include linebacker Jack Lamb, wide receiver Braden Lenzy and tight end George Takacs, linebacker Bo Bauer and center Jarrett Patterson. This class needs to step up in a big way for the Irish to be successful this coming season.

I haven’t even touched on the potential incoming-freshman contributors, which include tackle Blake Fisher, wide receiver Deion Colzie, guard Rocco Spindler, quarterback Tyler Buchner, linebacker Prince Kollie and other talented players.

The schedule isn’t quite daunting, the first three games should give Kelly plenty of time to get the pups feet wet before their big contest against Wisconsin in Chicago.

In my opinion the Irish are not rebuilding, but they aren’t quite reloading. Having a regular spring schedule will be extremely important for this team. The reps and practice time will further develop the players who don’t have as much experience. We should not see another year like 2016.

Quick hitters from Brian Kelly’s Monday press conference

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly touched on who to watch for against Wake Forest, Jack Kiser’s play, offensive sets and more.

Every Monday, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly speaks with the media. Like clockwork, it happened again today and here are some of the major points Kelly touched upon as they prepare to travel to Wake Forest on Saturday.

-Kelly singled out a few Demon Deacons, but the one that stood out was defensive lineman Carlos Basham Jr., as the Irish will have to “game plan for him.” Kelly didn’t want to give away much of the game plan for facing Basham Jr., as he noted that “he can be a game wrecker if you let him.” Basham Jr. leads Wake in sacks with two on the season.

-Staying on the defensive side of the ball, Kelly expects the Deacon’s as a unit to give the Irish a test on Saturday. “This is a defense that has a lot of experience, expect them to play well against us.”

-Kelly credited off-season work and preparation as to why players like linebacker Jack Kiser entered the lineup on short notice and played well. “You look at it in terms of what you do in the offseason. You come here with an expectation to play…we make certain that all of our players are prepared.” They sure were ready to play this past Saturday.

-Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa’s play has been spectacular early so far. Kelly went on to say that his “recognition of blocking schemes, that awareness that you get with experience.” Teams try to run screen plays, but he continually sniffs them out. “He’s got a complete game,” said Kelly.

-On true-freshman Jordan Botelho: “He’s coming along quite well. He’s a quick study, knows the game very well. He plays with a bit of reckless adondonment. He’s got to clean up some other things… he’s got to show discipline.” The disciple Kelly is talking about is after Botelho blocked the punt, he could have easily been called for a 15-yard penalty for excessive celebration.

-Two and three tight end sets are here to stay. Currently the Irish offense is “developing our identity” and they’re “deep a the position (tight end). It’s less about game plan and more about who we are. You’ll continue to see two tight end sets and sometimes three tight end sets.”

-On his viral halftime speech (watch it here): “First of all I didn’t know that was going to be public… this had everything to do with us… I wanted to make sure we finished strong, regardless what the score was, I didn’t want to let up.”

–On Ian Book’s transformation since his last visit to Wake Forest

Notre Dame vs. USF: Third-Quarter Analysis

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.

 

Which Notre Dame True Freshman Steps Up Contributes Immediately? (Part 2)

Yesterday, it as the offensive freshman that were profiled as contributors and today it’s the defenses turn for potential early impacts.

Yesterday we took a look at which Notre Dame offensive true freshman could make an impact this coming season. The key part of yesterday’s quote from Irish head coach Brian Kelly was that he expected both sides of the ball to have an impact freshman. Today, it’s time to look on the other side of the ball and see who could impact the Irish defensive after being in high school just a few months ago.

Linebacker Jordan Botelho

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The Irish have had good luck with Hawaiian prospects before, Manti Te’o worked out pretty well and Alohi Gilman was just drafted in the sixth round a few weeks ago, and the 6’3” and 230-pound edge rusher could see time early this coming season. Botelho won’t be an every down player, but in certain situations he could be deadly. Imagine a 3rd and long with a fresh Botelho coming off the edge, causing havoc for opposing offenses. The leading tackler from last year Drew White returns along with rising star Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, but there is one spot open and there is potential that Botelho can force Brian Kelly to get him on the field early and often.

Defensive End Rylie Mills

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The Illinois native was a wanted man during his recruitment, the who’s who of college football was after his pledge (Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, LSU and others) but Kelly won the battle for Mills’ commitment. A player with that kind of offer list is not expected to come in and sit, and the 6’5” and 275-pound defensive end should have an opportunity for some early playing time. With Khalid Kareem and Julian Okwara moving on to the next level, Kelly will be looking for someone to fill that production and Mills could be that guy. There aren’t many proven commodities at defensive end for the Irish and Mills could push his way into the lineup early in his career.

Athlete Ramon Henderson

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Henderson does not come with the accolades as his two classmates before him do, but he could have just as good of a career as either of them. Henderson could make his impact first on special teams, where the 6’3” and 180-pound Californian strides long, gets to his top speed quickly and takes fantastic angles to find open return lanes. The Irish haven’t returned a kick or punt for a touchdown since 2016, when C.J. Sanders did it twice. In the long term, Henderson could be a special cornerback, his length is elite and if he continues to get more experience on that side of the ball, his ceiling is sky high. Henderson could very well end up as a high pointing receiver as well, his body type gives the Irish staff plenty of options.

The last two days we have looked at potential freshman who could make an impact in their first year at South Bend. Who knows, maybe one of the overlooked prospects such as Germany’s Alexander Ehrensberger emerges as the freshman who has the biggest impact next year. What we do know is it will be fun watching each of these 17 recruits for the next 3-5 years while they wear the Blue and Gold.

Notre Dame Football: Four-Star ILB Jordan Botelho Signs with Irish

Te’o, Gilman, Tagovailoa-Amosa and Toma are only a few of the several names that have appeared and starred on Notre Dame’s roster in recent years.

Now it’s time to add another.

Jordan Botelho.

Notre Dame has created quite a recruiting pipeline to Hawaii over the last decade having several star players from the Aloha State.

Te’o, Gilman, Tagovailoa-Amosa and Toma are only a few of the several names that have appeared and starred on Notre Dame’s roster in recent years.

Now it’s time to add another.

Jordan Botelho.

Remember the name as the top-rated player in Hawaii, a product of St. Louis High School in Honolulu officially signed his letter of intent to join the Fighting Irish on Wednesday.

Botelho is listed at 6-2 and 229 pounds and committed to Notre Dame back in April of this year.

He’s been an absolute star the last two seasons picking up 25 sacks and forcing six fumbles in that time and has been rated as high as the sixth best interior linebacker in this year’s class.

Botelho signed with Notre Dame while being pursued by the likes of Washington, UCLA, Oregon, Cal, Oklahoma and others.