It’s not just scoring plays and turnovers (although the final play in this article is one) that make or break a football game. There are hidden plays that ultimately make a big difference in the outcome. For Notre Dame, there were plenty of plays that kept them in the game, but ultimately couldn’t defeat Marshall in Notre Dame Stadium. Here are the five hidden plays from the Irish’s 26-21 loss to the Thundering Herd that helped decide the outcome.
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There was not much to like about the Irish’s performance today. In a game they should have handily won, they got upset at home, preventing Marcus Freeman from getting what is turning out to be a very elusive first win. Honestly, this was mostly bad, as you will find out below, the best, 5-stars, and worst, 1-star, performances of Notre Dame’s loss to Marshall.
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The Irish home opener is here and it should be a very prosperous one as they welcome Marshall to South Bend. After a week one loss, Notre Dame has a lot to work on, especially on offense. Here are five statistical predictions for the Irish as they set to face the Thundering Herd.
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This week is different, the Irish are heavily favored and should breeze through the Thundering Herd. With that being said, this week instead of keys, we are going to take a look at areas the Irish need to work on after their week one loss. Here are the five areas that we would like to see this Notre Dame team improve on from the first to second week of the season.
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The Herd put up 55 points last week and only allowed 3
After putting up 55-points and holding opponent Norfolk State to just a field goal, the Thundering Herd obviously opened the season with a bang. Their challenge this week will be much more difficult, as they travel to South Bend and face-off against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are 0-1, but are heavily favored and should handily defeat Marshall. That doesn’t mean there won’t be some players that give the Irish problems this Saturday and here are five from the Herd that could.
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How does Marshall LB Omari Cobb fit with the Kansas City Chiefs?
A three-star prospect out of high school, Cobb had offers from eight different schools. He ended up joining the Marshall Thundering Herd, becoming a four-year contributor on the defensive side of the ball.
In his freshman season at Marshall, Cobb started seven games, surprising and impressing early in his career. As a sophomore, he’d put his athleticism and versatility on display, playing MIKE, WILL, and SAM linebacker positions in addition to defensive back. Cobb entrenched himself as a leader on the Marshall defense by his junior season. As a senior in 2019, he was named team captain. He earned a second-team All-CUSA selection and was voted co-defensive MVP after a terrific end to his career with the Thundering Herd.
Stats:
2016: 11 games played. 36 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, one pass defended and one punt blocked.
2017: 10 games played. 37 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.
2018: 13 games played. 61 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, one interception for a touchdown and one pass defended.
2019: 13 games played. 114 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble, one interception and one pass defended.
I feel like Cobb is a player who had a shot to be drafted in the late rounds under normal circumstances. The way he was utilized at Marshall, he feels like the Conference USA version of Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons. He’s a great athlete with excellent size and length. He has a really good feel for coverage and finding the ball. He does a good job navigating traffic near the line of scrimmage. He’s impressive tackling in space and has a penchant for creating negative plays for the offense.
You can tell that he’s a student of the game watching his film. Coming into Kansas City even, Cobb wants to soak up all the information he can from the most veteran linebacker on the team.
“I’m excited to learn from Anthony Hitchens,” Cobb said in an interview with team media. “You know, just learning from him is a great opportunity and experience in itself. See how he operates and carries himself.”
Like any undrafted linebacker that the Chiefs have brought in throughout the years, Cobb will have to earn his keep on special teams. He played there early in his career and was able to make an impact. Consider that he also has experience playing each of the three linebacker positions. If he can make an impression early he could prove to be an extremely valuable chess piece in Kansas City.
