Notre Dame vs. Purdue: News and Notes

The Irish CAN Run The Football

For the first time in a long time Notre Dame ran the football consistently and effectively. Not only did this help the passing game via a balanced offensive attack, it also led to improved red zone efficiency and a substantial edge in time of possession.

Naturally, the improved production in the running game was partially due to better offensive line play. In particular, much maligned tight end Kyle Rudolph turned in a drastically improved blocking performance. But the real reasons for success are far more subtle.

Against Purdue the improvement in the run game was four fold.

First, offensive coordinator Mike Haywood showed a commitment to running the football. This was primarily evident in his patience as a play caller, sticking with the run after not seeing much production early on in the game.

Second, the balance of the passing game opened up the run. Passes over the middle of the field to Rudolph helped keep the Purdue linebackers guessing.

Third, Haywood used different types of running plays and blocking schemes up front. Many have been begging for this for quite some time.

Haywood called designed counters and more quickly developing run plays for most of the day. A few zone stretch plays snuck their way in, but the Irish mostly ran right at the Boilermaker defense.

Haywood primarily stuck with a zone blocking scheme, but focused on sealing the edge and gave the Irish offensive line the angles with his play calling. For the first time this season the play calling utilized the talents of the offensive personnel.

Lastly, running back Armando Allen burst on the scene with a career day. He continues to run with a tough, physical style. Allen also showed much more patience than he ever has.

For the first time in his young career his speed was a strength, rather than a weakness. He used his vision to see the play develop and accelerated through the hole when it opened. He even cut against the grain a few times for big gains.

It’s Not Great, But We’ll Take It

Haywood still has a long way to go as a play caller but he did show signs of improvement Saturday.

As mentioned above, there was much more patience sticking with the ground game. An effective rushing attack doesn’t always show up early in the game. Hopefully Haywood has learned this and will continue to be patient in the future. Haywood also kept the Boilermaker defense guessing with a good mix of runs and passes.

Most importantly, the halftime adjustments made by the offensive staff were tremendous. In addition to finding the best formation(s) to get Notre Dame’s best eleven offensive players on the field, the defense was on its heels the entire second half.

There are, however, still negatives.

The fade seems to be the only play in the red zone. Against less talented teams when there are favorable matchups this may work. But more talented defenses will take it away and the Irish must develop an alternative to putting points on the board inside the twenty.

Notre Dame goes deep far too often on third down. The Irish faced third and long more than 70 percent of the time against Purdue but that doesn’t excuse quarterback Jimmy Clausen and Haywood from taking shots thirty yards down the field. The play calling needs to evolve in order to move the ball down the field more consistently.

While not used many times against Purdue, the screen game is still suspect for the Irish. This is coupled with an absence of a running threat in the shotgun and little deception of play intent with offensive formations obviously catered to running or passing. Add it all up and Notre Dame has few weapons to slow a powerful pass rush. If the defense knows you’re throwing the ball their job is much easier. This must be rectified in the future.

Speaking of tipping off the defense, Clausen’s pass audibles are completely transparent. Not only do greater than 90 percent of his play changes result in a pass, the change in depth of the running back (from the line of scrimmage) all but screams pass protection. The Irish must work to hide these indicating factors.

Better and more talented defenses (and defensive coordinators) will force the Irish offense to be one-dimensional. Continued unpredictability in play calling and perfection in one facet of the offense will go a long way in cultivating an identity and giving the players something to come back to when they need to generate yards.

The Turtle Does Not Win The Race

Lately head coach Charlie Weis’ offense has been slow to start. In addition to not playing a complete game, this allows less talented teams to stay in the game and good teams to build a lead. Neither is desirable and the latter is deadly for a young team.

The Irish tried to prevent a slow start with a no-huddle, spread offense but it proved ineffective. Two drives into the game things looked pretty bleak and only excellent halftime adjustments paved the way for a big third quarter.

These slow starts are driven mostly by inconsistent execution and must be a focus going forward.

Is Clausen’s Jersey Still Clean?

Once a pre-season dream, good protection of Clausen is now a reality. While Clausen’s decision making and Allen’s pass protection are improved, it all starts up front with the play of the offensive line.

Statistically, Notre Dame has improved dramatically protecting the passer. Once the culprit of killed drives, the Irish have minimized sacks and made the game much more manageable. This has allowed the offense to spread the field and has been the catalyst for a more vertical passing game.

But the passing game is just the beginning.

Coming off a disappointing performance against Michigan State, the offensive line looks to have regained its footing. The emotion, toughness, and physicality that was lacking against the Spartans was present Saturday and led to more than 200 yards rushing. While the Irish still struggle to engage at the second level, improvement sealing the edge sprung Allen on many long runs.

“We’re Eating A Lot Of Hamburger But You Really Want To Be Eating Steak”

After seeing first hand in 2007 (and hearing all off-season) what a Jon Tenuta led defense can do to a quarterback many Irish fans are disappointed in the sack production of the Notre Dame defense. While the aggressive, blitzing defensive scheme has caused pressure on the quarterback, only one sack has materialized.

Naturally, the first question for Irish fans is “should we care?” Despite the lack of sacks Notre Dame has repeatedly pressured opposing quarterbacks, forced errant throws, and batted down multiple balls at the line of scrimmage. It seems like, at least partially, the defense is doing what it is designed to do.

The short answer is yes. Against a more talented offense the Irish will pay for risking single man coverage or rolling up the zone. It might not happen in the immediate future, but it’s coming. It will most certainly happen when Notre Dame makes a trip to the Coliseum but also potentially when they face North Carolina.

The defense’s inability to get to opposing quarterbacks is primarily due to four things.

One, Notre Dame lacks the pure pass rushers up front to generate consistent pressure without sending two or three more players. There is talent on the defensive line but most of it is young and inexperienced. This leaves the secondary vulnerable to one-on-one man coverage or a zone rotation.

Second, like the offense, Notre Dame’s defense has personnel tendencies that hamper its success. Harrison Smith and Sergio Brown are rarely used in coverage, spending much more of their time coming off the edge into the opponent’s backfield. Conversely, defensive backs David Bruton, Kyle McCarthy, Terrail Lambert, Gary Gray, and Raeshon McNeil rarely blitz.

Third, Tenuta has been a part of the defensive staff for less than a year. This is mostly evident in execution. Often the timing of the Irish defenders is poor and the defensive line frequently struggles to take the correct angles and generate the appropriate space for the blitzing members of the secondary and linebacking corps.

Applying pressure in the passing game is much more difficult than executing a run blitz. The latter requires simple gap responsibility. The former requires precision in timing, rotating, and disciplined coverage. More time might be needed to execute Tenuta’s scheme at a high level.

Fourth, opposing offenses counter Notre Dame’s pressure scheme with a quick, three-step drop or shotgun, short passing game. This is the correct call for the opposition but the Irish are not adjusting appropriately or taking advantage of turnover opportunities.

Far too often the secondary is playing loose in coverage. This results in space for opposing wide receivers making tackling more difficult, allowing yards after the catch, and sacrificing opportunities for interceptions. Tighter secondary play will likely result in improvement in all three areas.

If the Irish defense isn't getting to the quarterback, production from the blitz in the form of turnovers would be a nice consolation. In the second half against Purdue Notre Dame began to do this but were unable to catch the football.

What A Freakin’ Day

Not only did Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen have a career statistical performance, he showed what the future holds for Notre Dame football.

Clausen is starting to live up to the hype. His arm strength is no longer a question, his touch is rapidly improving, and his accuracy is unquestionable. This was never more evident than on two completions to wide receiver David Grimes.

The first came on the opening offensive play of the second half when Clausen zipped a perfectly placed ball on an out route across the field and between two defenders. The second came on fourth and seven at Purdue’s thirty yard line. Clausen took the snap, Grimes got a quick release, and the ball was delivered in perfect stride for a touchdown.

Like always, there is still room for improvement. Clausen must adapt to avoiding the pass rush by stepping up into the pocket. He must continue to improve in his progressions, stop staring down receivers, and check-down. He must be more judicious deciding when to go down field. And he must refine his play action mechanics.

But Saturday was a huge step in the right direction.

Learning On The Job

If the Michigan State game showed Weis is still learning, Saturday showed he is coming up the learning curve.

Multiple young players were gaining invaluable experience by getting meaningful minutes of playing time. This builds depth. Weis didn’t do this 2005 or 2006 and it helped contribute to the disaster of a season in 2007.

Weis faced a significant challenge at halftime. The Irish had come off a disappointing loss to the Spartans and sputtered offensively for much of the first half. The team came out firing on all cylinders in the third quarter. Weis successfully navigated the psyche of his team and motivated them to play better in the second half.

Now Weis faces another challenge. Much like life after the Michigan win, the team must remain even and keep working to improve. Weis must accomplish this with a team who has experienced very little success.

Statistically Speaking: Notre Dame vs. Purdue

Against Purdue the Notre Dame offense morphed from talented players into a gelling team. The Irish put up 38 points, even managing to successfully execute a snap, hold, and kick on a field goal attempt.

The Irish offense played its first complete game of the season, dramatically improving red zone efficiency, committing zero turnovers, and maintaining their respectable third down efficiency from the previous week.

The defense, however, didn’t fare quite as well. Despite holding Purdue to a season low in red zone efficiency the defense surrendered far too many yards and allowed the Boilermakers to convert on nearly 43 percent of third downs.

Offense

Where to start?

The Irish offense amassed 476 total yards for their best output since Notre Dame faced Navy in 2006. Departing from their previously one-dimensional passing attack, Notre Dame employed a balanced performance gaining 275 yards through the air and 201 yards on the ground on their way to averaging a season high 6.3 yards per play.

The Irish gained 23 total first downs, 13 rushing and 10 passing, with play calling at a near even split. Notre Dame averaged five yards per rush and 7.9 per pass attempt, both season highs.

Another season high was the six rushes of more than 15 yards. In three prior games, the Irish had zero, one, and one rush over 15 yards. Notre Dame’s offense also had five big pass plays result in 153 yards and a 30.6 yards per play average, both season high values.

The offense appeared to move the ball more consistently against Purdue than any previous opponent, mostly due to the emergence of the running game. However, the Irish had 11 big plays for 265 yards, averaging 24.1 yards per play. This comprises 55.7 percent of the total offense, the largest percentage of offense to come from big plays this season.

Notre Dame converted three of four red zone tries into points. The red zone appearances weren’t the gifts of turnovers as they were in the Michigan game, so the increased red zone efficiency is likely the result of improvement in a previously nonexistent running game. The same running game also led to the first decisive time of possession victory for the Irish, who held the ball for 10 minutes more than their opponent.

On third down the Irish built off the Michigan State game and remained consistent, successfully converting nearly 43 percent of the time. However, the Irish continue to put themselves in long yardage third down situations. Notre Dame faced third and five or more yards 10 of their 14 (71.4 percent) attempts. On the season the Irish have faced more than five yards on 75 percent of their third downs.

The Irish offensive line continues to protect quarterback Jimmy Clausen, giving up only a single sack attempt against Purdue. This is an extended good trend for the Irish as they are only surrendering one sack per 32.8 passing attempts. After ranking dead last in sacks allowed last season, the Irish have moved to 22 in 2008. Offensive line coach John Latina should be commended.

Jimmy Clausen had the best day of his young career, completing better than 57 percent of his passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers. For the game Clausen averaged 13.8 yards per completion (compared to 9.1 yards per completion in 2007), a testament to Notre Dame’s consistent ability to throw the ball down the field.

Clausen’s favorite target on the day was freshman Michael Floyd. Floyd hauled in six passes for 100 yards, good for a 16.7 yard per reception average. It is becoming increasingly evident that teams cannot simply double-team Golden Tate. With freshman Kyle Rudolph (three receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown) beginning to become a target in the middle of the field, Clausen has quite a few weapons.

On the ground Armando Allen had a breakout game, rushing 17 times for 136 yards and a touchdown. That’s good for an absurdly high 7.9 yards per carry. Fellow running back James Aldridge came in for mop-up duty and gained 35 yards on eight carries (4.3 yards per carry).

The enthusiasm should be tempered, however. While it was a great offensive output Notre Dame did this against an extremely porous Boilermaker defense. Coming into the game Purdue was surrendering 192.3 yards rushing (4.9 yards per carry) and 234.7 yards passing (9.8 yards per completion) against rather pedestrian competition

Excluding the yards per completion average, the Irish offense really just did what everyone else had already done.

Defense

The defense did not perform nearly as well as the offense.

The Irish defense gave up 462 yards to the Boilermakers, 359 of which came through the air. Notre Dame’s defense even allowed Purdue to average more yards per play than the prolific offense of the Irish.

Purdue’s offense had two big runs and four big passes for 193 yards at 32.2 yards per play. They averaged 6.1 yards per rushing attempt, 6.5 yards per passing attempt, and 12.4 yards per completion.

The 6.1 yards per carry were the highest allowed by the Notre Dame defense this season. Ditto the 12.4 yards per completion. About the only bright spot of the pass defense was allowing Boilermaker quarterback Curtis Painter to complete a relatively modest 52.7 percent of his pass attempts.

The defense also allowed Purdue to convert on almost 43 percent of their third down attempts, a season high. And this happened despite Purdue’s offense facing third down and more than five yards 85.6 percent of the time. Had the defense been able to get the Boilermaker offense off the field the time of possession advantage would have been even greater.

Once again, Notre Dame did not record a quarterback sack on the day. Despite some pressure, a few quarterback hurries, and some batted balls, Notre Dame’s aggressive, blitzing defense has little to show for its high-risk style of play. The Irish rank dead last in the country in sacks. Against better teams the Irish may pay for their gambles.

The Irish defense did, however, buckle down in the red zone. Purdue entered Saturday’s contest converting 90 percent of their red zone appearances into points. Notre Dame held them to just one score in three red zone tries.

David Bruton, Pat Kuntz, Maurice Crum, freshman Robert Blanton, Kyle McCarthy, and Brian Smith all notched five or more tackles for the Irish. Blanton added a 47-yard interception returned for a touchdown as well.

Special Teams

The Irish notched their first field goal of the season on 41-yard attempt by Brandon Walker.

Notre Dame also held Purdue’s dangerous kickoff returners to only 13.9 yards per return while turning in 26.3 yards per kickoff return. That’s good for over 12 yards of net kickoff difference in Notre Dame’s favor.

The Irish continue to perform well in the punting game, netting 42 yards per punt.

Summary

Through four games Notre Dame has shown significant statistical improvement from a deplorable 2007 season. It remains to be seen, however, if they can continue to build on success and maintain consistency in their play. To date, all but two of Notre Dame’s touchdowns have been scored by freshmen or sophomores. This speaks to the youth present on the team.

The Irish are 3-1 in large part because they have protected Clausen and improved their vertical passing game. However, minimizing turnovers, maintaining few penalties (41 yards per game), and a respectable running game are needed to continue winning.

Inconsistent play will cause future miscues, and this team is too young to overcome a host of mistakes, especially those that are self-inflicted.

Notre Dame vs. Purdue: Keys To An Irish Win

Notre Dame gets the Purdue Boilermakers at home Saturday. After opening the season slow against San Diego State then coming strong on against Michigan, the Irish took a step back last week against Michigan State.

On paper, the Boilermakers shouldn’t be as stiff of a challenge.

Through three games against Northern Colorado, Oregon, and Central Michigan the Boilermakers are giving up 427 yards per game. That isn’t exactly a gauntlet of powerhouses.

In particular, Purdue is allowing 192.3 yards per game on the ground. That’s good for the bottom quarter of college football and is the definitive weakness of this football team. The defensive line is relatively big, but the linebackers are on the smaller side and both units are in the bottom half of what Notre Dame will face this season.

The pass defense, however, has been respectable. On the year, Purdue has given up only three touchdowns through the air and 234.7 yards passing per game. They have also held their opponents to only 9.8 yards per completion.

In other words, the defense hasn’t given up a lot of long pass plays.

The defense has also been fairly effective on third down, only allowing 33 percent of opponent’s tries to be successfully converted. Opposing offenses with scoring opportunities have done fairly well, scoring on 69 percent of red zone possessions. But the Boilermakers have only allowed 40 percent of the red zone trips to result in touchdowns.

On offense it is the Curtis Painter and Kory Sheets show as the duo leads a fairly balanced attack resulting in over 33 points per game. Painter is having a modest year by his own standards, averaging just over 250 yards per game passing. He has been efficient, though, completing just under 60 percent of his throws and averaging 6.6 yards per attempt.

Sheets is averaging over 20 carries and 117 yards per game, but the most impressive statistic is his 5.7 yard per carry average and long run of 80 yards.

If there is one thing Purdue's offense does well it has to be red zone efficiency. The Boilermakers enter Saturday’s contest converting 90 percent of their red zone tries into points. Two thirds of those points are touchdowns.

On any average day the Irish would beat the Boilermakers a high percentage of the time. But Notre Dame always gets their opponent’s best game, so average likely won’t cut it for the Irish. Notre Dame will need a better offensive performance to match Purdue’s scoring. Obviously that will take improved red zone efficiency and elimination of costly turnovers, but the keys to winning are far more subtle.

Coming off a disappointing loss to the Spartans, this game will likely determine the direction of the remainder of the season.

Offense

1. At every opportunity create and take advantage of mismatches. Notre Dame’s biggest advantage in this game is their talent. The offense must create one-on-one opportunities to make plays and trust that their talented skill position players will make them.

The offense can’t negate this talent advantage by giving away the play before the snap or lacking creativity in the running game. Purdue’s defense has struggled to defend the run against opponents that don’t use a conventional rushing attack, teams that run out of obvious passing formations. Spread the field and get Armando Allen the ball in space.

Get Golden Tate and David Grimes in the slot, matched up with linebackers and safeties. Spread the field and force Purdue to go five deep in the secondary. Get Michael Floyd with single coverage down the field. And set up the big play rather than taking blind stabs at it over the course of the game. The Boilermaker defense hasn't given up many big plays in the passing game, the Irish offense can't afford to force the issue and risk a turnover.

2. Run it red. The anemic running game for Notre Dame has been well documented. The Irish don’t need to run the ball for 150 yards to win this game. They do need to run the ball well inside the twenty yard line to improve their atrocious red zone efficiency. Leaving points on the field won’t cut it in this game and an ineffective rushing attack is largely responsible for a 36 percent red zone scoring efficiency.

3. Change the field position. Help the Irish defense by making Purdue work to get into the red zone, limiting their scoring opportunities. The Irish offense must minimize three-and-out’s and eliminate turnovers in their own territory. Manageable third down distances are also advantageous as Notre Dame’s 32 percent third down conversion rate is largely a result of facing third and more than five yards over three quarters of the time.

Defense

1. Less is more. To date the Irish blitzing game has recorded only one sack. The high risk, high reward scheme has worked fairly well through three games but the Boilermakers present a unique challenge. With Purdue Notre Dame will get a blend of two offenses they have already faced.

The Boilermakers passing game will be similar to San Diego State, their running game similar to Michigan. Attempting to pressure a veteran quarterback like Painter will not force the same errant throws Aztec quarterback Ryan Lindley made.

Likewise, blitzing can take players out of position and cause problems with Sheets on the ground. This happened with Sam McGuffie against Michigan, leading to multiple big runs. The Irish defense is best served keeping everything in front of them and forcing Purdue to consistently execute to move the ball down the field.

2. Keep Purdue out of the red zone. The Boilermakers are remarkably efficient inside their opponent’s twenty so Notre Dame must prevent them from getting there. Stopping the big play is a start, but-as stated above-not playing a high risk defensive scheme and getting help from the offense will also be needed.

3. Tackle better. It was on the Christmas wish list and has been true in weeks one, two, and three. Against Purdue good tackling will be needed, but for a different reason. The Purdue offense is designed to get the ball to the skill players in space. After this they rely on one-on-one matchups and poor tackling to create yardage. The Irish must take this away from them.

Notre Dame vs. Michigan State Game Recap

Notre Dame shot itself in the foot multiple times Saturday, ultimately leading to their own demise. Coming off an emotional win against Michigan head coach Charlie Weis suspected emotionless play to be a problem, but he was hardly able to prevent it from handicapping Notre Dame’s offensive strategy.

Costly turnovers, combined with an inept rushing attack largely due to uninspired offensive line play, led to a 23-7 victory for the Spartans.

The turnovers left points on the board for the Irish and gifted points to Michigan State. The complete lack of a running game resulted in a decided disadvantage in ball control and a tired defense at the end of the contest.

Even without the turnovers, Notre Dame did not deserve to win. It may have been in a closer game, but the time of possession heavily favored the Spartans. And in a close game tired defenses are a liability.

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio knew this and rode running back Javon Ringer’s 39 carries and 201 yards to victory, controlling the clock until fatigue gave way to gaping running lanes in the fourth quarter.

The Irish would be wise to learn the value of an effective running attack from their opponents.

Offense

Offensive coordinator Mike Haywood is having a forgettable start to his career as a play caller. The Irish offense misses Weis’ playcalling prowess and Notre Dame is beginning to feel the impact. Haywood doesn’t think one or two plays ahead and doesn’t set up plays to stretch the field.

His approach is far more “throw it up against the wall and see what sticks” than clever planning. Whether it be via formation or down-and-distance tendencies, there is simply no creativity or intent to deceive the opposing defense.

Despite a glaring need to get short third down distances, play calling to achieve manageable third downs is a thing of the past.

Screens and draws must be used to slow an aggressive defense like Michigan State employed Saturday. Once a staple of Weis’ offense, the former wasn’t executed, the latter wasn’t used enough.

Additionally, there were multiple instances when a double move was practically begging to be called. There were also ample opportunities to execute such a play off a similar, previously used play call.

Presumably this would allow quarterback Jimmy Clausen to get the ball down the field in a manner other than trying to take advantage of a one-on-one matchup. Haywood didn’t call it once.

Despite a desire to the run the ball, Notre Dame has suffered through the better part of 15 games with a coaching staff seemingly unable to craft an effective, first-strike running scheme.

This was never more evident than against Michigan State.

The Irish were not unwilling to run the football. They were simply unable. Haywood wanted to run the ball to control the game and keep Ringer off the field. This was a good strategy and paramount to success.

But the first six offensive plays were runs that went for nothing. After that Notre Dame only called a designed run once every five plays. It isn’t difficult to stop a one-dimensional offense, no matter what dimension it employs.

Spreading the field and throwing the ball was the best option to win. The coaching staff made the appropriate adjustment during the game. The problem lies in the fact that Notre Dame is unable to run the football proficiently and consistently. And there is no excuse. In fact, it is altogether embarrassing.

The Irish have the talent to run the ball. In this game (and in most games) Notre Dame held a distinct size advantage up front. But a lack of determination by the offensive line, poorly designed running plays, and a lack of creative play calling all contributed to a woeful ground game.

There is little-to-no misdirection, the motioning tight end frequently gives away the direction of play, and no effort is made to utilize the specific talents of the three running backs or the offensive line. The staff has recruited two bigger, pounding running backs and beefed up the offensive front, but still frequently challenges the players to employ a finesse running game that takes too long to develop.

It’s like asking to fit a square peg into a round hole.

The alternative, asking a young team to consistently spread the field and execute a short drop, hot read, sight adjustment passing game, isn’t reasonable.

Admittedly, the difference between this game and 2007 was increased efficiency in this area as the Irish capably moved the ball at times. In 2007 the Irish didn’t give themselves scoring opportunities, now they simply aren’t converting them.

But relying on such a high level of precision execution with a young offense isn’t smart coaching. This is especially true when all the pieces needed for an effective running game are already on the roster.

This is no more evident than in Notre Dame’s red zone efficiency. The Irish are 4 of 11 in the red zone, potentially leaving 21 to 49 points on the field. Most of this poor efficiency is due to inconsistent execution on a short field, where going deep with the ball isn’t possible due to limited real estate. An effective running game would certainly help mitigate this problem.

Of course, the offensive line certainly didn’t help.

Poor play calling aside, there was no passion up front for the Irish. Notre Dame’s offensive line was timid and hesitant, not aggressive and dominating. The Irish got no movement off the ball against a defensive front they vastly outweighed. Lack of emotion threw the game plan right out the window.

Michigan State deserves all the credit. They took a page out of the 2007 defensive playbook against the Irish and followed the recipe well: shut down the run, play press-man on the outside, and blitz Clausen all day. Notre Dame never managed to match their intensity.

Clausen continues to struggle protecting the ball as well, averaging two interceptions per game. While some of his throws are excellent, he is still inconsistent, doesn’t move up into the pocket to evade the pass rush, and throws deep balls up for grabs rather than putting it where only his receiver (or the ground) can get it. There were several times Saturday when Clausen missed big play opportunities because he didn’t throw the ball accurately down the field.

Freshman tight end Kyle Rudolph continues to be an enormous liability in the running game and a modest contributor in the passing game. It is puzzling why he remains on the field. With junior Will Yeatman likely off the team for his second alcohol related offense, junior Luke Schmidt must step up and be a force in the running game.

There were, however, some bright spots for the Notre Dame offense.

The Irish converted better than 46.2 percent of their third downs, up from the 25 percent rate they entered the game with. This came despite continued poor execution on first and second down as Notre Dame faced third and long on over 90 percent of their chances.

The pass blocking continues to be an area of improvement for the Irish. Even though Clausen was sacked three times and pressured numerous others, the Irish protected him well for most of the day. It’s difficult to stop a defensive front that knows you are throwing the football. Notre Dame is only giving up one sack per 32 pass attempts, a dramatic improvement from 2007.

Golden Tate continues to be a playmaker and should only blossom more with time. He has a “never quit” attitude and the talent to do special things with the ball in his hands. It is puzzling why he doesn’t get it more often. Freshman Michael Floyd also had a very productive day.

But the overall offensive performance was lackluster and disappointing. Significant strides must be made to be consistently effective moving the ball in the future. Being one-dimensional handicaps the players and gives a distinct advantage to the defense. Cutting out drive-killing turnovers would also be beneficial.

Defense

The defense played very well against the Spartans, allowing quarterback Brian Hoyer to complete less than 50 percent of his passes and containing Ringer to 2.9 yards per carry if you take out his three big runs. Most of Michigan State’s offensive production came in the waning moments of the game when the Irish defense ran out of gas.

As the defense wore down Ringer became more effective and without a substantial lead (or one at all) Notre Dame couldn’t force Hoyer to win the game. As a team, Notre Dame didn’t do what it needed to do to win. As a unit, the defense held up for as long as it could.

The poor recruiting along the defensive line in Weis’ first two years is starting to show. The lack of depth along the front 3/4 ensures that the Irish must sell out to stop the run. Against Michigan State it was a matter of getting tired. Against a two-dimensional offensive football team it will lead to big plays in the passing game.

Besides Terrail Lambert, the secondary played well throughout the day. Other than a few mistakes Notre Dame tackled well and rotated into coverage. Raeshon McNeil has certainly begun to erase memories of Darrin Walls with his excellent play and safety Kyle McCarthy continues to be a sure tackler.

The linebacker play for Notre Dame continues to be a strength of the defense. A few years removed from some of the worst linebacker play in years, assistant head coach Jon Tenuta has morphed Maurice Crum and Brian Smith into a potent combination of speed, aggression, and talent. Smith, in particular, has the potential to be an All-American.

The Irish focused on shutting down the run against Michigan State and did so for most of the day. The problem typically came on third down. Despite forcing the Spartans into third and long on 90 percent of their tries, Notre Dame allowed Michigan State to convert on 40 percent of their tries.

Even with a high blitz rate Notre Dame still only has one sack on the year. Against Michigan State many of the blitz’s were aimed at filling the gaps to stop the running game. But for all the hoopla surrounding Tenuta’s attacking and aggressive defensive scheme, it certainly hasn’t been productive in the sack column.

As discussed above, the fatigue of the defense was directly tied to the inability to run the football and control the clock. This was a problem against Michigan in week two but a comfortable lead prevented it from coming back to hurt the Irish. It will continue to be a problem in close games if Notre Dame’s offensive staff fails to develop a running game.

Special Teams

Special teams are a mixed bag for the Irish. While the coverage units are solid, the return teams are inconsistent. The field goal unit hasn’t attempted a reasonably easy opportunity, but having problems with the snap and/or hold on half of the attempts don’t provide a lot of confidence.

Summary

This game is evidence that Weis is still learning how to do his job. He is learning the college game, he is learning to be a head coach, and he is doing both at the same time.

It seems like four years would be enough to get up that learning curve. But the success of years one and two never really forced Weis to do it. This isn't an excuse, it is reality. Weis has shown a willingness to change, but that might not be enough.

The excuses are running out for Weis. While still young, the Irish are plenty talented. They don’t need to win every game but they should at least be competent and competitive. The defense has improved from an already respectable unit in 2007 but the offense is still struggling even though it is Weis’ area of expertise.

The primary problem on offense seems to be Weis’ cerebral approach to the game. In the NFL this approach is an advantage, you take what the defense gives you and creatively scheme each week.

But in college it is often times more advantageous to simply impose your will and dictate the game. Teaching an offense to react to opposing defenses requires ample practice time and physically and mentally mature players. Weis is still struggling with these differences.

This is apparent in his week-to-week offensive game plan and inadequacy at motivating his players.

The Irish see-saw between game plans based on the weaknesses of opposing defenses. This creates a lack of continuity among the offensive players. Sometimes constant change creates more problems than the changes solve.

Rather than practicing multiple things each week, the Irish would be better served perfecting one facet of their offense and building around it. That doesn’t mean the Irish can’t tweak their offensive game plan based on the opposition. It just means the team needs an identity, something to build on, something the offense can always come back to when they need yards.

Motivation is also a factor. For the third time in four years Weis correctly identified passive play as a potential obstacle heading into the game against Michigan State.

In 2005 the Irish came off an emotional win over a highly ranked Michigan squad only to start slow and climb an uphill battle against the Spartans. In 2006 Notre Dame suffered a devastating defeat to the Wolverines before traveling to East Lansing and needing a monumental fourth quarter comeback to beat Michigan State. This season the Irish followed a big win over Michigan with a pathetic first half of offensive production.

Each time Weis was unable to solve a problem he correctly anticipated. It’s difficult to motivate players when you’re constantly teaching the mental aspects of the game as the key to winning. It de-emphasizes the importance of physical play. Increasing the physicality of practices helps, but a finesse-based offense doesn’t.

Game planning and motivating aside, the most disturbing aspect of Weis’ offensive approach is his staff’s inability to develop an effective running game. There are multiple, compelling benefits of a proficient ground attack and it is a necessary ingredient to consistently beat good football teams and compete for national championships.

It is difficult to imagine such an experienced offensive coaching staff not understanding the importance of running the football. It is also difficult to imagine said coaching staff being unable to develop an effective rushing scheme. But one or the other will have to give for Weis to succeed in the long term at Notre Dame.

Statistically Speaking: Notre Dame vs. Michigan State

Against the Spartans, Notre Dame returned to the form they showed in their first game against San Diego State.

Turnovers and red zone efficiency improved from week one to week two for the Irish but poor third down efficiency continued to plague Notre Dame’s offense. While third down efficiency improved from 25 percent against San Diego State and Michigan to 46.2 percent against Michigan State, it was not enough to overcome the lapse in turnovers and red zone efficiency.

Three remarkably untimely turnovers left points on the field and gifted points to the Spartans. This ultimately led to the Irish loss although an embarrassing rushing output also contributed to their demise. Throw in only two trips to the red zone, not converting points on either of them, and you have a recipe for failure.

Notre Dame has yet to perform for an entire game in the three statistical categories that most strongly correlate to winning: turnovers, red zone efficiency, and third down efficiency. And despite only averaging 40 yards in penalties a game, many of them are poorly timed resulting in stalled drives or giving the opposition a first down.

Offense

About the only bright spot on offense was the increased efficiency on third down.

Despite needing to improve dramatically on down and distance management, the Irish faced third and five plus yards on more than 90 percent of their third downs. That value is up from already high numbers of 58.3 against San Diego State and 75 percent against Michigan. That Notre Dame was able to convert 46.2 percent of their into first downs in the contest Saturday is a miracle.

Notre Dame averaged 4.1 yards per play, down from 5 and 4.7 in weeks one and two respectively. The Irish gained 258 total yards with roughly 94 percent coming through the air. Offensive coordinator Mike Haywood called 22 runs and 41 passes but the run/pass play selection was really more skewed.

After running on its first seven plays for virtually no gain, Notre Dame only called ten running plays for the remainder of the game. Compare that to the 41 passes thrown by quarterback Jimmy Clausen and the Irish only ran the ball once every five plays after the first two offensive series.

To date the Irish are averaging fewer than 290 total yards per game and a paltry 78 yards per game on the ground.

Removing big plays (runs greater 15 yards, passes greater than 20 yards) from the yardage totals shows how much the Irish rely on the their down field passing game rather than consistent offensive production.

Notre Dame has had ten big plays on the season, with eight of them coming through the air. Those ten plays are worth 316 yards for a 31.6 yard per play average and over 105 yards per game. That translates into nearly 37 percent of the total offense coming from the vertical passing game. Obviously, the Irish running game is nearly non-existent.

Against Michigan State the running game was even more anemic. Notre Dame ran the ball 22 times for 16 yards, a 0.7 yard per carry average. Even subtracting the three sacks of Clausen the Irish only averaged 2.0 yards per carry. That is hardly respectable given the size advantage of Notre Dame’s offensive line.

Speaking of sacks, the Irish surrendered their first three of the season. While Michigan State only sacked Clausen three times, they pressured and hit him numerous others. Even so, Notre Dame is only giving up one sack per 32 passing attempts, a solid improvement over the one sack per 6.7 passing attempts of 2007.

Clausen completed 58.5 percent of his attempts for 242 yards, but had his lowest yards per completion average of the season at only 10.1 yards per completion. His yards per attempt also dipped from 7 yards in the first two games to 5.9 yards against Michigan State. This was mostly due to the Irish offense’s inability to consistently throw down the field.

Clausen continued to throw interceptions against Michigan State, notching picks five and six on the year. At one pick per 16 pass attempts, Clausen is not on a good pace for the season. At his current rate he will finish even with 24 touchdowns and interceptions.

Receivers Michael Floyd and Golden Tate continue to impress. Floyd nabbed 7 balls for 86 yards and a touchdown while Tate caught 5 passes for 83 yards.

For the second straight game Notre Dame was beaten in the time of possession, with Michigan State holding nearly an eight minute edge. This showed late in the game as the Irish defense struggled to contain Spartan running back Javon Ringer.

Defense

For over three quarters the defense played well. Despite facing a short field twice, the defense only surrendered thirteen points and kept Notre Dame in the game. The inability to get off the field on third down and lack of running game by the Irish offense to control the time of possession doomed them in the end.

Against quarterback Brian Hoyer and the Spartan passing game, Notre Dame more than held their own. Despite giving up 5.5 yards per attempt and 11.9 yards per completion, the Irish allowed Hoyer to complete only 46.2 percent of his passes for a paltry 143 yards.

On the year Notre Dame is only surrendering just over 215 yards per game through the air, allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete only 53.1 percent of their passes.

The problem was defending Ringer and the running game for four quarters. Ringer ran for 201 yards and two touchdowns against the Irish at a rate of 5.2 yards per carry. However, over 47 percent of his yardage came on three plays. Without those big runs Ringer averaged a modest 2.9 yards per carry. The Irish defense really contained him, save three long runs.

Once again Notre Dame got solid play from its secondary and linebackers. Linebacker Brian Smith racked up ten tackles-one for a loss-and forced a fumble on a very aware play. Smith looks to be headed towards All-American status in the future. Veteran linebacker Maurice Crum also added eight stops for the Irish.

Safeties Kyle McCarthy and David Bruton notched nine and ten tackles respectively. McCarthy continues to be one of the better tacklers in the country.

Special Teams

The special teams improved in one area but regressed in the others.

The Irish punt coverage unit continues to be solid, giving up only one return for ten yards despite punting five times.

But the field goal unit has yet to convert a single attempt. On the year half of Notre Dame’s field goal attempts have been resulted in a poor snap and/or hold.

Kickoff coverage also looked spotty Saturday as the Irish averaged only 36.5 net yards per kickoff. Compare that to Michigan State’s 44 net yards per kickoff average and you get a first down’s worth of field position change.

One good kickoff return and another good punt return gave the Irish respectable averages in both categories but the remainder of the day saw mediocrity in the return game.

Summary

The Irish lost this game with turnovers. However, even without the turnovers Notre Dame hardly played well enough to win. Had it been a closer game down the stretch there is still no guarantee of a win as Michigan State’s ability to run the football, control the clock, and wear down the Irish defense paid huge dividends in the fourth quarter.

Head coach Charlie Weis and his staff would be well served learning a lesson on the importance of ball control from this loss. After all, the benefits of a solid running game are numerous and the Notre Dame offense is built to run the football.

Notre Dame vs. Michigan State: Keys To An Irish Win

Notre Dame travels to East Lansing this weekend to take on the Michigan State Spartans. Notre Dame hasn’t played well on offense, defense, and special teams for four consecutive quarters, but that is likely what will be needed to produce a win as this is arguably the toughest challenge to date for the Irish.

The game will pit Michigan State’s strength against Notre Dame’s weakness.

Michigan State enters the game rushing for 192 yards per contest and 4.1 yards per carry. Spartan head coach Mark Dantonio is more than happy pounding the ball with stud running back Javon Ringer.

For the season Notre Dame has given up four yards per carry to Michigan (124 yards per game rushing) and San Diego State (35 yards per game rushing). The defensive front three/four for the Irish has been fairly weak against the run and at only 278 pounds per man, give up well over 30 pounds to the Michigan State offensive line. It will certainly be a test of size and strength versus speed and quickness.

It is imperative that the Irish negate the Spartan advantage in the ground game. Special teams must continue to play well, giving Notre Dame an advantage in field position and forcing Michigan State to face a long field all day.

The offensive and defensive units must also work together to neutralize Ringer.

Offense

1. Score early and often. The Irish have shown they can go deep in the passing game and be successful as indicated by a better than 12.3 yard per completion average on the season. If quarterback Jimmy Clausen can find Golden Tate, Michael Floyd, and Duval Kamara behind a suspect Spartan secondary it bodes well for the Irish. Getting a large lead early would potentially force the Michigan State offense to get out of their comfort zone and go to the passing game in an attempt to play catch-up.

2. Chew the clock. Against a Michigan stout front seven surrendering less than one yard per carry Notre Dame was able to run the ball relatively effectively. The Irish averaged 3.3 yards per carry even though the Wolverines knew they were trying to kill the clock in the second half. Notre Dame would be well advised to go back to the power running game and keep Ringer off the field.

3. Stay ahead in the down and distance. Notre Dame has been atrocious on third down, converting only 25 percent of their opportunities through two games. Part of this poor performance can certainly be attributed to execution. However, far too often the Irish playcalling has been aggressive on first and second down. This has resulted in third and middle-to-long two thirds of the time. Head coach Charlie Weis said there will be an emphasis on third down playcalling and execution this week, but first and second down are equally as important.

Defense

1. Force Brian Hoyer to win the game. The Spartan signal caller is a capable quarterback in many respects but lacks playmakers at the wide receiver position. If asked to win the game it is unlikely he will be able to live up to expectations against a strong Irish secondary. This task is much easier if the offense can build a substantial lead early.

2. Keep Michigan State in long down and distances. Lock up on the edge, sell out against the run on first down, and force Hoyer to throw on second and third (and long) to move the ball. The Spartan playbook is significantly reduced in size if the Irish can produce these long down and distance situations. If Notre Dame can neutralize the run on first down it will go a long way in helping them win the game.

3. Tackle better. It was true in week one and in week two, but will be even more important this week. Ringer is a back that gets better as the game goes on and as he gains momentum running the ball. Taking him down with the first defender is paramount to success. This was a pre-season focus and should continue to be a point of emphasis for the Irish defense.

Statistically Speaking: Notre Dame vs. Michigan

Despite surrendering roughly 50 percent more yards to the Wolverines, the Fighting Irish came out on top 35-17. The tale of the game was six Wolverine turnovers, largely the result of carelessness and poor weather conditions. All in all Notre Dame produced 28 points off these Michigan miscues.

But credit should be given to the Irish as they made Michigan pay dearly converting the first two Michigan fumbles into touchdowns that gave Notre Dame a 14-0 lead only four minutes into the game. After a Michigan drive stalled in Irish territory quarterback, Jimmy Clausen wasted no time and connected with Golden Tate for a 48 yard strike. This gave the Irish a 21-0 lead with 4:51 left in the first quarter.

Michigan was never able to battle back.

Offense

The Notre Dame offense improved over last week in red zone efficiency and turnovers. The Irish converted three of four red zone appearances into touchdowns and reduced the number of turnovers by two. Despite converting only 25 percent of their third down attempts for the second straight week, these two areas show good improvement.

The Irish offense averaged 4.7 yards per play running the ball 34 times while attempting only 21 passes for a 61.8/38.2 percent run/pass split. Total offense was down from 342 yards in week one to 260 yards. However, the total yardage in the game was misleading as Notre Dame faced a short field many times in the first half and spent much of the second half killing the clock.

The Irish lost the time of possession game by more than four minutes. The first half, in particular, saw the Wolverines grab more than a nine minute advantage before Notre Dame went to the ground in the second half attempting to shorten the game. With a thin defense and suspect front four, not controlling the clock in the future could be problematic for the Irish.

Notre Dame ran the ball for 113 yards. That translates to 3.3 yards per rush, slightly up from their 3.1 yards per carry output against San Diego State. The Irish gained only five first downs on the ground but did manage to score twice running the football.

This leads one to believe the rushing performance was poor. That may not have been the case. Michigan entered the game yielding fewer than one yard per carry. Additionally, many of the Irish rushing attempts occurred in the second half when Michigan knew Notre Dame was going to run in order to run the clock.

Robert Hughes led the way on the ground, taking 19 carries for 79 yards and two touchdowns. At 4.2 yards per carry, Hughes definitely looked like the workhorse back preseason prognosticators forecasted.

The Irish added only four more first downs through the air, but two touchdown passes of more than ten yards and a Golden Tate 60 yard slant route certainly lowered that number.

Clausen completed less than 50 percent of his throws, down from a much more efficient game against the Aztecs. His yards per attempt stayed steady at seven but his yards per completion increased from 11.3 to 14.7. Compare that to 9.1 yards per completion from 2007 and it is evident that the Irish are much more adept at the vertical passing game. Cutting down on interceptions would be advised as Clausen is averaging one per 13.8 passing attempts.

Once again, the Irish protected Clausen. Michigan entered the game second in the nation in getting to the quarterback, but the Irish did not surrender a single sack. This is week two of a welcomed new trend for the Irish.

Tate had a monster day hauling in passes from Clausen. To date Tate has caught ten balls for 220 yards and two touchdowns. That 22 yard per reception average is certainly indicative of his ability to stretch the field.

Finally, all five of the Irish touchdowns-even Brian Smith’s fumble return-were accounted for by sophomores. That bodes very well for the future, and for Weis’ recruiting efforts.

Defense

The defense looked suspect at times, particularly in the first half. As mentioned above, Michigan owned a more than nine minute edge in first half time of possession. This was evident in poor tackling and a lack of effort on many plays.

The credit, however, goes to the defensive coaching staff as the Irish adjusted well at halftime. After allowing Michigan running back Sam McGuffie to gash his way to more than 80 first half yards, the Irish defense stiffened, holding the Wolverines to only 2.5 yards per carry in the second half. Additionally, Notre Dame gave up zero second half points.

Notre Dame surrendered 5.5 yards per play to Michigan, with 8.2 yards per play coming through the air. That’s up from only 5.6 yards per pass attempt in week one. Michigan was able to get 12.1 yards per completion as well. That isn’t as productive as the Irish passing attack, but it is significantly higher than the 10.7 yards the Irish gave up to San Diego State.

In terms of sacks, the Irish blitzing attack was relatively inefficient (again). Despite applying pressure for much of the day Notre Dame failed to record a single sack. This can expose the secondary and exemplify the high risk defense the Notre Dame scheme dictates.

Once again, the Irish safeties led the way with David Bruton notching 15 tackles and Kyle McCarthy getting ten. Throw a forced fumble and interception in for Bruton, and the senior play-maker is starting to show his true colors.

Special Teams

Special teams continue to be a bright spot for the Irish, at least compared to 2007. For the second straight week Notre Dame had more than a 15 yard advantage in field possession.

The Irish punt and kickoff coverage units held the Wolverines to negative punt return yards and only 11.4 yards per kickoff return. Gunners Bruton and Mike Anello are excellent.

Notre Dame averaged 51.5 net yards per kickoff compared to Michigan’s 43.8. However, the Wolverines got the better of the Irish in the punting game with 49.8 yards netted per punt compared to 44.2 for the Irish.

But the real bright spot came in the form of Anello’s fumble recovery on Michigan’s second kickoff return. Anello was the first Irish special teams player down the field and proved, once again, that heart matters.

Summary

Notre Dame really put this game away early in the first half by capitalizing on two Michigan turnovers. The total yard statistics favor the Wolverines but the Irish were really just trying to run the clock leading with inclement weather. To be certain, it was not a dominating effort, but red zone efficiency and turnover margin ultimately led to victory.

Notre Dame vs. Michigan Game Recap

After needing fourth quarter heroics to beat a significantly less talented San Diego State squad, Notre Dame came out and put the Michigan Wolverines away early. The Irish played a more complete game than they did in week one, capitalizing on six Michigan turnovers en route to a 35-17 victory.

Forget the specifics, the intangibles, the Michigan turnovers. There is no reason to hash out who played well and who didn’t. This was a statement game, not a statement win. It was a statement that the program is back moving in the right direction. And the Irish made their statement in convincing fashion. They came out swinging, went for the jugular early and often, and rode the clock (and wet weather) to victory.

Despite having a down year, Michigan is still Michigan. They have ample talent (particularly on the defensive side of the ball), a non-conventional offense that is difficult to defend, and they look to be improving. But the Irish came away with a confidence building victory over their rival opponent that had taken them behind the wood shed the past two seasons.

To be certain, Michigan lost the game as much as Notre Dame won it. Committing six turnovers is nearly impossible to overcome. But that doesn’t take away from the magnitude of what the Notre Dame players have accomplished since a deplorable 2007 season.

Facing an off-season of adversity, the Irish look like they have turned the corner. There is discernable improvement everywhere on the team starting with the most maligned unit of 2007, the offensive line. The Irish have established a down-field passing attack, are beginning to control the line of scrimmage, have dramatically improved special teams play, and have found a more than capable signal caller in quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

The recruiting of head coach Charlie Weis is also starting to show. The talent along the offensive line is growing to reach its potential and the players are gelling as a unit. The Irish have three legitimate running backs, several wide receivers with play making potential, and the quarterback to get them the ball.

The secondary is fast, athletic, and has excellent coverage skills. The outside pass rush is effective, and the linebacking corps has improved dramatically from last season. Unfortunately, the defensive line is still a liability, even with solid minutes from some of the younger players.

But the defensive line is only the tip of the iceberg. There is no question that the Irish must improve to extend their win streak. Tackling was suspect Saturday, the running game hasn’t been consistently effective, and Clausen et. al. must continue to minimize turnovers. Failure to control the clock and win time of possession in the future could come back to haunt an already thin defense.

That thin defense is trying to execute a high risk, high reward scheme. Blitzing frequently to apply pressure to the quarterback leaves the secondary vulnerable to big plays. Through two games Notre Dame has only generated a single sack. If the Irish aren’t getting home on many blitzes it seems unjustified to continue risking the big play with little promise of a reward.

Additionally, an Irish defense with ideal personnel for the spread didn’t stop a Michigan offense still struggling to execute. The Irish also continue to exhibit a baffling lack of commitment to the running game and playcalling that is frequently too cute. The former, coupled with the latter, will allow more disciplined opponents with fewer turnovers to come away with a win.

But the fact that the team has come so far in only twelve months shows the arrow is pointing in the right direction. Execution is inconsistent (particularly on third down), but the Irish are young and there are far more positives than negatives to glean from Saturday’s performance. Namely, red zone efficiency and turnover margin improved from week one and are the two biggest reasons for the win.

Notre Dame is by no means an elite team, but there is definitely progress being made and the credit has to go to the head man. In the face of mounting criticism Weis stuck to his plan, believed in his philosophy, and implemented off-season changes that have certainly paid dividends.

On top of all that, he showed a commitment to the program and to his players Saturday, remaining on the sideline after a serious injury and watching the team get their first meaningful win in over a year.

For a Notre Dame squad that lacked fun for most of the 2007 season, they seem to have exorcized the demons. The Irish players certainly appeared to be having a good time on Saturday. Enjoy it boys. Enjoy it and get back to work. The season has just begun and improvement is still needed. Michigan State is next, and it will take a better performance to come away with a win.

Notre Dame vs. Michigan: Keys To An Irish Win

With the Irish and Wolverines both projected to have poor seasons, the game Saturday is a must win for both teams. Effort, physical play, and determination should go a long way in determining the winner as the contest should be a low scoring affair decided in the waning moments.

Offense

1. Establish the run. As was true last week and will be true all season, Notre Dame must run the ball successfully to be consistently effective on offense. The running game chews the clock, wears down the defense, opens up play action, and takes pressure off quarterback Jimmy Clausen and the passing game. As Michigan has one of the more talented defenses on the Irish schedule, running the ball well is paramount to success on offense for Notre Dame.

2. Minimize mistakes. If the Irish can avoid the offensive mistakes that plagued them through three quarters of play against San Diego State they should win the game. Turnovers, poor execution on third down and missed opportunities in the red zone nearly cost them the game.

3. Execute the screen and draw game. If the Michigan coaching staff is worth anything they will lock down on the edge, put eight in the box, stop the run, and apply pressure to Clausen on obvious passing downs. The Irish passing game showed improvement against San Diego State, but the performance carries an asterisk as the Aztecs aren’t a good defense. To slow the pass rush and prevent Michigan from blindly rushing the passer the Irish offense must give them pause.

Defense

1. Tackle well in the open field. Like last week the Notre Dame defense must tackle well to prevent long gains and get the Michigan offense off the field. Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez will make every attempt to get his offensive players the ball in space, one-on-one with an Irish defender. Notre Dame must tackle well to stop the Wolverine offense.

2. Call off the dogs. The Irish don’t have to stop blitzing all together but caution is advised. Multiple times against San Diego State Irish defenders took themselve out of the play by blitzing with little control. The zone-read is tough to stop, if the Irish blitz and take themselves out of position they could be in for a long day.

3. Help from the reserves. This figures to be a physical game and with Michigan spreading the field the Irish will frequently play nickel and dime packages. The secondary needs help from backups Robert Blanton and Gary Gray and the defensive line needs help from reserves Ethan Johnson and Maurice Richardson. This should keep players fresh and help executing tackles in open space.

Notre Dame vs. San Diego State Game Recap

Notre Dame came away with a victory Saturday despite a lackluster offense for three quarters. The Irish certainly did not “dive right in,” struggling in the three most important statistical categories which resulted in a much closer game than most anticipated. Only a dramatically improved fourth quarter effort rescued the Irish from losing their season opener.

Reminiscent of Tyrone Willingham’s woeful offenses, the Irish played down to their opposition, looked unprepared, and definitely did not display the schematic advantage Weis promised upon his arrival in South Bend. The lack of a physical, efficient, and effective running game has left many Irish fans wondering if “nasty” is merely a buzzword.

Beating a struggling San Diego State squad by only eight points and trailing late in the game isn’t the script head coach Charlie Weis would have written for his team. However, there are some positives to be gleaned from an offensive effort that, in many ways, mirrored the ineptitude of 2007.

Defensively the Irish looked good and special teams have improved from last year. But one game of progress in these areas is hardly enough to offset the marginal growth of the offense, particularly when that was Weis' supposed forte.

Offense

Despite scoring only once in five red zone possessions and converting on a paltry 25 percent of its third downs, there were positives on offense for the Irish. En route to a 14 point fourth quarter, the Irish dominated time of possession and total yards. At times the offense showed improvement from 2007 but much more consistency is needed for Notre Dame to extend their win streak to four and beyond.

On many plays the difference between a modest gain and breaking a long run were minimal, but the fact remains that the offense clicked when it had to. Losing in the fourth quarter last season, a victory would have been very unlikely.

Quarterback

Against the Aztecs quarterback Jimmy Clausen had a coming out party. Showing marked improvement Clausen completed nearly 62 percent of his passes for 247 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. One of his two interceptions was largely not his fault and his play was one of the bright spots for a unit that struggled to consistently move the ball.

Clausen didn’t panic when the team went down, saving his best play to lead the Fighting Irish comeback in the fourth quarter. He looks more comfortable in the pocket, has a very quick release, has much more velocity on his throws, and showed great touch on his deep passes. Often the timing of his passes was perfect.

Like the offensive line, Clausen still struggles in some areas of his game. His mechanics on play action passes are lacking, he made a few poor reads (including the second interception), and he still stares down his receiver on occasion. Perhaps to silence his critics, Clausen also seemed to be putting too much behind some of his throws in the first half. Hopefully these are sophomore mistakes that will improve with time because the physical talent is certainly there.

Running Back

The running back position was thought to be a strength of the team, but Saturday’s performance was a mixed bag. The talented trio of Armando Allen, Robert Hughes, and James Aldridge was cut to two as Aldridge saw no playing time.

Allen ran with more patience on Saturday than at any time during the 2007 season. He showed grit and determination, also providing some fireworks on a punt return. His pass protection has dramatically improved and he showed good hands and ability in the passing game.

But Irish fans have to be concerned about Allen’s speed. Once thought to be a homerun threat, he seems to have lost a step from 2007. His cutting ability and acceleration are good but he isn't able to separate from defenders in open space.

Despite running tough at some points during the game, Hughes seemed timid at others, not displaying the decisive running he showed at the end of the 2007 season and misreading his blockers.

Hughes did, however, continue to impress with his agility and balance, showing soft hands in the passing game and the ability to create on screen passes. As the game progressed and the Aztec defense wore down he became more effective.

Wide Receiver

Once thought to be a potential weakness, the wide receiver position may be an emerging strength.

Clausen complete passes to four wide receivers with most of the production coming from sophomore Golden Tate. Tate’s improvement from 2007 is readily apparent. Armed with elite speed, a better understanding of the position, increased route running ability, and excellent hands, Tate proved to be the deep threat Notre Dame needs. If he can improve his blocking and release off the line of scrimmage, he will continue to be a valuable receiving weapon for the Irish.

Freshman Michael Floyd got into the mix at the end of the first half taking a Clausen audible 22 yards to pay dirt. Floyd looks athletic and agile running routes. His release off the line of scrimmage is strong and quick, allowing him to get behind the defender on multiple occasions. Through one game of action he certainly looks like he has very good potential despite only catching one pass.

Dependable senior David Grimes had a good game for the Irish catching 5 passes for 35 yards and a touchdown. Absent were the drops from 2007 that killed drives. Grimes also blocked well down the field despite an undeserved flag for holding.

The biggest disappoint of the wide receivers had to be Duval Kamara. Despite an excess of ability Kamara seemed lost at times and lacking concentration at others. He was directly responsible for Clausen’s first interception and showed poor effort for much of the day. The Irish receiving corps needs his play, but concentration problems and a lack of effort may allow other talented players on the roster to surpass him.

Tight End

Notre Dame spent much of its day in multiple tight end formations, using Will Yeatman, Luke Schmidt, and Kyle Rudolph as blockers. Yeatman and Schmidt performed admirably, blocking very well for most of the afternoon.

Rudolph, however, showed that he is merely a freshman. He has tremendous upside but will need to considerably improve his blocking to be on the field in all situations.

Offensive Line

With nowhere to go but up, the offensive line play has improved considerably for Notre Dame.

Despite the off-season size increase, the offensive line looked more athletic than last season indicating a better understanding of their assignments and more reaction in their play. This is a welcomed change from a unit that looked hesitant and inept much of last season.

The entire front five played with determination for much of the game despite an incompetent offensive game plan (more on this later). They were physical at the point of attack, got good push off the line of scrimmage, showed good effort, and didn’t give up a single sack through 34 pass attempts. This was to be expected against a San Diego State defensive line missing seven players but was encouraging just the same.

Left guard Eric Olsen played well for much of the afternoon and right tackle Sam Young’s leadership is evident in his effort. The pass blocking technique of Young and fellow tackle Mike Turkovich has improved dramatically and all five members of the unit showed progress cutting the defensive line.

There is room for improvement, however, as the interior players struggled to engage defenders at the second level and drive after contact. Additionally, blocking away from the play was mediocre at best. Olsen and right guard Chris Stewart must improve their hand position when blocking linebackers and members of the secondary. Scooping on the backside must also improve as several runs were stopped by pursuit running down the play.

Defense

The Irish defense performed admirably holding Aztec quarterback Ryan Lindley to less than a 50 percent completion percentage and under five yards per pass attempt. Despite an excellent game plan by San Diego State head coach Chuck Long and good effort from the Aztec players, Notre Dame repeatedly pressured Lindley, sacking him once and batting down eight passes. San Diego State was also fairly ineffective on third down, converting only 31 percent of their attempts.

The defense was fast and aggressive, blitzing repeatedly. This forced Lindley to get rid of the ball quickly, after which the secondary mopped up the Aztec receivers with good tackling.

There is room for improvement as the philosophy for the Irish has changed considerably from last year, and it will take some time to perfect the new, blitz-happy scheme.

Mostly, this improvement needs to come in how the Irish blitz.

At times defenders were slightly out of position, allowing Aztec players to evade the rush. The Irish defenders need to be more controlled, able to make a play on the ball rather than wildly rushing the quarterback.

Notre Dame's defense also needs to work on timing. Often Irish defenders showed the blitz too soon, enabling the San Diego State offense to recognize it and subsequently pick it up. They would be better served showing the same pre-snap formations and executing the blitz after the snap.

Finally, San Diego State was able to cut onrushing Irish defenders with relative ease. Notre Dame needs to work on avoiding these types of blocks with hurdles or creating more space to allow players to avoid the blockers.

Defensive Line

The Irish defensive line looked good at some times, poor at others. It seems evident that Notre Dame will not be able to get pressure with the front three/four. Despite a somewhat makeshift offensive line, San Diego State was able to handle the Irish defensive linemen with relative ease.

Defensive linemen John Ryan and Justin Brown were the biggest disappointments, taking several plays off and not showing consistent effort. Ian Williams had a decent day, but still struggles to shed blocks.

There were, however, some bright spots. Kerry Neal looked good for much of the day and freshman Ethan Johnson showed some excellent pass rushing skills. Johnson really uses his hands well and has good explosiveness off the ball.

Linebackers

It seems that the days of poor tackling, errant pursuit angles, and slow reacting are gone for Notre Dame. While Maurice Crum still looked hesitant on some plays the Irish backers played well for much of the day.

In spite of two costly penalties that kept an Aztec drive alive, Crum performed admirably. He rotated into coverage when the Irish dialed up pressure and tackled in the open field. He recorded the only sack as well, but it was mostly a product of fellow linebacker Brian Smith.

Smith seemed to be all or nothing on the day, taking some plays off and showing exceptional athletic ability on others. His pass rushing ability is excellent, whether he uses his strength coming up the middle or his speed on the outside. He is a true talent and only figures to improve with more time.

Harrison Smith was quiet for much of the day. His play will benefit with more time. On the majority of plays he was easily picked up on the blitz, trying to use his brawn rather than his speed and quickness to reach the quarterback.

Secondary

The brightest spot on the defense was, by far, the secondary. Notre Dame tackled very well, rotated into coverage with great timing, and locked up on the outside. Even without playing time from capable backups Gary Gray and Robert Blanton, the Irish secondary looked very good.

Safeties Kyle McCarthy and David Bruton led the Irish in tackles. While this usually spells disaster, in the Irish scheme they fulfilled their duties. McCarthy is a very sure tackler and Bruton patrols the two-deep as well as anyone.

On the outside Terrail Lambert and Raeshon McNeil displayed excellent cover skills and blanketed the Aztec receivers for much of the day. Early in the contest Lambert and McNeil gave too much cushion, but adapted quickly. McNeil needs to work on his tackling and both must improve in their situational football, but overall the coverage on the edge was very good for the Irish.

Sergio Brown emerged from relative obscurity to contribute very solid minutes in the Nickel package for the Irish. Whether it was in coverage, blitzing, or special teams play, Brown made his mark on the field, translating his athletic ability into a capable performance.

Special Teams

The Irish Special Teams showed more good than bad against San Diego State. Despite narrowly missing a 47 yard field goal attempt and botching the snap of another, the overall special teams impression was good.

The return game was improved on both punts and kickoffs and the coverage was also excellent for both units. Coming off a horrid performance in 2007, the Irish improved dramatically in nearly every special teams statistical category, and Weis and special teams coach Brian Polian deserve credit.

Coaching

In a football game coaching is most evident in three respects. First, the coaching staff cultivates discipline and develops execution during practice. Second, the coaching staff scouts the opponent and prepares the plan of attack. Finally, the coaching staff adjusts said plan of attack during the game to counter the scheme of the opposition. The players merely act out this chess match on the field.

Notre Dame did not play with discipline on Saturday.

A disciplined team does not give away four turnovers (two inside the opponent's red zone) and commit seven penalties, many of them poorly timed.

Furthermore, a team that executes well does not convert 25 percent of its third down attempts and only score once in five end zone tries. Yes, the players are partially culpable, but the ultimate responsibility falls on the coaches.

With a young team self-inflicted mistakes are deadly, and the Irish committed more than their fair share Saturday.

Defensively the game plan was solid. The Irish wanted to pressure Lindley, forcing him to get rid of the ball quickly, relying on solid tackling by their secondary to prevent the long gain.

No adjustment was needed as the game plan worked. While there were a few breakdowns in the secondary, they were minimal and Notre Dame looked like a well-coached football team.

Offensively the Irish coaching staff failed on both accounts.

While Weis showed better judgment attempting to convert fourth down, his promise of pounding the ball was abandoned on the third play of the game. And it wasn’t even a question. After running for four yards on each of their first two plays, the Irish spread the field in an obvious passing formation and promptly proceeded to throw an incomplete pass.

That shows no commitment to the running game. And it doesn’t even disguise the offensive intent for the Aztec defense. The fruits of a consistent power running game don’t show up on the first drive, they show up in the second half. Weis needs to have the patience to stick with it.

The entire rushing scheme for the Irish was suspect. The offensive line for Notre Dame is big and strong. The San Diego State defensive line is small and quick, not to mention injured and missing. Instead of running right at them Irish offensive coordinator Mike Haywood repeatedly called zone stretch plays.

Newsflash: asking larger, slower players to beat smaller, faster players to the point of attack is an act in futility. Doing so with Hughes, whose power and strength are his biggest assets, is an act of stupidity.

Line up, run right at them, and negate the speed. Don’t hand the ball off five yards deep every play and take a year for the run to develop. If you have size and strength, use it to your advantage: narrow the space, cut down splits, use base, isolation, blast, or wham blocking techniques. Get a hat on a hat and help your offensive linemen engage. Don’t handicap them by not giving them the angles.

Additionally, the Irish offensive staff either didn’t see the adjustments or refused to implement them. The Aztec linebackers didn’t take a wrong step all afternoon. In other words, they knew where the ball was going.

Notre Dame repeatedly gave away the direction of the run with their formation and motion in the backfield. Furthermore, the Irish offensive staff never called any misdirection or counter plays. Even a play action pass to a tight end on a curl or a wide receiver on a drag over the middle was missing. Nothing was done to give the San Diego State linebacking corps pause, preventing them from flying to the ball.

Summary

The Irish showed progress from 2007 on Saturday, but offensively it was marginal. Despite showing some improvement in the passing game Notre Dame failed to commit to the run, turned the ball over, and didn’t execute for three quarters of play.

Since Weis' first season in 2005, Notre Dame’s trend in offensive performance has declined every year. Besides a few runs by Rashon Powers-Neal he has failed to install an effective power running game, underestimating its value and instead choosing to open up the run with the pass. He doesn’t seem to grasp the differences between the NFL and college game, and his staff is seemingly inadequate at developing much of the talent they recruit.

It is only one game, but if I’m Jack Swarbrick, I have a short-list of head coaches on speed dial. It is very possible that Weis may not pan out. Then again, turnovers-especially untimely ones-are one of the easiest things to correct and teams reputedly improve more between the first and second game than any other time during the season.