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.