Duds and Studs: BC Review

After two home games (and two road games for me) of watching the team get absolutely blown out, where the games have virtually been decided by the start of the fourth quarter, it was comforting to actually be able to watch a game that was exciting the whole way through. It was fulfilling to still have reason to shout on defense and wildly high five touchdowns (even if they were negated by penalties) late into the game. It was disappointing to come so close to a huge upset (I don't care what the Observer said; you could bet the house that your uncle Pops would be storming the field if we won), but I'd prefer the disappointment of a close loss to the emptiness of a blowout any day. On that note, sit back and relax while the Nasties crew looks at the Duds and Studs from week seven.

Duds:

The Offense: Unfortunately, the offense from the UCLA game decided to make another appearance Saturday. The rushing attack was about as impressive as the South Dining Hall's Blazin' Sea Nuggets; ND averaged under a 2 yard average over 20 carries, and no one was able to break a run for longer than Sharpley's 8 yard scramble. The pass protection has looked better over the last few weeks, but our offensive line has yet to mesh as a run blocking unit. With the talent that Notre Dame lines up at tailback, it is pretty obvious that we should be doing much better on the ground. Under center, our two quarterbacks put together one of the most inefficient games of the year. The 36% completion is by far the worst of the season, and its hard to say which was worse about Clausen between his 2 interceptions and his 3.0 yards per attempt. As promised, the Irish attempted more intermediate passes, but Clausen's poor arm strength and accuracy prevented him from completing anything (besides a 26 yard reception by Parris) over 8 yards.

Kick Returns: I can't imagine that it's very hard for opposing teams to game plan kickoffs against Notre Dame. Despite having two electric returners in Golden Tate and Armando Allen, we were unable to muster anything special Saturday because of the way Notre Dame executes its returns. No matter where the ball is kicked, the returners are coached to run to the middle of the field before turning up field. This strategy may work well for kickoffs between the hash marks, but when teams are consistently kicking off to the corners of the field, it is imperative to install a sideline return. Precious seconds are wasted on every kickoff when the returner takes time to cut back to the middle, allowing the opposing coverage to completely surround him. Gifted with great athleticism, our returners need to be given the opportunity to take it up the sideline and make a man miss.

The Six Big Plays: Ben Ford breaks down these plays in an article here. Its a quick read recapping Weis' primary explanation for the loss against BC. Without one or two of these plays, the game could have ended very differently.

Defending the slant, out, and curl: BC did a very good job of splitting out their running back and matching him up against our linebackers on the perimeter, but ND should have been able to adjust to this. Our secondary, including the linebackers, have been unable to get a hand on the receivers and disrupt the timing of the route. I understand that conservatism is part of the 'bend-don't-break' scheme that we run, but our cornerbacks should still be able to get in front of an out or slant and make a play on the ball. Because we were content to ride the hip of the receivers and make the tackle after the completion, Ryan was able to complete a variety of passes without fearing an attempt at an interception.

Studs:

Tailgating: The atmosphere around campus was perfect before kickoff; with the comfortable chill of October inevitably falling over South Bend, the warm brats from student concession stands tasted better than ever. Add to the mix a bus of BC alums inviting us to spend some time with them and overall it was an enjoyable afternoon.

Tom Zbikowski: I still cringe when I see him in pass coverage, but Zibby at least seemed to show some burst in his punt returns Saturday. For the first time since Purdue last year, he was able to field the punts, read the coverage, and burst up the field for some quick gains. As I've said previously, if Notre Dame wants to win big games this year, the team needs to take advantage of its special teams.

Robby Parris: I don't know if its because of his goofy demeanor or helmet/haircut combo, but this guy reminds me more of a certain aquatic predator every game. Parris has shown the ability to create space and get open with his route running, and he attacks the ball with his vertical leap and good hands. As he continues to get stronger and more confident in his game over the next few years, I wouldn't be surprised if he is able to accumulate an impressive highlight reel along the way.

Evan Sharpley: He wasn't exactly a stud, but if Weis actually meant it when he said that he "owes it to the seniors to try to win every game," Sharpley should start against USC. It may be a long shot, but if ND can pull up the upset, we have a very realistic chance of making a bowl game, and I feel that if Shapley had played the entire game against Purdue and BC that we would have at least come close to winning one of those games. Evan's ability to make quicker decisions and put more zip on the ball should give Charlie enough reason to start him at least until we are out of bowl contention when he can then spend time developing Clausen and the other freshmen.

All in all, Notre Dame stayed competitive (and without a few mistakes could have pushed for a win) against the 4th (2nd after the new polls) ranked team in the country, and it's easy to say that the Irish have made some significant strides since getting blown out by Georgia Tech two months ago. A loss in next week's game means that Notre Dame won't lose in a bowl game this year, but after USC, the schedule does lighten up considerably. Weis will be the first to tell you that losing by 13 is just as bad as losing by 30, but the team is improving, and with some hard work, effort, and luck, who knows what could happen next week?

Go Irish. Break Trojans.