Washington Duds and Studs

Last season, the Notre Dame vs. Washington game was one of the few games where Weis and Co. completely dominated every facet of the game. The 33 to 7 Irish victory was one of 12 Huskie losses last season, and Notre Dame was so dominant that Washington was unable to cross midfield until the end of the game. This year probably drew better TV ratings.For the past four weeks, the Irish have managed to keep everyone on the edge of their seats until the final whistle, finding a way to outdo themselves in comeback absurdity each week. Of course the irony is that when looking at the last three minutes of each of the past four games, its clear that Notre Dame had the best chance of beating Michigan, the one team we lost to.

On that note its time to begin another segment of Duds and Studs:

Duds

Brian Smith: The Kansas City product is the vocal leader of the defense, and he is putting up just over 5 tackles a game, but his tackling fundamentals still drive me crazy. A play before the goal line stand (in the 3rd quarter) exemplified Smith's improper technique: his athleticism and nose for the football proved true as he shot the gap and collided with the runningback 3 yards in the backfield. However, because he failed to wrap up with his arms and drive through the tackler with his legs, the runningback bounced off and turned the play into a 10 yard gain.

Robert Blanton: On the same play, Blanton got juked out of his shoes. More than that though, RJ had a rocky game in coverage, surrendering the 37 yard completion to James Johnson that set Washington up for the game tying field goal. Blanton is a tough kid with a good work ethic, so I have confidence that he can improve, but as of right now, it looks like McNeil and Gray are our two best corners.

Robby Parris: The senior made the most out of his two receptions with 46 receiving yards, but a key drop in the endzone puts him in my doghouse for now.

Red Zone Offense: Notre Dame's first 5 trips to the red zone resulted in 5 field goals. It's always dangerous to let a lesser opponent hang around until the end of the game, and when Notre Dame failed to score a touchdown until there was 3:00 left in the first half, it let Washington do exactly that. Not having the big targets of Floyd and Kamara hurts, but the Irish must find a way to punch it in if we want to have success.

Defense: 281 yards through the air for Locker, and 176 yards on the ground, including 136 yards on a 6.2 yard average by Chris Polk. The bye week is a golden opportunity to work on tackling and coverage fundamentals, and I hope that our coaching staff takes advantage of it.


Studs

JC: As you've probably read on ten other sites, Jimmy's performance against UW was good enough to make him the most efficient quarterback in the country through five weeks and earn him O'Brien Quarterback of the Week honors. For those of you keeping score at home, this is the fourth straight week that Clausen has found his team down in the fourth quarter and the fourth straight week he has responded with a touchdown drive. What suprises me most is that his 422 passing yards is a career high; the way Jimmy is airing it out I expect him to break that this year.

Tate: His 244 receiving yards is a game high among D-1 receivers through 5 games, and the mark is second in the Notre Dame record books. What I continue to like best about Tate though, is his ability to fight through and break tackles. Listed at 5'11" 195 lbs (yeah..right), this receiver is one of the toughest to tackle in the country.

Young Diesel: Even with Darius Flemming out, the young defensive ends Kapron Lewis-Moore, Ethan Johnson, and Kerry Neal all had big games. Kerry Neal had the key sack in overtime, and Johnson lit up Locker after a Clausen interception to cause a fumble. Like the offense from last year, the youth up front still yields to some inconsistency, but there are definitley bright spots. And speaking of tackling... did you hear that we have this kid named Manti?

Defense: 3 goal line stands and a jarring hit when the game was on the line. Yes the overall tackling is a concern, but since folding in the Big House, this defense has found a way to fight when its backs are up against the wall, and that fire under pressure is what will keep us in every game.

Nick Tausch: 5 field goals out of 5 red zone trips is much better than nothing. While I was frustrated that we couldn't score, I agree with Weis' decision to kick the field goals instead of trying to go for it. Anytime you get stuffed at the line 3 plays in a row, you're probably not going to power it in on 4th down anyways. Props to the freshman for giving us some consistency in the kicking game.

Photos from the AP

Thats it for now. Go Irish!