Al Golden

[Luckylucci]

I can't tell if we're on the verge of something great or becoming comfortable with mediocrity on defense. Hopefully it's the former.

Anytime your unit is near last in the country in a relevant statistic like this, it has to raise some questions as to what is being called, taught, personnel, etc.

I believe we're 30th in PPG and 21st in total offense or yds/game. The overall product "looks" as solid as those rankings suggest. However, I was expecting a better unit and I still think they should be performing better or more consistently. Prister had some post game comments that resonated with me.

Snap Judgments: Notre Dame @ Syracuse

Notre Dame dominated the line of scrimmage offensively from the outset, particularly the offensive line against Syracuse’s undersized three-man front. The Irish are now 103-10 since 1996 when rushing for more than 200 yards with Audric Estime’s bounce-back 123-yard, two-touchdown performance.

247sports.com

But never forget that in 2022, the Notre Dame defense will find a way to keep the opposition in the game. Sure enough, with a quarterback that had thrown just five passes in the first seven games of the season, the Orange rallied with a 54-yard field goal by Andre Szmyt and a six-play, 67-yard touchdown drive that featured completions of 23 and 30 yards to make it a seven-point game with 25 seconds left in the third quarter.

There continues to be significant lapses with this defense against inferior competition. It's been a theme with this group while this group is a veteran bunch. That seems like a coaching problem of some sort.

I also think Prister brought up a good point in his Point After article.

Tim Prister’s Point After (Syracuse)

Syracuse provided an opening and the Irish barged in. A pick-six to open the game and a relentless rushing attack allowed Notre Dame to take the lead for good midway through the second quarter en route to another impressive away-from-home victory to raise Freeman’s career mark above .500 for the...

247sports.com

The mark of an improving team is its ability to correct shortcomings over the course of a season. Notre Dame’s ground game doesn’t fall into that improvement category because that was supposed to be a strength at the beginning of the season and took some time – which is natural for an offensive line – to gel.

The Irish have reached the level of their capabilities in an area that was expected to be a strength.

But it’s difficult to claim significant progress in the areas that were bad in the beginning – a sub-par passing attack, limited confidence at the quarterback position, less than Power 5 wideouts, what has become an inconsistent red-zone offense, an awful red-zone defense, the inability to force turnovers until two against Syracuse for a whopping five on the season, which is tied for last…

While the Syracuse win was good and needed, is the team progressing or improving in the areas of the game that they are not good at? Defensively, it seems like the answer is no.

 

[Dale]

After not forcing a TO in the first 3 games, they’ve forced one in 4 of the past 5 games. The Stanford game being the exception, in which we forced multiple fumbles that weren’t recovered.

 

[Luckylucci]

Is it fair to say it's improvement to go from 0 over 3 to 5 over the next 5? Yes, it is but I think we can only go so far with that. Even 1/game would still rank 100th. If we're going to say that luck has something to do with it, which I do think it could. We should also start to see that luck work for us, in which case, if we are actually improving, it would show up more notably relative to the rest of college football. Heck, over 55 programs average more than 1.5 TO's/game.

Last year for example they were at 1.9 or almost 2/game. So, if we were getting to that number, now, I'd be more apt to say that's improvement. Right now, even with the "improvement" we're still struggling to be even relevant as far as the statistic goes on a per game basis.

 

[Luckylucci]

Maybe put differently. If it's the combination of bad luck holding back improvement, but the defense is improving then we should be having some breakout games as far as takeaways go. I don't think we've seen that, yet. Maybe we do and this weekend would be a great time to start.

 

[Dale]

This is another reason besides fumble luck I think the TO numbers are a bit of an anomaly and bound to continue to go up:

Stroud
- 223 yards
- 307 yards vs Others
Plummer
- 43% vs ND
- 64% vs Others
Maye
- 53% vs ND
- 74% vs Others
Hall
- 53%
- 66% vs Others

ND in general has held QBs perform significantly below their normal output this year. The exceptions was what McKee was able to do which he executed well and then WTF vs Marshall. It seems unlikely you can continue to force errant passing, yet not take away the ball.

The other obvious, ND has faced possibly 3 early NFL picks in Stroud, Maye and McKee. One more on the schedule but that is one reason we haven’t had many INTs in some regard. Damn good QBs.

 

[NDFAN2008]

I think going into next year what's concerning is our depth on the DL and whose going to be our pass rushers?

 

[DONTH8]

After not forcing a TO in the first 3 games, they’ve forced one in 4 of the past 5 games. The Stanford game being the exception, in which we forced multiple fumbles that weren’t recovered.

That cant be right. I could have sworn we got a fumble late in the game at a crucial moment in the enemy territory........

 

[Redbar]

Coach Golden apologized earlier in the year saying he had to coach better for sending an all out blitz and leaving true freshman J Mickens in one on one coverage in the redzone. Syracuse’s first score he left 5’10” true freshman B Morrison 1 on 1 with no safety help against a 6’5” receiver. There was not even a show of safety help presnap. It was clear it would be 1 on 1 and Morrison let him get inside leverage for an easy pitch and catch. I think at times both of our coordinators have created some of these wtf moments and our inconsistency is not just because of lapses on the field. Everyone is learning and everyone has to do better.

 

[Te'o4Heisman]

I can't tell if we're on the verge of something great or becoming comfortable with mediocrity on defense. Hopefully it's the former.

Anytime your unit is near last in the country in a relevant statistic like this, it has to raise some questions as to what is being called, taught, personnel, etc.

I believe we're 30th in PPG and 21st in total offense or yds/game. The overall product "looks" as solid as those rankings suggest. However, I was expecting a better unit and I still think they should be performing better or more consistently. Prister had some post game comments that resonated with me.

Snap Judgments: Notre Dame @ Syracuse

Notre Dame dominated the line of scrimmage offensively from the outset, particularly the offensive line against Syracuse’s undersized three-man front. The Irish are now 103-10 since 1996 when rushing for more than 200 yards with Audric Estime’s bounce-back 123-yard, two-touchdown performance.

247sports.com

There continues to be significant lapses with this defense against inferior competition. It's been a theme with this group while this group is a veteran bunch. That seems like a coaching problem of some sort.

I also think Prister brought up a good point in his Point After article.

Tim Prister’s Point After (Syracuse)

Syracuse provided an opening and the Irish barged in. A pick-six to open the game and a relentless rushing attack allowed Notre Dame to take the lead for good midway through the second quarter en route to another impressive away-from-home victory to raise Freeman’s career mark above .500 for the...

247sports.com

While the Syracuse win was good and needed, is the team progressing or improving in the areas of the game that they are not good at? Defensively, it seems like the answer is no.

While a lot of this is valid, I think you also have to consider if the individual players on defense are improving, and also who is playing.
Overall I think its pretty evident there has been individual player improvement as the year has gone on, and definitely a lot of guys who took a big step forward from last year.

That being said, we have had two true freshman play significant minutes on the back end, we have had some guys dinged up on a DL that doesnt have the depth of years past, and the linebackers are physcially limited for what we need them to be.

I think tackling needs to be more consistent, but I am not as concerned with TO’s. As has been mentioned we have played some pretty good QBs that take care of the ball, and have forced fumbles but just been unable to recover, many times just the bounce of the ball.
We have also had at least 1 if not 2 TOs that were overturned by BS replay reviews.

The red zone struggles have been a combination of a couple bad play calls, a few freshman leverage mistakes that well, they pretty darn good but still freshman…our upperclassman are mostly not making these mistakes.

Our interior DL is pretty undersized, but still disruptive. I just wonder if not having a real anchor in the middle and also not having athletic LBs doesnt make some of their red zone scheme a little tougher.

All things considered I have been really happy with the defense. In the majority of the games weve played they have had the weight of the world on their shoulders with how bad the offense has been. Its all relative.

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

Golden is a good guy but the highly underperforming defense has me missing Clark Lea. Lea's defenses most times you felt like ND had 12 guys on the field and were always sound. Golden's defense always feels like there's 9 guys on the field and their supposed strength (Dline) has been less than impressive.

 

[irishff1014]

While a lot of this is valid, I think you also have to consider if the individual players on defense are improving, and also who is playing.
Overall I think its pretty evident there has been individual player improvement as the year has gone on, and definitely a lot of guys who took a big step forward from last year.

That being said, we have had two true freshman play significant minutes on the back end, we have had some guys dinged up on a DL that doesnt have the depth of years past, and the linebackers are physcially limited for what we need them to be.

I think tackling needs to be more consistent, but I am not as concerned with TO’s. As has been mentioned we have played some pretty good QBs that take care of the ball, and have forced fumbles but just been unable to recover, many times just the bounce of the ball.
We have also had at least 1 if not 2 TOs that were overturned by BS replay reviews.

The red zone struggles have been a combination of a couple bad play calls, a few freshman leverage mistakes that well, they pretty darn good but still freshman…our upperclassman are mostly not making these mistakes.

Our interior DL is pretty undersized, but still disruptive. I just wonder if not having a real anchor in the middle and also not having athletic LBs doesnt make some of their red zone scheme a little tougher.

All things considered I have been really happy with the defense. In the majority of the games weve played they have had the weight of the world on their shoulders with how bad the offense has been. Its all relative.

This post sums up the defense very well. It is very weird to see how bad the tackling has been. A coach coming from the NFL you would think you wouldn't have that problem.

 

[stlnd01]

This post sums up the defense very well. It is very weird to see how bad the tackling has been. A coach coming from the NFL you would think you wouldn't have that problem.

Unless you're A: Used to assuming your players are physical and will hit without quite realizing how that needs to be taught. B: Averse to physical practices because you're dealing with pros and concerned about injury. C: Accustomed to being able to easily cut/replace underperformers. D: Used to guys mentally prepared to play fast in complex schemes, unlike college players.

Not saying or necessarily believing that any/all of the above true. But there are lots of reasons the NFL game doesn't translate to good fundamentals in college. I'll say this for BK's team, his defensive players could usually tackle.

 

[Dale]

This post sums up the defense very well. It is very weird to see how bad the tackling has been. A coach coming from the NFL you would think you wouldn't have that problem.

This is said here every year, but like last year ND grades as one of the best tackling teams in the country.

Most college players stink at tackling.

 

[Rockin’Irish]

This is said here every year, but like last year ND grades as one of the best tackling teams in the country.

Most college players stink at tackling.

I think it’s natural to be much much more critical of the team that you follow the most……which can certainly cloud our perspective (especially when the team isn’t winning as much as we’d like).

 

[Dale]

This is another reason besides fumble luck I think the TO numbers are a bit of an anomaly and bound to continue to go up:

Stroud
- 223 yards
- 307 yards vs Others
Plummer
- 43% vs ND
- 64% vs Others
Maye
- 53% vs ND
- 74% vs Others
Hall
- 53%
- 66% vs Others

ND in general has held QBs perform significantly below their normal output this year. The exceptions was what McKee was able to do which he executed well and then WTF vs Marshall. It seems unlikely you can continue to force errant passing, yet not take away the ball.

The other obvious, ND has faced possibly 3 early NFL picks in Stroud, Maye and McKee. One more on the schedule but that is one reason we haven’t had many INTs in some regard. Damn good QBs.

Positive regression SZN. Stroud, Maye, or McKee weren’t walking through that door last night

 

[MacIrish75]

I can't tell if we're on the verge of something great or becoming comfortable with mediocrity on defense. Hopefully it's the former.

Anytime your unit is near last in the country in a relevant statistic like this, it has to raise some questions as to what is being called, taught, personnel, etc.

I believe we're 30th in PPG and 21st in total offense or yds/game. The overall product "looks" as solid as those rankings suggest. However, I was expecting a better unit and I still think they should be performing better or more consistently. Prister had some post game comments that resonated with me.

Snap Judgments: Notre Dame @ Syracuse

Notre Dame dominated the line of scrimmage offensively from the outset, particularly the offensive line against Syracuse’s undersized three-man front. The Irish are now 103-10 since 1996 when rushing for more than 200 yards with Audric Estime’s bounce-back 123-yard, two-touchdown performance.

247sports.com

There continues to be significant lapses with this defense against inferior competition. It's been a theme with this group while this group is a veteran bunch. That seems like a coaching problem of some sort.

I also think Prister brought up a good point in his Point After article.

Tim Prister’s Point After (Syracuse)

Syracuse provided an opening and the Irish barged in. A pick-six to open the game and a relentless rushing attack allowed Notre Dame to take the lead for good midway through the second quarter en route to another impressive away-from-home victory to raise Freeman’s career mark above .500 for the...

247sports.com

While the Syracuse win was good and needed, is the team progressing or improving in the areas of the game that they are not good at? Defensively, it seems like the answer is no.

*Morgan Freeman voice*

As it turns out, it was the former

 

[stlnd01]

I hadn't watched much Clemson this season but what happened to their downfield passing game? It used to be you felt like they could score on any play - like when Julian Love got hurt in 2018 - and this was all RPO swing passes and little stuff.

I guess that's the difference between Lawrence and DJ. But we tackled well and our LBs played great and if you do that there's only so much damage that offense can do.

 

[NDohio]

I hadn't watched much Clemson this season but what happened to their downfield passing game? It used to be you felt like they could score on any play - like when Julian Love got hurt in 2018 - and this was all RPO swing passes and little stuff.

I guess that's the difference between Lawrence and DJ. But we tackled well and our LBs played great and if you do that there's only so much damage that offense can do.

New offensive coordinator...

 

[MacIrish75]

New offensive coordinator...

I mean let’s call it what it is. Their best offensive plays all night were phantom PIs called by their in-pocket officials.

 

[stlnd01]

I mean let’s call it what it is. Their best offensive plays all night were phantom PIs called by their in-pocket officials.

I don't usually go in for ref conspiracy theories but that drive with three straight calls on us was ridiculous. They handed Clemson, what, 45 yards?

 

[Grahambo]

I don't usually go in for ref conspiracy theories but that drive with three straight calls on us was ridiculous. They handed Clemson, what, 45 yards?

When Terry McAuley is that quick to point out how wrong those calls are AND the non-call on Pyne roughing the passer, you know you screwed up.

 

[Dale]

Clemson fans hated Tony Elliott as OC and now look what he’s doing at UVA.

They haven’t for years had that impressive of a offensive scheme/identity. Having a generational talent at QB kinda masks scheme.

 

[MacIrish75]

I don't usually go in for ref conspiracy theories but that drive with three straight calls on us was ridiculous. They handed Clemson, what, 45 yards?

At least 40. I think there were two PIs and a hold.

 

[GreenGemsOmally]

I don't usually go in for ref conspiracy theories but that drive with three straight calls on us was ridiculous. They handed Clemson, what, 45 yards?

It was so beautiful too to have that drive end in a pick six. All that effort and ridiculous flags turns into 6+1 for ND.

 

[Dale]

ND is now 6th in the country in Pass Success Rate Against.

Others near the top Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Georgia, Miss St.

 

[irishff1014]

The defense really couldn’t get going in the first half. What ever they did at the half worked. And how about the secondary’s play once Morrison went out.

 

[Dale]

They handled the quick passes pretty well and tackled well considering the break outside the 1Q.

Got burnt by a lot of gimmick plays, but should have 100% seen them coming more if you watched USC at the end of the year, knew their portal losses and knew it was a bowl game.

Lot of young guys got good time, might have to watch again. Felt like Mickey had his best game.

 

[ulukinatme]

Much better 2nd half, only 7 points given up in the final two quarters with the other score coming off the Pick 6.

 

[pumpdog20]

S. Carolina at times was playing with 3 defensive players on offense. Golden had a good second half, but his first sucked ass.

 

[ColinKSU]

They handled the quick passes pretty well and tackled well considering the break outside the 1Q.

Got burnt by a lot of gimmick plays, but should have 100% seen them coming more if you watched USC at the end of the year, knew their portal losses and knew it was a bowl game.

Lot of young guys got good time, might have to watch again. Felt like Mickey had his best game.

I didn’t notice Mickey getting hilariously cooked on at least one play tonight, which is a compliment on how he played.