Duke postgame

[stpeteirish]

High ankle sprain for Leonard. He could be back in October but I doubt if he’ll be able to run on it like he did before

He's week to week. Apparently not as bad as it looked. Hopefully he can be back by then.

 

[NDohio]

Chris Wilson write up for the week:

1) We must begin by praising the gutsiness of Sam Hartman, who in a narrative arc that’s almost a little too neat struggled converting fourth downs on the ground last week before coming through on a 4th and 16 in which he could have leapt right at the line but left no doubt in plowing into half of the Blue Devil defense to save the game and the season and tough questions for his head coach. This is going to be a rather critical edition and the reason we get the joy of doing that after a win with the Irish at 5-1 versus a loss is because of the work of Hartman and Mitchell Evans and Howard Cross and others who stepped up. Notre Dame went on the road after having their heart ripped out, down to a handful of receivers for their opponent’s Super Bowl and came through despite all kinds of adversity. We do not turn our nose up at any victories, particularly when they’re primetime road games against ranked opponents.

It did not have to be quite that difficult. Five pre-snap penalties in the first quarter alone, some questionable fourth down decisions and an end-game strategy that could have easily resulted in disaster make me hope that the coaching staff needed another week to recover from the Buckeyes and will be fine going forward. Last week we imagined a world where one of a dozen things changed and Notre Dame won, so unfortunately this week we have to imagine a world where the Irish lost their second game in a row on a 44-yard field goal drifting outside the uprights as time expired.

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2) Howard Cross has been excellent for a long while at Notre Dame but the dirty work duties of an interior lineman don’t always translate to the box score. That makes it particularly wonderful to see him put up these splashy numbers: 13.5 tackles, 3.5 for loss and the game-sealing sack that led to one of his two forced fumbles. Overall, the defense had Riley Leonard seeing ghosts for most of the game and in a more just world they are playing with a multiple-touchdown lead and getting to tee off for the whole second half instead of falling into exhaustion. Marist Liafau was very active, Javonte Jean-Baptiste had another great game and Xavier Watts came through with an early pick. There were occasional blitzes to nowhere, some more ugly tackling and a completely blown coverage on Duke’s go-ahead touchdown in which the wizardry of Putting A Man In Motion proved deadly, but they pitched a first-half shutout and despite looking like they had no legs left rallied for one final stop despite losing their starting defensive end for the high crime of assaulting someone’s hip.

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3) And then there’s the offense. Notre Dame was down to three functioning wide receivers due to injury, and with one of them having a nightmare game it was really just two, one a true freshman and the other a converted running back in his sixth game working outside. Both Rico Flores and Chris Tyree did admirable work complementing the herculean effort of Mitchell Evans, who is not just putting up Michael Mayer-type numbers but making Michael Mayer-type plays – batting the ball to yourself for a catch? Great stuff. Audric Estime’s final run of the game was everything we’ve come to expect from him after a slow night, powering through contact and accelerating with a vicious burst. Along with the Hartman heroics mentioned above, it was just enough against a good Mike Elko defense.

Now the bad stuff: The interior of the offensive line played their worst game of the season by a wide margin. Ohio State was getting pressure with their pass rush, sure, but this was annihilation. Hartman didn’t have his cleanest game, which was partially on him and partially due to the meet-and-greets he was holding with Blue Devil linemen in the backfield shortly after every snap. Gerad Parker didn’t adjust to this collapsing front, running fruitlessly into loaded boxes. Even though Duke came into this game with the 109th ranked third down defense (despite having played UConn, Northwestern, Lafayette and Cade Klubnik in his second career start) the Irish were hopeless trying to convert, Parker spending most of the game appearing bewitched, bothered and bewildered. If the Irish aren't going to play-action or RPO or utilize Jeremiyah Love or Jadarian Price in the passing game, should they try the cursed chalice of slow-mesh on occasion just to mix it up?

If you want to put some of the offensive issues on the previous staff for the lack of wide receiver options (something that is being corrected with aplomb, to the credit of Freeman and Chansi Stuckey), you would be justified in doing so. It is unfortunate that the current staff was unable to get anything out of the portal for this glaring position of need the last two offseasons, although obviously Kaleb Smith coming in from Virginia Tech with a quality Power 5 resume and not working out at all is a bad break. On a positive note, Freeman said after the game that the Jadens Thomas and Greathouse should both be back for Louisville, but I don’t love relying on wobbly hamstrings.

(Quick review of the transfer situation at Notre Dame, mostly due to the reporting work of our friend Eric Hansen: The university is good with most grad transfers and good with those coming in early in their academic careers because they’re treated as freshmen. The admissions process gets skittish, however, with players coming in who only have a year or two left before they’ll graduate because they think it will devalue the degree. Personally, I feel like my diploma has suffered more damage due to the university sending a large delegation to the White House’s CovidFest 2020 and the law school’s monthly events with Beelzebub than it ever will by some talented athletes coming in to help the Irish win a few more games but reasonable people can disagree I suppose.)

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4) After Freeman handled go-or-kick situations so well this season, I’m worried the fourth-and-short failures against the Buckeyes have caused him to lose his way on the path to righteousness. Notre Dame had 2nd and 10 with 38 seconds remaining at the Duke 30, down one, with a timeout and a kicker who’s been a 50/50 proposition all season. The strategy was to run it into the line, run the clock and set up a kick, something Freeman said multiple times after the game. I do not think it can be overstated the degree to which Estime’s score potentially saved things because that was an awful plan.

What makes it extra tough is that decision came after other poor processes:

• On the second drive of the game, the Irish have 3rd and four on the Duke 35 up 7-0. They run Estime for no gain, which is a fine call if your plan is to go for it on fourth down. Instead, they line up for a 52-yard-field goal, false start and end up punting. Disaster.
• In the second quarter, leading 10-0, Notre Dame has 3rd and nine at the Duke 23. They throw to Flores short of the chains and there's a 4th and medium at the Duke 19. They line up for a field goal, which would turn a two-score game into a two-score game. It misses.
• On Notre Dame's first drive of the second half with the same 10-0 lead, they work down the field, converting a 4th and short at the Duke 36 on a Hartman run. 4th and three at the Duke 22 they line up for yet another field goal instead of remaining aggressive. Delay of game, somehow, and a made field goal that turns a two-score lead into a two-score lead.

I understand the offense was playing with limited options at receiver, but you went out and got Hartman for a reason. Trust him like you did at the end of so many halves. These decisions are being approached as if Justin Yoon is going to trot out there and convert but that is not the world we are living in and going conservative in two weeks against the Trojan offense is not an option.

Thankfully, in a gift to his old employer, Elko made an equally questionable decision when Duke had 4th and six at the Irish 33. That was the drive where they had already burned five minutes off the clock against a defense that was gasping for air with a quarterback who had found a groove with his legs. Instead of going for the killshot, Elko opted to pooch punt, and gave Hartman the opportunity to complete an all-time drive. Because Leonard had to be out there at the end in a desperation situation, he lost both the game and his best player. Elko is a great coach but he blinked at the end.

5) Winning Is Hard Round Up: A nice one this week to remember that road wins of any kind against legitimate competition are worth celebrating. Georgia mucked around something fierce on the plains against an Auburn team that had been punchless most of the season, trailing or tied for most of the game before Brock Bowers finally broke through at the end. Some other SEC teams had even worse times on the road this weekend, as LSU gave up a double-nickel to Lane Kiffin in Oxford while Florida was broken into tiny little pieces in Lexington.

Wasn’t just in the SEC: Utah’s lack of offense finally caught up with them against Oregon State in a great win for the Beavs. Penn State ended up covering but they were trailing Northwestern late into the first half, while USC almost had an epic collapse against Colorado. Washington needed a late onside kick recovery to hold on against Arizona’s backup quarterback.

TCU lost at home to West Virginia as a two-touchdown favorite. Georgia Tech got blown out at home by Bowling Green as a three-touchdown favorite. Central Florida had a 35-7 third quarter leader against Baylor and I was sending “Is Dave Aranda going to get fired?” messages but the Bears rallied. Pitt got handled by a Virginia Tech team that had been straight-up awful all season. Sam Pittman’s Arkansas was a fun and trendy team very recently but they lost to Texas A&M, their third straight defeat and now it’s going to be a scrap to make a bowl. Illinois was a darling of the Big Ten last year but got blown out at blah Purdue and they also have a long crawl to the postseason. Navy turned a 14-0 lead into a 44-30 loss against South Florida.

6) This Notre Dame team received a gift from the football gods on Saturday night in extending their ACC regular season win streak to 30 and they cannot let it go to waste. When the 2015 team escaped Charlottesville via Will Fuller heroics, they ran it out to the edge of a playoff berth in the final game. When the 2018 team needed a late stop to survive Vanderbilt, they went 12-0. When Ian Book and Chase Claypool salvaged things against Virginia Tech in 2019, that team won every remaining game by at least three touchdowns on the way to 11-2. When it was Jack Coan and Jonathan Doerer’s miracle act two years later in Blacksburg, that team finished the regular season with nothing but double-digit wins to push for the final playoff spot.

What Saturday cannot be is a delaying of the inevitable. It has to be a moment to rally around, to find clarity of purpose, to remember what this team is capable of when they are pushing and pulling as one. Louisville is undefeated but their trek to that record has not been on the straight and narrow, surviving a gross game against NC State on Friday evening in which they could barely run the ball and Jack Plummer struggled. It’s yet another primetime road game with a sold-out crowd on national television but that just means another opportunity on a grand stage.

The season is halfway done, and thanks to the spate of heroics from so many Irish standouts in Durham there is still so much on the table to achieve. For as much as I’ve moaned and groaned above, it is considerably better to gather here even after the most frustrating wins than it is after a loss. Onward, upward, keep going. Go Irish.

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[Rockin’Irish]

Chris Wilson write up for the week:

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What a great write-up, thanks for posting……really enjoyed reading!!!

 

[dang227]

I was at the game and was as confused as anybody at what we were trying to do offensively but bottom line is they went on the road vs a top 20 team, won, and covered the spread.


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[GATTACA!]

Chris Wilson write up for the week:

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Really hope we get Ja👍dens back this week.

 

[stpeteirish]

Really hope we get Ja👍dens back this week.

Freeman said we would at the presser today. Said they “ran around “ yesterday

 

[IRISHDODGER]

I heard Sampson clarify that MF wanted to run the ball w/ Estime down to the one yard line (presumably to eat clock?) and then kick a FG. Regardless, it’s likely a 50/50 proposition in those circumstances.

 

[NDRock]

I heard Sampson clarify that MF wanted to run the ball w/ Estime down to the one yard line (presumably to eat clock?) and then kick a FG. Regardless, it’s likely a 50/50 proposition in those circumstances.

You mean he wanted Estime to down the ball on the one instead of going in for the touchdown?

 

[Luckylucci]

You mean he wanted Estime to down the ball on the one instead of going in for the touchdown?

Yea, that's literally what he said post game. Very glad Estime didn't listen or they didn't discuss it.

This isn't the NFL and we don't have Harrison Butker putting it through the uprights.

I expect Freeman might want that statement back.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Howard Cross had a Trevor Laws 2007 type of performance. Thank goodness this is a much better team than that one.

Absolutely outstanding any way you slice it. He played his guts out. I don't know how anyone can top that performance this year, but attempting to is only going to mean good things the rest of the way. He's gotta bring that kind of juice to the USC game for sure if they're going to have a chance.

I think he can really get after Louisville this weekend as well for a primer to getting after Caleb.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Yea, that's literally what he said post game. Very glad Estime didn't listen or they didn't discuss it.

This isn't the NFL and we don't have Harrison Butker putting it through the uprights.

I expect Freeman might want that statement back.

Want that statement back?
He apparently double downed on the statement today at the presser lol

 

[Luckylucci]

Chris Wilson write up for the week:

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Bump because these are always so enjoyable to read. Easily my favorite post game recap. Though, this one stings a bit. For the obvious reasons stated in the write-up.

 

[benneboy]

Yeah strongly disagree with that statement. The likelihood of them scoring a TD in 30 seconds has to be lower than the likelihood of our kicker missing a short field goal with everything on the line. Not to mention that in the unlikely scenario of Duke scoring a TD we would've still been tied where if you miss the FG games over.

 

[Luckylucci]

Want that statement back?
He apparently double downed on the statement today at the presser lol

Ha, I didn't know that.

Has the PR firm of Bowden and Bowden not done their weekend internet search to realize that be dumb AF?

 

[PutuporShutup]

Yea, that's literally what he said post game. Very glad Estime didn't listen or they didn't discuss it.

This isn't the NFL and we don't have Harrison Butker putting it through the uprights.

I expect Freeman might want that statement back.

he kinda back tracked in his PC today "I never want to take points off the board"

 

[PutuporShutup]

Want that statement back?
He apparently double downed on the statement today at the presser lol

No he didn't, he said the stats and percentages show to get down at the 1, but a lot can happen on the kick and he never wants to take points off the board.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

39 penalties for 320 yards, ranked 114th fewest in the nation out of 130 teams.

That's embarrassing, and some of you jabronis are queefing about firing coaches and recruiting when THIS is right here in front of everyone's faces?

Wring your hands in the right direction maybe? This is bad.

 

[PutuporShutup]

39 penalties for 320 yards, ranked 114th fewest in the nation out of 130 teams.

That's embarrassing, and some of you jabronis are queefing about firing coaches and recruiting when THIS is right here in front of everyone's faces?

Wring your hands in the right direction maybe? This is bad.

I assume you didn't mean to type fewest? One more game than most, so we'll look slightly better by the EOY, but yeah we have a discipline issue

 

[Rockin’Irish]

I assume you didn't mean to type fewest? One more game than most, so we'll look slightly better by the EOY, but yeah we have a discipline issue

I don’t have the stats but I believe the vast majority have been in the last 3 games. I can see the OSU/Duke games being a little worse because of crowd noise (a little, not as bad as it has been) but CMU doesn’t make a lot of sense. The players certainly need to execute better, there have been too many drive killers and dead ball penalties. Attention to detail.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

NCAA College Football FBS current team Stats | NCAA.com

Discover the current NCAA FBS Football leaders in every stats category, as well as historic leaders.

www.ncaa.com

The stat is titled Fewest Penalties. They're 114th out of 130. I typed what I typed.

 

[Rockin’Irish]

NCAA College Football FBS current team Stats | NCAA.com

Discover the current NCAA FBS Football leaders in every stats category, as well as historic leaders.

www.ncaa.com

The stat is titled Fewest Penalties. They're 114th out of 130. I typed what I typed.

Army, Navy and Air Force in the top 10……military discipline works 😊

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Navy: 1 (10)
TSU: 4 (36)
NCST: 10 (82)
CMU: 8 (72)
OSU: 4 (50)
DUKE: 12 (70)

 

[Rockin’Irish]

Navy: 1 (10)
TSU: 4 (36)
NCST: 10 (82)
CMU: 8 (72)
OSU: 4 (50)
DUKE: 12 (70)

It’s either feast or famine…….4 or under in 3 games, 8 or more in the other 3. OSU was cleaner than I had thought.

P.S. I should have said pre-snap penalties, not dead ball that have been especially onerous.

 

[ColinKSU]

(Personally, I feel like my diploma has suffered more damage due to the university sending a large delegation to the White House’s CovidFest 2020 and the law school’s monthly events with Beelzebub than it ever will by some talented athletes coming in to help the Irish win a few more games but reasonable people can disagree I suppose.)

Brother ain't that the truth.

 

[NDRock]

39 penalties for 320 yards, ranked 114th fewest in the nation out of 130 teams.

That's embarrassing, and some of you jabronis are queefing about firing coaches and recruiting when THIS is right here in front of everyone's faces?

Wring your hands in the right direction maybe? This is bad.

Isn't this an example of an undisciplined team? I would think the coaches are quite responsible for that.

 

[stlnd01]

Isn't this an example of an undisciplined team? I would think the coaches are quite responsible for that.

Firing the offensive coordinator isn’t going to keep the center from picking up a snap.

 

[GrangerIrish24]

Brother ain't that the truth.

Those parties have an address?

 

[NDRock]

Firing the offensive coordinator isn’t going to keep the center from picking up a snap.

I assumed it was general coaching issues he was referring to. After watching this team for half a season I would be hard pressed to call them well coached. Not everywhere, obviously.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Isn't this an example of an undisciplined team? I would think the coaches are quite responsible for that.

Clever, but this isn't the reason people on this board have gone torch and pitchfork on some of the coaches, and you know that. Al Golden is a lazy recruiter, Parker isn't calling the right plays (the screen passes are there, though, folks), Stuckey can't make Tobias great at football. Jackass penalties affect play calling when you have the bottom of your WR two deep out there and you can't stay on schedule because of pre snap flags. It's fixable and not terminal, it needs to improve, but it certainly isn't being addressed here because the Irish Envy Greatest Hits record is on repeat by the same artists in every other thread.

Who they going to fire? Based on the amount of pre snap penalties, it's gotta be the brand new OL coach right? The shit is all flying at Parker right now and Stuckey's thread got bumped. You've got people beefing on the WR. They won't win a championship with Al Golden and he isn't the second coming of Vinny Cerrato. 114th out of 130 in Fewest Penalties is a legit gripe.

They're a 5-1 team and this can be cleaned up between now and the rest of the season. Nobody has to be fired and the trolls needn't be fed constantly.

 

[Rockin’Irish]

Clever, but this isn't the reason people on this board have gone torch and pitchfork on some of the coaches, and you know that. Al Golden is a lazy recruiter, Parker isn't calling the right plays (the screen passes are there, though, folks), Stuckey can't make Tobias great at football. Jackass penalties affect play calling when you have the bottom of your WR two deep out there and you can't stay on schedule because of pre snap flags. It's fixable and not terminal, it needs to improve, but it certainly isn't being addressed here because the Irish Envy Greatest Hits record is on repeat by the same artists in every other thread.

Who they going to fire? Based on the amount of pre snap penalties, it's gotta be the brand new OL coach right? The shit is all flying at Parker right now and Stuckey's thread got bumped. You've got people beefing on the WR. They won't win a championship with Al Golden and he isn't the second coming of Vinny Cerrato. 114th out of 130 in Fewest Penalties is a legit gripe.

They're a 5-1 team and this can be cleaned up between now and the rest of the season. Nobody has to be fired and the trolls needn't be fed constantly.

Good point…..a lot of those drive killer pre-snap penalties are on the OL. Time to fire Rudolph, he’s awful and can’t control his room.