SOUTH BEND — There are mistakes that happen on the football field that can be forgiven.
And then there are really bad mistakes that can take a while to get over.
Tyler Eifert walked the line between the two Saturday.
Notre Dame went to its new go-to tight end early and often in its 44-20 win over Western Michigan. With Kyle Rudolph out for the season, Eifert's the guy with the good hands. Good results, for the most part.
A 6-foot-6, 242-pound sophomore from Fort Wayne Dwenger High, Eifert caught four passes for 72 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown reception.
It was his second reception that nearly gave reason for concern.
On third-and-six with the Irish backed up on their own 24, Eifert caught a pass from Dayne Crist. At the end of the play, which turned out to be a 15-yard gain, Eifert coughed up the ball. Fortunately for him, center Braxston Cave gathered it in.
Cardinal sin. A football no-no. Above all else, secure the ball.
“It was a hand I didn't see; a guy I didn't see comin' in,” Eifert said. “When you're out there, it should be something you're thinkin' about, hangin' onto the ball, but really you're trying to see where to go and tryin' to make plays. So, that's just something I need to focus on and work on.”
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said he wasn't too concerned with Eifert's mistake.
“I wasn't worried about that as much as, you know, he clearly was engaged in the game,” Kelly said. “There was not a ‘far and away' look in his eye where, ‘oh my goodness, the guy is in the game now and we've lost him.'
“He was engaged and he knew what was going on. He was trying to get some extra yards on the play. I'm usually going to be pretty good in those situations. I don't want the ball on the ground, but you can tell looking at a kid that he's locked in and knows what he's doing. I got a good feel from him.”
“I had to be (locked in),” Eifert said. “With one of our best players going down, I had some big shoes to try to step in and fill. (The fumble) is something you don't want to happen, but if it does happen, you've gotta bounce back and shake it off.”
And then there's the touchdown. In reality, it didn't happen like it was drawn up on the play sheet, but why argue with success?
“Actually, I ran the wrong route - I'm not gonna lie,” Eifert said. “I was supposed to run a quick-out, but I ran a slant instead. It's a concept that I messed up. Luckily, Dayne got away (from the defensive pressure), otherwise, that would have been bad. I got a couple nice blocks downfield (after the reception).
“I thought, ‘I'm not gonna get a better opportunity to get into the end zone, so I better get there.'”
That's one of those mistakes that can be easily forgiven. Sometimes, improvisation has its place.
Later in the game, a little improvisation took what could have been a touchdown away from Eifert. Fellow Dwenger alum John Goodman threw a 32-yard TD pass off a reverse play. All week, the play was rehearsed with Eifert as the target. Come game time, Goodman found Michael Floyd for the score.
“It was the wrong read,” Kelly said of Goodman's toss. “He was supposed to throw it to Tyler Eifert, who was wide open. You're never wrong if you're right, but, great pass.”
“(The reverse pass) was something we repped all week in practice,” Eifert said. “I thought it was coming to me, but it didn't and we scored - so I don't really care. (Goodman) felt bad, but he got a touchdown pass, which was pretty awesome. I told him not to worry about it. I don't care.”
Just being there was winning the battle. A back injury that put him down most of last season is better.
The first game without Kyle Rudolph came off without a hitch - kind of. Mistakes were at a minimum.
Improvisations took care of the rest.
