ND Defense: What’s relevant and what’s irrelevant as we enter November
The bad news is that ND’s defense was less than adequate against the Triple Option on Saturday night. The good news is that there is nothing about that performance which you can or should extrapolate against future opponents. Film study did not aid Navy against Notre Dame’s defense. ND ran several defensive alignments for the first time on Saturday night which they had not previously shown including a 4-4 and a 3-3 stack. While ND was decent against the FB dive and even proficient against the QB runs, they struggled immensely on the perimeter to get off blocks and tackle the pitch-man. They had even fewer answers against the speed sweep to the slot back. Fact is, ND will not see another triple option team this year and they will not utilize a 4-4 defense again at any point. At the same time, the 3-3-5 will go back to a platform for generating pressure in passing situations. I for one am very happy that ND will be able to return to their base 4-2-5 look this week as it gives ND the best opportunity to put 11 of their best players on the field. So as we look forward, how should we separate the relevant from the irrelevant?
Relevant: Tempo. UNC is relevant to next week because ASU will attack with a similar tempo and out of similar offensive alignments. The challenge will be simplifying and limiting the defensive calls/checks to ASU’s personnel and alignments so they can get lined up for each snap and just play. Against UNC, BVG still wanted to get his pressure packages (3-2-6) on the field on 3rd downs and seemed to game plan on the assumption he could get them on the field. That only really works when the offense subs as well. I don’t think he’ll assume that he can get all of his different sub packages in the game this time so he’ll have a better plan for the base 4-2-5 players on 3rd down situations.
Irrelevant: Triple Option and the schemes we employed against it. ND is FAR from being a 4-4 defense. Against conventional opponents, ND only employs the 3-3-5 as a means to generate pressure from unpredictable spots. ND DOES NOT use it as means to gain leverage against the veer and speed sweep to a slot back that we won’t see again.
Relevant: LBs and Safeties in coverage. ND is going to continue to be better at trying to create pressure over placing LBs/Safeties in sustained coverage situations with personnel on-hand.
Irrelevant: Winston. No one ND sees in November comes close. No one ND faces in November will toss darts with pinpoint accuracy to FSU WRs running through the dead spots between LBs and Safeties in Cover-2 because no one else ND faces has that capability.
Relevant: SAM/Nickel play. Whether ND plays mostly 4-2-5 or 4-3 going forward, if ND continues with the same personnel at those positions we will have a few rough moments. BVG’s choice for the nickel this week will be interesting. UNC certainly picked on Farley in the passing game and ND has some other interesting options for that spot if Farley struggles against ASU.
