Post Game Observations (Florida State '14)

[kmoose]

I posted a link to the explanation in the Video Replay thread....

Thanks. I'll go check it out

 

[NDohio]

I am down the hall from my co-workers talking in a group and I just heard one of them say... " See what happens when Notre Dame plays a real team?" I was so close to going down there with a shine box for him.

Wow! How can anyone even think that after that game? I so hope we get another shot at them this year.

 

[tussin]

...where is Koon? Worried about him.

 

[kmoose]

I posted a link to the explanation in the Video Replay thread....

I don't understand. No one in this video said anything about WHO the call went against?

By the way, based on that explanation by the official; If I were Coach Kelly, I would tweak that play to have the receiver angle back to catch the ball behind the line of scrimmage. That would make any pick/block downfield legal. If you only need a couple of yards, and you have your receivers out there blocking, you could easily catch that pass on a slight angle backwards and still turn it up and walk into the end zone.

 

[NDohio]

...where is Koon? Worried about him.

Haven't seen Koon or Wooly - you think they're snuggling?

 

[Emcee77]

My hope for the remainder of the year.

I am down the hall from my co-workers talking in a group and I just heard one of them say... " See what happens when Notre Dame plays a real team?" I was so close to going down there with a shine box for him.

Ha nice. "Maybe you didn't hear about it, you been away a long time, Notre Dame doesn't shine shoes anymore."

 

[ulukinatme]

I am down the hall from my co-workers talking in a group and I just heard one of them say... " See what happens when Notre Dame plays a real team?" I was so close to going down there with a shine box for him.

South Carolina fans? Yeah, and when they play average teams they get rolled. Their lone impressive win this season is against Georgia, and lord knows Richt loves to blow at least one game each season.

 

[Cackalacky]

I don't understand. No one in this video said anything about WHO the call went against?

By the way, based on that explanation by the official; If I were Coach Kelly, I would tweak that play to have the receiver angle back to catch the ball behind the line of scrimmage. That would make any pick/block downfield legal. If you only need a couple of yards, and you have your receivers out there blocking, you could easily catch that pass on a slight angle backwards and still turn it up and walk into the end zone.

Exactly....But they got it right apparently. This is the response that is going out. BK said he had less clarity but this is what officially is being put out by the ACC.

 

[tussin]

Exactly....But they got it right apparently. This is the response that is going out. BK said he had less clarity but this is what officially is being put out by the ACC.

ACC knows they got it wrong. Their only defense of the call is to read a rule from the book that doesn't directly apply to the actual play on the field. Pathetic.

 

[irishff1014]

Stephen A giving ND some love on first take.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

I gladly ate a ton of crow on Saturday night. This is the performance I needed to see. ND can play w/ anybody this year & they should be better next year. Remember it's still CFB though so don't be surprised if ND & FSU get beat in one of their remaining games OR they both run the table and both make the playoffs. ND's remaining road is much tougher than the 'Noles but I'll be watching that Thursday night game vs. Petrino upcoming. Good thing for FSU they're on a bye this week but Strong left a solid D in Louisville & Petrino will score points. I can't believe I have to root for FSU the reaminder of the regular season but I will begrudgingly wish them to convincingly win their remaining slate. BTW....loved watching Darby get owned for the majority of the game...punk.

 

[IrishLion]

Stephen A giving ND some love on first take.

Summary?

 

[Whiskeyjack]

From CBS's Dennis Dodd:

Who wouldn't want to see a rematch?

That was the first thought that crossed my mind Saturday night. It's an aspect of the playoff the selection committee will have to consider in any year. Doubling the size of the field increases the chances of a rematch in any given year.

This one would look rather tasty. ND proved itself more than worthy to finish among the top four. After losing to the defending national champ by four on the road, the Irish play two more currently ranked teams: No. 14 Arizona State and No. 20 Southern California.

That's as many as Mississippi State, one less than the Ole Miss, Alabama and Auburn and one more than Oregon. Florida State plays no currently ranked teams the rest of the way.

If nothing else, the selection committee should remember Notre Dame played FSU even, falling only when the Irish had the potential game-winning catch negated by a penalty.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman argues that ND is still a top-5 team:

5. Notre Dame: The Irish came within a controversial flag of the biggest win of the season. Even still, ND went toe-to-toe with the 'Noles in Tallahassee and controlled both lines of scrimmage. The bad news: ND's win over Stanford doesn't look as good with the Cardinal losing at ASU. The not-so-bad news: Their game at ASU in three weeks will carry more schedule weight with the Committee.

 

[WaveDomer]

This may be posted elsewhere, but Cowherd was really high on ND today. Said they are better than FSU. Said Kelly schooled Jimbo Fisher. Said on a neutral field it's an ND win and at ND it's a bigger win than people would think. He said there would be no issue with putting them in the playoff if they win out. Really impressed with ND.

I'll echo other posters who say this loss won't really hurt us, but probably help us long term. The team will get a huge boost from this. They played incredibly. It will solidify this team big time. And most of the team is young. This team is just going to get better and better. The program is going to get better and better. Brian Kelly deserves huge kudos for building this. ND has to be super attractive to any high school player now.

 

[RDU Irish]

Played them "even"???

Total yards, 470 to 323 - That's "even'

FSU's first lead of the game was with 7:39 remaining in the fourth quarter, but we played "even"

We rushed for 157 vs their 50 (4.5 YPC vs 1.9)= "even"


We converted on third down almost twice as much (percentage wise) as they did. 7-18 vs 2-8

 

[pkt77242]

Andy Staples from SI has us in the playoffs at #4 currently.

 

[phork]

The ACC clarified after the game that the call was on Prosise.

I don't know where you got this from, but Kelly himself said they told him it was on Fuller.

First-and-10

1. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly remained angry on Sunday about the offensive pass interference call that wiped off the Corey Robinson touchdown that would have lifted the Fighting Irish to a win at Florida State. The day after the game, Kelly was more confused. “Actually, I have less clarity,” he said on a teleconference. “I guess it was actually called on Will Fuller, not C.J [Prosise]. Just adds more uncertainty as to the final play.”

 

[NDisme]

The only thing we can hope for is for this to motivate our team. I'd love for it to be a situation where the teams left on the schedule are screwed because we are pissed. Watching Corey Robinson's face after the final seconds ticked away was just devastating

 

[Whiskeyjack]

OFD's Eric Murtaugh just published his game review:

For a brief moment in time Notre Dame had put it all together in a way that has happened, perhaps never, over the last 20+ years. The Irish had out-played one of the elite teams in the country and defending champs, got a huge defensive stop in a key moment, saw Golson convert an improbable 4th down play, and moments later toss his 4th touchdown pass to win the game on the biggest stage in the regular season.

It almost all happened.

Play-Call of the Game: The Final Punt

I thought about several other plays and I kept coming back to this punt with just over 5 minutes left in the game. Sitting at 4th and 8 from the Florida State 39-yard line I normally would never agree with punting in that position. However, I thought it was important for a few reasons. One, Golson was a little rattled on the drive (nearly threw a pick on a completion to Robinson early in the drive) and the penultimate third down play was an interception if Koyack doesn't draw a penalty. I know the staff wasn't feeling great about settling Golson down in the moment and converting a long firt down. Two, it put the ball in Brindza's hands (or foot more precisely) to pin Florida State deep in their own territory. Three, even though the defense had not played well in the second half it showed some trust that they would step up and get the ball back for the offense.

It all worked out perfectly. Brindza's punt was downed at the Florida State 7-yard line. Florida State got away from their passing game and kept the ball on the ground, and the defense played great run defense to get the ball back with plenty of time left in the game.

Armchair Quarterback

Given the competition this was Golson's best game of the season. He didn't lose a fumble and was able to chip in several key running plays--including on the last drive--finishing the night with 33 yards. His diving down after runs was a welcome difference from dancing around in traffic looking for extra yardage.

As I said in the intro Golson was a flag away from passing for 4 touchdowns in this game and he did go over 300 yards through the air anyway. He had a couple dangerous throws and made a big mental error on his first interception, but even still I'm not sure how much we are appreciating how well Golson played on this big stage. Oh, he also fumbled a 4th down snap early in the game, too. I remember a couple spring games ago watching Golson struggle with Hegarty (a left-hander) at center. I wonder if that exchange has never developed since Hegarty hasn't played much center but I think it's mostly Golson not being patient enough.

God, if only that 4th down pass would have gone down in Irish lore.

Turning Point: Winston on Fire

When the game comes down to essentially a last second passing play it's easy to say that is the turning point. However, in the big picture it was Florida State's second half adjustments and Winston playing nearly flawlessly that slowly turned the tide. Remember, Notre Dame led for nearly the entire game but thanks to the Seminole's offense picking things up after the break the Irish could never open up a two-score lead to try and put the game away.

Winston finished 15 of 16 for 181 yards in the second half. Yes, you read that right. Some of that was Notre Dame lacking adjustments to Florida State's adjustments but a lot of that was Winston simply beating the Irish with ridiculous decision making and accurate throws. Oddly enough, Winston's final pass attempt of the game came on 3rd and two from the Notre Dame 18-yard line and may have been his best. He just barely sneaked a flag route into a diving Rashad Greene that put the ball at the Notre Dame 3-yard line to set up the game-winning touchdown.

Surprising Stat: 50 Rushing Yards by Florida State

Notre Dame did a tremendous job effectively shutting down the FSU run game and making their offense one dimensional. If only Winston hadn't of caught fire, right? I would say that when the 'Noles needed some tough yardage on their last two scores they were able to cross the goal line but the first series was spotted at the 2-yard line and the second at the 3-yard line. It would be asking a lot to stop FSU running on 6 plays from that close.

Nevertheless, the Irish disrupted running back Dalvin Cook and forced him into just 20 yards on 12 carries. I thought the bigger Karlos Williams did a much better job running with power and gaining tough yardage (see the touchdown runs) but you can live with limiting someone to 25 yards on 8 carries.

Unheralded Star: Jarron Jones

The case could be made that Sheldon Day is the best player in the entire country who isn't necessarily blowing up on the stat sheet. He was limited to only 2 tackles and 1 tackle for loss (although it was Jadaveon Clowney-esque) on the night and has a modest 5.5 tackles for loss through 7 games given his role as a penetrating tackle in a 4-3 defense.

That being said, Jarron Jones played scarily good in this game for a 6-5, 315 pound nose guard: 6 tackles (2nd best on the team) with a game-high 3 tackles for loss in addition to a quarterback hurry. I don't think it's hyperbole to say that Jones was as dominant in this game as we ever saw Louis Nix back in 2012. At times, Jarron was throwing around FSU center Ryan Hoefeld like a little kid, taking on double teams with ease, and knifing through the line to make plays and disrupt running lanes.

Missed Opportunity: Failed 4th Down Conversion on 6th Offensive Drive

If there was an opportunity to open up a two-score lead it was on this drive. Notre Dame traded interceptions with Florida State and took a 14-7 lead on their previous offensive series after picking off Winston. The defense then forced a 3 and out that set up great field position for the offense. Then on 4th and 1 from dead center field a pitch play to Folston just didn't work as Tarean was tripped up trying to get vertical.

That was a strange play where the typical fundamentals for a runner were reversed. A blitzing edge rusher got into the backfield and Folson likely would have easily ran away from the tackler had he stayed on a course to the edge. Instead, he understandably cut quickly inside to get one yard but was tripped up just short.

Flag of the Game

I won't spend much time on this because Larz has a full post breaking down the play and call from the officials. My opinion is that you simply do not throw a flag on that play. If one of the FSU defensive backs shows even the slightest attempt to break towards Robinson the flag would be much easier to swallow. Schematically, the Seminoles got beat.

It would be different if a Seminoles DB is breaking toward Robinson and then gets picked or held on contact initiated by one of the Irish receivers. There's no doubt in my mind that Prosise goes into blocking mode and by the letter of the law a flag could be thrown there. But Ramsey initiates contact, plays just as physical, and makes zero attempt to break toward Robinson. In the heat of the moment, in that big of a stage, I don't believe a ref should bail out a player who was never going to make a play on Robinson anyway.

That's just a really, really tough flag to throw at this point in the game. You let the players decide the game in that moment and they took it away from them.

Then there's the fact that P.J. Williams took his helmet off which should have given the ball back to Notre Dame with a first down at the 9-yard line. I don't think it's any sort of conspiracy it's just really unfortunate that a ref inserted himself into the game for something that wasn't egregious or clearly forced a Seminole from making a play on the ball.

Red Zone TD Success: 60%

Sadly enough, the final series for the Irish was the only red zone opportunity in which they did not pick up some points. The last series before halftime netted a field goal for Notre Dame from within the red zone and the over-turned touchdown call to Robinson at the end of the game then turned into an interception from Golson. If there's no flag on the final touchdown then the Irish would have put the ball in the end zone on 4 out of 5 red zone opportunities.

Schemes n Such

It was a pass heavy performance (60% passes) but a dandy indeed. 470 total yards, 5.4 yards per play, while the 26 first downs was tied for the second most given up by Florida State during their winning streak stretching back to 2012. I got the sense that Kelly was pushing a little bit in the second half trying to re-gain a lead, or open up a bigger lead, which led to more passing. I would also imagine that with Folston being the hot hand he might not have been able to carry such a heavy workload in the second half after carrying the ball 14 times in the first half.

Trench Analysis

I'm sure most would agree that this was the best game of the season for the offensive line. They blocked really well for Folston and didn't give up a single tackle for loss on a running back carry all game. Although 3 sacks were surrendered I thought the pass protection was pretty solid across the board.

The defensive line was straight up kicking some you-know-what and taking names for most of the game. The lack of an edge rusher (just 1 sack) continues to hamper their ability to completely take over a game but we knew this was a weakness of the defense going into this season.

Freshmen Update

Andrew Trumbetti, Grant Blankenship, Greer Martini, Nyles Morgan, Daniel Cage, Nick Watkins, and Drue Tranquill were the true freshmen to see the field.

Final Thoughts

• Some losses happen that can make a fan feel like they were personally injured. The team didn't play well, the coaches performed poorly and it hurt ME. This was not one of those games. In fact, it was about as far away from that type of loss as you can be. Sure, the way the game ended feels like a twisted knife but I feel so damn bad for the players and coaches who laid it all on the line and didn't win. If we're feeling this way I can't imagine how they're feeling.
• A few of you mentioned it in the Instant Reaction post and I'll echo the scratching of the head as to why the ball went to C.J. Prosise 3 straight times from first and goal at the end of the game.
• Speaking of Prosise this appeared to be a game where he was taking a lot of snaps from Amir Carlisle. That probably had to be due to Prosise's blocking ability but I also didn't think Carlisle looked that explosive in the game. The knee injury may still be hampering Amir a little bit which seemed evident when he took a jet sweep and looked uncomfortable making his cut before being smacked hard for a yard loss.
• Perhaps this loss would hurt less if we were still in an old system where one defeat meant your chances for a title were almost assuredly gone. However, when 6 out of the last 10 National Champions suffered at least 1 loss during their seasons it didn't seem to mean as much anyway. What will make the playoffs great is that our remaining regular season games are going to mean a ton and super pressure packed to stay in the race. We'll also be watching other games more intently with more on line for now besides an exhibition game in Arizona or New Orleans.
• There's no doubt Notre Dame made a statement on Saturday night and that is evident in the small drop in the polls. Maybe more so than any game in 2012, the Irish convinced a huge part of the country that they belong among the best teams in the country. I hope the players understand how they moved the needle in that regard.
• With that said, one game doesn't decide your fate and let's remember this does go down in the record books as a stinking loss. The team still has a lot of football left to play and some tough opponents to face. They seem poised to go 11-1, and it is truly amazing that it's not ridiculous to say that right now, but I also want to pump the brakes and say that we're not going to dance right into the top four in the eyes of the playoff committee without a few more battles to win.
• I have to tell you guys, I'm not really sure what to feel right now. At times last night I thought, "This is the best Notre Dame team I've seen in my adult life" and yet we lost. I really didn't think this was a playoff caliber team at the beginning of the year and yet at this point falling to the Orange Bowl or Cotton Bowl would feel like a disappointment. I realize that may contradict my above statement about pumping the brakes on the playoff. It's just I'm still fearful of this team tripping up at some point the rest of the way because they are still really super young.
• It was a bitter loss but last night was really fun. College football can be awesome.

Read the whole thing if you have time.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah just published an article on draft projections from the ND-FSU game. In his opinion, Winston's amazing 2nd half performance doesn't really change anything. Everyone knows he's a special talent on the field; it's his off-the-field issues that give many scouts serious pause. Here's what he had to say about our players:

Golson solid in defeat

Golson (31-of-52 for 313 yards, three TDs) threw a pick early against FSU, but I thought he played a really strong game. He did a great job of extending plays, and his decision-making was impressive. I'm not sure how well his game translates to the next level, but he's definitely someone to keep an eye on. The last time I saw him live was in the national championship game against Alabama a couple of years ago. He's really come a long way since then, even though he missed last season while serving a suspension for academic misconduct.

Irish's Smith, Robinson shine

You could make a case that, aside from Winston, the two best players on the field Saturday night were Notre Dame sophomores Jaylon Smith and Corey Robinson, the son of Basketball Hall of Famer David Robinson. Smith, a linebacker, was all over the field and can play anywhere, inside or outside -- he's explosive. Robinson (eight catches for 99 yards, two TDs) was phenomenal Saturday. The star wide receiver has rare size (listed at 6-foot-4 1/2 and 215 pounds) and leaping ability. He showed great concentration and looks like someone who can be a mismatch player for years to come.

And some schadenfreude:

Night to forget for FSU OT, CB

FSU OT Cameron Erving and CB Ronald Darby are highly regarded in some scouting circles, but they had rough nights against Notre Dame. Erving is raw, and it appears he'll be a developmental project at the next level. Darby was picked on all game. He was out of position throughout the night.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Highest compliment I can pay Winston is he was so good Saturday I understand why FSU would embarrass their institution to keep him eligible.</p>— Chris W. (@rakesofmallow) <a href="https://twitter.com/rakesofmallow/status/524238926785953793">October 20, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[irishff1014]

Summary?

He said he was surprised how good ND is and that he took more away from the game from us then FSU. Said the penalty was ify. As well was impressed wth Golson.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

From SI's Andy Staples:

4. Notre Dame

If the Fighting Irish play as well the rest of the way as they did on Saturday in Tallahassee, Fla., they can beat the remaining teams on their schedule. With games at Arizona State (Nov. 8) and USC (Nov. 29) left, it won’t be easy to win out. Notre Dame deserves consideration for the playoff if it can.

...

Big Ugly of the week

This week’s honoree is Notre Dame defensive tackle Sheldon Day, whose night on Saturday was described thusly by Florida State guard Josue Matias: “He got me a few times.” Day terrorized the Florida State offensive line, and he deserves the most credit for Notre Dame’s offense having a shot at a game-winning touchdown in the closing seconds.

Had Florida State been able to get out from in front of its own end zone late in the fourth quarter, the Seminoles could have simply run out the clock. Thanks to Day, they were forced to punt. On first-and-10 from the seven-yard line, Day blew past right guard Tre’ Jackson and stuffed freshman back Dalvin Cook for a five-yard loss. On third-and-13 from the four-yard line, Matias had to tackle Day to keep him from blowing up Cook in the backfield again. Cook gained six yards, but even if he had made the first down, the penalty -- which Notre Dame declined in this situation -- would have given the Seminoles third-and-15 from the two. The ‘Noles punted, and Notre Dame got great field position for a drive that would have won the game if not for a fourth-down offensive pass interference penalty.

 

[phork]

Peter King

10. I think these are my non-NFL thoughts of the week:
a. What a game, Florida State 31, Notre Dame 27. Where to begin? Everett Golson has the trait great quarterbacks have—the ability to make plays when very big games are on the line at big fourth-quarter moments. Fourth-and-18 to David Robinson’s kid, for instance … Golson played such a great game, and afterward, he saw the scoreboard, not how good he’d been. “I’m disappointed in myself,” he said … Jameis Winston has huge issues off the field, but at one point, he completed 18 of 19 throws. Like Golson, his presence and confidence and accuracy are great future NFL traits … I can’t argue with the interference call. Looked to me like the Notre Dame receiver interfered with the Florida State safety’s ability to make a play.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Peter King

King needs to get his f*cking eyes checked, because Prosise and Fuller were completely irrelevant to the outcome of that play. As Kelly said, it was simply busted coverage by FSU. Williams expected Darby to take Robinson, but Darby undercut Fuller and jammed him to take away the Slant. There's no way to watch the tape and argue that the "blocking" by Prosise or Fuller had any effect on the outcome of that play. Except for allowing a corrupt or incompetent ACC official to hand the game to the Criminoles.

 

[Luckylucci]

Him saying that we interfered with the Safety proves he has no Fing idea what he's talking about. Nobody had any contact with PJ Williams, the actual Safety on that play.

 

[Guest]

I don't think anyone is arguing against the fact that the officials missed calling a penalty on the Prosise mugging. Fuller, by rule, is responsible for avoiding the defender, so the DB jumping in front of him means nothing. I hadn't heard about the ACC changing who the call was on? The official on the field said "#7", and then I think the official spotter (up in the press box) got confused and recorded #20. I think that is where Herbstreit got his "I think it was on Prosise" comment.

See Rocket's comment back on page 21 about changing the explanation of call from CJ to Fuller. Brian Kelly addresses this specifically in his after game comments, which has been posted to the blown call thread in detail. You can read it there.

Fuller ran a fake to the outside, and then juked inside. As soon as he makes his cut, he runs into the DB. That is, at worst, incidental contact. You cannot tell me it is pass interference by rule when the rules have been posted that state it is not by default offensive PI. If the official thinks it is blatant, he can call something there on either the DB or WR.

The problem is, the DB ran into Fuller as he took his first steps left after the fake. The DB could not claim he was going for the ball because it went into the flat. Therefore, it could easily have been called against the DB as the WR. Being that it didn't affect the play, the official should have swallowed the flag. There was no way fuller could be conclusively judged as running a pick because he wasn't in blocking stance or used his hands in traditional blocking on the play. Second, the DB wasn't making a play toward the flat for because 1) he was too far away to be involved in the play and 2) he was obviously moving towards Fuller, and not the flat by the angle he took.

Pretty clear what happened when you watch it about 50 times from each of the 3 available angles [again - posted in the blown call thread for your careful review].

 

[Whiskeyjack]

From NBC Sports' Keith Arnold:

Usually, Brian Kelly gives his team 24 hours to celebrate a win or get over a loss. That rule was likely tested — and you couldn’t blame him if it was slightly relaxed — after Saturday night’s 31-27 loss.

“We need to give our kids a break. They’ve been going since June,” Kelly said on Sunday. “Our first bye week we kept them here to stay on top of their academics. We’re going to give them a little time off. But we’ll come back recharged, ready to go.”

As both the Irish and their fandom begrudgingly put a controversial finish in the rearview mirror, let’s finally get around to the good, bad and ugly of the Florida State’s 31-27 victory over Notre Dame.

THE GOOD

Tarean Folston. Notre Dame’s sophomore running back was the best ball carrier on the field Saturday night, looking equal parts elusive, powerful and explosive. He ran for 100-yards for the first time this season, getting 120 yards on 21 carries against a Seminoles front that was supposed to overpower Notre Dame’s offensive line.

Folston didn’t have one play go for negative yardage, and routinely maximized his opportunities. He was excellent on the cut back, showed great power, and with the one exception being a shoe-string tackle that took him down just short of the first down on a 4th-and-1, was difficult to take down.

This preseason, I tabbed Folston as the team’s best runner, and the one who had the best chance to turn into a featured back. He may have done that against the Seminoles.

Joe Schmidt. If Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit were trying to kill Notre Dame fans playing the Joe Schmidt drinking game on Saturday night, they could’ve done it. Because every mention of “walk-on” or “Rudy” would’ve had you under the table and out cold by halftime.

The ESPN broadcast partners were likely getting a national audience up to speed on Schmidt’s impressive story, but it’s beyond overkill and takes away from the fact that he’s a really good football player that’s been a scholarship player for two seasons.

Schmidt led the Irish in tackles with nine, eight of those coming as solo stops. He also intercepted Jameis Winston, a critical play coming right on the heels of Notre Dame’s own turnover. The senior linebacker was a solid technician in the middle of the field. He was effective on blitzes (more early than late) and held his own in coverage.

Now Schmidt’s leadership off the field will be key as the Irish defense rallies after a disappointing second half against an excellent Florida State offense. With a matchup against Navy around the corner, there’s no time for looking back at missed opportunities.

The Offensive Line Play

After hearing all week that Notre Dame’s front five was likely doomed, Harry Hiestand’s offensive line went out and played their best football game of the season on Saturday. After Steve Elmer’s missed block created a negative play in the backfield on the game’s second play, the run game dominated — with Notre Dame running for 157 yards, with Folston going for 5.7 a carry.

While the Seminoles were able to create pressure on Everett Golson with blitz schemes and additional pressure, the line held at the point of attack and allowed Notre Dame to be two-dimensional offensively, a key to the ball game.

“I think we’re starting to gain some consistency on the offensive line,” Kelly said Sunday. “We made that big move on our first bye week. It’s a big move to make when you’re coming off a big win against Michigan, but one we needed to make. I think that’s starting to show itself.”

Jarron Jones. On Friday, I highlighted the matchup on the interior of the offensive line, with Jarron Jones getting the chance to faceoff against Seminoles center Ryan Hoefeld. Well Jones dominated at the point of attack — against Hoefeld and anybody else — as he made three tackles for loss and six total tackles.

With flags flying throughout the fourth quarter, Jones probably had three or four holds he could’ve drawn, joined by Sheldon Day as the Irish defensive tackles wreaked havoc all night in Tallahassee.

The junior defensive tackles are playing football at a very high level right now.

Corey Robinson & Will Fuller. The sophomore duo played dynamic games, holding their own on a Saturday where all eyes were on Rashad Greene. Robinson’s two touchdowns and eight catches for 99 yards including an epic 4th-and-18 conversion, a world-class touchdown grab in the corner of the end zone, and almost a third touchdown that would’ve gone down in the history books.

Fuller showed an explosiveness that had him running away from Florida State defensive backs, something not many receivers — and certainly not Notre Dame players — can do. His touchdown on the quick screen showed those jets, and his ability to find another gear after making a catch on a quick throw was just another great development for the young receiver.

Everett Golson. With everybody worried about the Irish quarterback making mistakes, Golson went out and played a fearless football game. Yes, he was picked off in the first half — I’m unwilling to consider the last play of the game a true interception — and struggled with a center exchange on an early 4th down attempt.

Nobody expects the ACC officials to change OPI call. But same back judge who threw flag called this an INT.

Golson used his legs and his arm to nearly beat the Seminoles, doing everything his head coach asked of him with the offense heaped on his shoulders.

Ultimately, it wasn’t enough. But Golson outplayed Jameis Winston, the defending Heisman Trophy winner, and likely would’ve pushed himself into the Heisman discussion if some yellow laundry wasn’t dropped on 4th-and-goal.

Brian Kelly. If there’s a way to coach a perfect game in a losing effort, Kelly did it. Notre Dame did everything it wanted to on Saturday night except win the football game, and their head coach put them in a perfect position to do that.

Walking into the defending champs house, Kelly called the perfect game. He was aggressive and fearless, taking chances on 4th down. He was creative, unveiling a few new plays and wrinkles that we haven’t seen in the five years he’s been on the Irish sideline. And his calm demeanor and confidence down the stretch even had Chris Fowler in amazement.

“How can Brian Kelly be as calm as he appears calling plays right now?” Fowler said on the game’s final drive.

Sunday, Kelly didn’t mince words, doubling-down on his assertion that the Irish didn’t run an illegal play on 4th-and-goal. But he also acknowledged that you need to control your own destiny when you’re in a situation like the Irish were late in the game.

“We’ve got to be able to control finishes. That means make a couple more plays,” Kelly said.

Ultimately, the Irish didn’t do that. Kelly’s young defense struggled to get the stops that they needed in the second half and the Notre Dame’s game-winning touchdown was wiped off the board with an offensive pass interference call.

But after watching Irish teams of the past sometimes struggle with all eyes on them, it’s clear that in his fifth season, this football team is playing in the head coach’s image.

Quick Hits:

* How good was the Notre Dame defense in the first half on first and second down? The average 3rd down attempt for the Seminoles was 3rd-and-10.3.

* Sneaky good day by Kyle Brindza. While he overcooked one of his first kickoffs, knocking it out of bounds, he made both field goal attempts and booted a critical 52-yard punt in the third quarter to help flip the field.

* Another solid day at the office for Chris Brown. He lacks the explosiveness of Fuller and doesn’t break as many tackles as you’d want, but five catches for 38 yards for a No. 3 (or 4) receiver isn’t too shabby. Same thing for C.J. Prosise. It’s hard to see how close he was to coming down with the rocket that Golson threw at him on 2nd-and-goal, but six for 59 and showing clear over-the-top speed is a nice fourth option.

* Almost a game-changer early in the game for the Irish special teams. Scott Booker’s punt-block team had pressure and just missed blocking a first-quarter punt. Could’ve been a huge momentum swing.

* Maybe I’m the only one, but if there’s a silver-lining statistically in this game, it’s that Notre Dame lost after running the ball 35 times. That stat had been one that many fans clung to, mistakenly citing a correlation that running means winning, rather than understanding that it’s mostly the other way around.

* It’s only just begun: Of the 48 players that saw the field for Notre Dame on Saturday night, 27 of them are in their first or second-season of eligibility.

THE BAD

Struggles in the secondary. No, Notre Dame’s defense shouldn’t have been expected to continue shutting down Jameis Winston. He’s too good of a quarterback, playing with too talented of weapons. But in the second half, the lack of depth in the Irish secondary showed, with tough one-on-one matchups making for some quick and explosive completions for the Seminoles.

Without knowing the coverage schemes, it’s difficult to peg these struggles on one particular player. But I’m guessing that in film study today, there will be plenty of talk about alignment and leverage, with the inside throw conceded far too easily on quick timing throws, like the touchdown by Rashad Greene or other posts and slants thrown in the rhythm of the offense.

After focusing on Elijah Shumate and Max Redfield on Friday, neither made any game-changing plays, with receptions consistently falling between the linebackers and safeties. Sometimes, you just need to tip your cap to the offense, and Winston’s 15 of 16 in the second half certainly deserves that.

Quick Hitters:

* For as good as Golson played, two plays highlighted here aren’t his best work. On his first-half interception, Golson missed his read to Tarean Folston, who escaped from the slot and filled the hole where the Seminoles blitz came from. Throw the ball quickly and it’s a nice gain instead of a turnover.

And secondly, the downfield heave to Ben Koyack that resulted in Koyack earning an offensive pass interference call? Put that one in the stands, son.

* Tough (but probably correct) call on Cody Riggs on a 3rd-and-2, called for holding Rashad Greene on a ball that sailed over his head. Keep your hands on the inside and that’s a field goal attempt, not a new set of downs.

* Come on, Andre Trumbetti. The freshman had a chance to be a hero, with the chance to step in front of a throw to the flat by Winston. But Trumbetti got stuck not going for the pick and not going for the tackle, allowing the Seminoles to escape for a critical third-down conversion when it easily could’ve gone the other way.

* Not the way to get noticed, Jacob Matuska. That 15-yard penalty on kickoff return isn’t the one you want to commit.

* Hey ACC officials. You’ve probably heard enough at this point, but since when does a head coach need to use a timeout to get an official measurement?

THE UGLY

It’s still tough to get beyond the end of this football game. Even the fourth quarter, when flags started flying and the refs imprint on the game started to take shape. When you have a classic football game, let it be decided on the field, not by the guys in the stripes.

In the era of heart-stomping defeats, this loss certainly qualifies. But in the college football playoff era, it’s not the back-breaker it once was.

The ACC’s head of officiating released a video-statement to say (shockingly) that the call on the field was correct. That they didn’t mention the player who committed the violation, or focus on what that violation was, is fairly telling.

In the end, it doesn’t matter. Florida State won a close football game, one that was in doubt down to the final seconds of the game. Now Irish fans need to understand that the more games the Seminoles win, the better it is for the Irish. Then just hope that Notre Dame gets a chance to play them again in January.

 

[Guest]

I was being facetious about the "all in agreement," but I thought Fuller was very obviously just blocking and not trying to run a route.

I have watched video from all 3 angles. The end zone angle in particular shows that Fuller was never blocking. He never initiated contact with the DB which would be required to make the case that he was blocking. In fact, the DB ran into him because Fuller ran a fake to the outside, which is very easy to see from that angle. This is also very clear from the short side (opposite of the broadcast angle) where the judge had full view of all three WRs and called it a TD.

Fuller faked right by taking a quick step, then moved left. Immediately, the DB came into contact with him. The ball had been thrown at that point. If Fuller had intended to block, he would have moved straight toward his defender, raised his hands to the DB jersey, and pushed backward. THIS NEVER HAPPENED. Again, all three video angles are presented in the blown call thread for your reviewing pleasure.