Monday, December 30, 2013

Bears 2013 Season Comes to an End

The 2013 Chicago Bears season came to a disappointing end yesterday evening when the Green Bay Packers defeated the Bears, 33-28 to win the NFC North. The heartbreaking loss was just a microcosm of the 2013 season, highlighted with many ups and downs. Just as the Bears failed to win when they controlled their own destiny with two games left (having to only win one game), they couldn’t close out the Packers on Sunday. Up 28-20, with 14:55 left in the game, the Bears’ defense allowed two late touchdowns to give the Packers lead for good. The game-winner was a 48-yard touchdown strike from Aaron Rodgers to Randall Cobb who was wide open after beating the coverage at the line of scrimmage. The play was horrific, the loss was devastating.

Of course, the Packers would likely not have been in position to win the game if it wasn’t for the bizarre play that occurred shortly before the half. With just under four minutes to go in the half, Julius Peppers knocked the football out of Aaron Rodgers’ hand right before he was preparing to throw. The ball shot forward, leaving many players on both sides to think it was an incomplete pass. Both teams had an opportunity to pick the ball up, but eventually the Packers sideline yelled at Jarrett Boykin to run into the end zone after he picked up the live ball. Boykin walked into the end zone for the easy score, which proved to be the difference in the game. It is unfortunate that such a big game was ultimately decided by that play, but the Bears deserved to lose after not falling on the football. Defensive coaches always preach to fall on any loose ball, so obviously the Bears players clearly thought it was an incomplete pass. In any event, there were other factors (like giving up 473 yards) that decided the outcome.
Now, the Bears head into the offseason with plenty of questions to answer and areas to address.

Who will be at quarterback? I firmly believe that Jay Cutler is good enough to win a Super Bowl and feel the Bears should find a way to retain him. The offense is in place to succeed, so I think it would be foolish to let Cutler walk. Yes, Josh McCown played exceptionally well, but I’m not sure that I would be comfortably having him penciled in as our starting quarterback heading into next year.
In addition to having Jay Cutler as a free agent, the Bears also have 26 other players that will become free agents. Obviously, there are many issues and questions for Phil Emery to figure out other than the quarterback position.

Who will be the defensive coordinator? As bad as the defense was this season, I can’t envision a scenario where current defensive coordinator Mel Tucker is brought back for another season. I have no idea who would replace him, but newly available Leslie Frazier would be at the top of my list.
Will Julius Peppers be back? Peppers’ salary will count for roughly $18 million against the Bears’ salary cap next season. The Bears would love to clear some cap space, and I believe they can cut that $18 million cap hit in half if they release prior him next season. Despite Peppers having a down year, he is still the best pass rusher this defense has to offer. Will Emery feel comfortable heading into next season without Peppers?

What will the Bears do in the draft? An 8-8 season has given the Bears the 14th overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft. In my opinion, the Bears need to address the defensive side of the ball with virtually every pick. If Peppers were to leave, look for the Bears to draft a defensive lineman. Notre Dame’s DE Stephon Tuitt might be a good fit provided he forgoes his senior season. If the Bears were to switch to a 3-4, I would personally love to see them draft OLB/DE Kyle Van Noy out of BYU. I don’t think Van Noy can play the traditional 4-3 end position in the NFL, but he is an ideal 3-4 OLB with the ability to play with one hand on the ground in passing situations.

In the end, it should be an interesting offseason for the Chicago Bears. Even though the Bears were just 8-8 this season, I believe the offense makes this team a contender in 2014 provided they can improve the defense.
-Eric Tichelbaut
Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Pinstripe Bowl Recap: Notre Dame 29, Rutgers 16

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame wrapped up the 2013 season with a Pinstripe Bowl victory over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 29-16. The win was the ninth of the season for the Irish, marking the first time the team has won at least nine games in back-to-back seasons since 2005-2006.

Although the Irish wound up defeating the Knights rather comfortably, the game was quite a struggle for three quarters. During that time, the two teams traded scores with the Irish kicking a field goal in the third quarter to give them a 16-13 lead. Notre Dame would put an end to the seesaw battle by adding another field goal with 12:46 left in the game. Trailing 19-13, Rutgers would bring the score back to within three points with Kyle Federico’s third field goal of the game. Later, the Irish would eventually seal the game with a 3-yard touchdown run by Tarean Folston and a late Kyle Brindza field goal, his fifth on the afternoon.
The Positives

1. Balanced offensive attack. If you just looked at the box score, you would think the Irish won the game 45-16 instead of 29-16. The Irish ran 90 plays on the day and Brian Kelly showed great balance in his return to play calling. Kelly dialed up 47 pass plays, but stayed committed to the running game in the second half due to the wind and field conditions. In fact, Kelly stated that he had to divert from his original game plan and call sheet because the conditions were so bad. Whatever Kelly did, it worked. The Irish racked up 494 yards of total offense (319 passing, 175 rushing), and dominated the time of possession battle with a 38:16 to 21:44 advantage. Overall, it was a great day for the offense, but they were still unable to finish a few of their drives.
2. Chris Brown’s emergence. Sophomore wide receiver Chris Brown was expected to have a bigger impact this season, but he only managed to catch ten passes during the regular season. On Saturday, Brown showed why the coaching staff believes he still has a bright future. The sophomore caught five passes (all for first downs) for 54 yards on the afternoon with a few of his catches coming on critical third down conversions to extend scoring drives. Hopefully, this will be a performance that Brown can build on heading into next season.

3. Kyle Brindza’s big day. Despite the offenses success moving the ball, the Irish would not have won the game with their kicker. Kyle Brindza was 5-for-6 on the day, hitting field goals from 21, 38, 26, 25, and 49 yards out. The junior had been pretty solid all season long and he figures to be a weapon heading into next year.
The Negatives

1. Red zone struggles continue. As mentioned above, the Irish offense moved the ball with relative ease against the Knights, but they struggled once again in the red zone. The Irish had three drives that stalled inside the Knights’ 10-yard line, having to settle for field goals instead. This is a problem that has plagued the Irish all season long, and frankly it has been an issues the past couple seasons. Part of it is play calling and part of it is execution (like T.J. Jones dropping a sure touchdown pass on a 2nd and goal in the fourth quarter). Either way, it is something that can be and needs to be fixed moving forward. With Everett Golson returning next season, the Irish will add another dimension to their offense that should help in the red zone and short yardage situations. Hopefully, we won’t be discussing this problem again next season.
2. Careless penalties. The Irish committed 8 penalties for 69 yards, highlighted by two careless personal fouls. The first one was an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Stephon Tuitt for his role in an altercation after a play. Tuitt appeared to push and say something to a Rutgers’ defender after a Notre Dame defender made a tackle. The play resulted in an automatic first down, but fortunately for the Irish, KeiVarae Russell intercepted a halfback pass at the one yard line to end a Rutgers scoring threat.

3. Return game issues. Notre Dame’s punt return issues under Brian Kelly reared its ugly head once again when T.J. Jones muffed a punt in the first quarter. The miscue led to a Rutgers field goal to tie the score at 3-3. Frankly, I don’t understand how a marquee program like Notre Dame can continue to struggle with returning punts. You would think that amongst all the talent the Irish have, a reliable returner would emerge. In addition to the punt return struggles, Notre Dame had a rough time holding the Rutgers kick return game in-check. Notre Dame tried to kick the ball away from Janarion Grant on several occasions, but the freshman did return three kicks for 127 yards. Rutgers was given good field position on most drives, but the Irish defense played well under the short-field conditions to keep the Knights out of the end zone. Improving in all phases of the return game should be one of Brian Kelly’s top priorities for the offseason.

-Eric Tichelbaut
Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Friday, December 27, 2013

Pinstripe Bowl Preview: Notre Dame vs Rutgers

Notre Dame’s 2013 season concludes tomorrow when the Fighting Irish (8-4) take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (6-6) in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. The game will take place at Yankee Stadium, and it figures to be a great environment considering that the two teams have a large following in New York.

Bowl games are meant to reward teams for having a successful season, but the goal is still to win the game. A win for Notre Dame would be the ninth victory of the year, and it would be the first time the Irish have won at least nine games in back-to-back seasons since 2005-2006. For Rutgers, a victory would secure a winning season at 7-6, and give the Knights some confidence as the head to the Big Ten Conference next season.
Bowl games can be difficult to predict with a long layoff, but here’s what we should expect to see tomorrow.

Offensively, Notre Dame will be eager to take the field considering that Rutgers has surrendered 29.8 points per game, placing them 82nd in the country. The Knights’ poor defense is due in large part to a lousy pass defense. Opponents have averaged 311.4 yards in the air versus the Knights’ secondary, good for a 120th ranked pass defense. Despite their struggles against the pass, the Knights’ have a stout run defense that ranks 4th in the nation by allowing just 94.6 rushing yards per game. Given the statistical breakdown, it is clear that the Irish should have a much easier time throwing the ball, and that is exactly what I expect them to do on Saturday. Tommy Rees will be making his final appearance in a Notre Dame uniform, and he should have an outstanding day throwing the ball to fellow senior T.J. Jones and the rest of the receiving corps. I don’t see how the Rutgers’ defensive backs will be able to matchup with the talent that Rees has to throw to, so points should be scored early and often. Of course, for any offense to be successful you must also be able to run the ball. Brian Kelly has stated that freshman Tarean Folston will start and I expect several Notre Dame running backs to get carries as well. Ideally, I think Kelly would like to establish an early lead with big plays in the passing game before leaning on his running backs to put the game away.
Defensively, the Irish shouldn’t be challenged too much by a Knights’ offense that ranks 72nd in points scored (27.4) and 85th in total offense at 375.9 yards per game. The Knights lack of success on offense has been highlighted by a 98th ranked rushing offense (133.7 yards per game) and an average passing attack (54th) that has average 242.3 yards per game. The Knights’ offense is expected to be led by senior quarterback Chas Dodd who will be making just his third start of the season. Despite making just his third start, Dodd has plenty of experience as a starter and has thrown for 3,923 yards, 23 touchdowns and 17 interceptions during his career. Although he has experience, Dodd could struggle against an Irish defense that ranks 18th against the pass (201.7 yards per game). If Notre Dame’s offense can find the end zone early in this game, it will likely force the Knights to throw the ball more than they would like. If that happens and this Rutgers’ offense becomes one-dimensional, then it will likely be a long day for the Knights.

This game might be close for the first quarter due to some rust, but I expect Notre Dame’s talent to be too much for Rutgers.
Prediction: Notre Dame 38, Rutgers 17

-Eric Tichelbaut
Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Despite Struggles, Bears Control Own Destiny

After beginning the season with a 3-0 record, the Chicago Bears appeared to be legitimate contenders to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. However, things would gradually change over the course of the next nine weeks with the Bears dropping six of nine games to fall back to .500.

During that time, the Bears suffered numerous injuries to key players such as Jay Cutler, Lance Briggs, and Charles Tillman to name a few. Given how poorly the defense was playing prior to Briggs and Tillman going down, the Bears’ future looked bleak with arguably their two best defensive players sideline for several weeks. Couple that with the loss of starting quarterback Jay Cutler, and many Bears fans thought the season was virtually over. Fortunately, the defense has played better at times and the offense was just as good without Cutler. Backup quarterback Josh McCown stepped in and performed exceptionally well while Cutler was out, so well that some people believed McCown should remain the starter. I certainly had my doubts about whether or not McCown could lead this offense, but he proved that he is more than capable. Thankfully, McCown was able to help save this season and give the Bears a shot at the playoffs with Cutler now back under center.

In addition to the injuries, many Bears fans became frustrated with head coach Marc Trestman after questionable decisions helped cost the Bears a victory in a few games. Most notably, Trestman’s choice to have Robbie Gould attempt a 47-yard field goal on 2-and-7 in overtime had many Bears fans wondering whether or not Trestman is the right man for the job. Although I didn’t agree with Trestman’s decision, I think it is clear that he is the right man for the job. During his first fourteen games, Marc Trestman has proved that he certainly knows how to run an offense. The Bears’ offense is one of the most efficient and explosive unit is the league, something that I have never been able to say as a Bears fan.

But, despite their struggles, the Bears still control their own destiny with just two games remaining. Forget about what Detroit and Green Bay have to do, all the Bears have to do is win out. Regardless of what happens, if the Bears beat the Philadelphia Eagles and the Packers, then Chicago will win the NFC North at 10-6.

Just a few weeks ago, that didn’t seem like a likely scenario.
-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Monday, December 16, 2013

White Sox Deal Reed to Arizona for 3B Prospect

On Monday, the Chicago White Sox made another trade by acquiring third baseman prospect Matt Davidson from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for closer Addison Reed.

Upgrading the third base position was a top priority for the White Sox heading into the offseason, and general manager Rick Hahn believes they have now locked up their future at the hot-corner. Davidson will turn 23 years old just prior to opening day and will be under control through the 2019 campaign.

Reed, soon to be 25 years old, emerged as one of the better closers in the American League by converting 40 saves last season. I have always been a fan of Reed ever since he appeared in a White Sox uniform in 2011, and I firmly believe that he has the talent and demeanor to become an elite closer for many years. There is no doubt that Addison Reed will be missed, but that is the price you have to pay if you want to get a quality player in return.

When I first saw the deal, I was not happy about losing Reed, but I was excited about acquiring a prospect like Matt Davidson. Davidson was a former first-round draft pick in 2009, and he has progressed naturally through the Diamondbacks’ farm system. In fact, Davidson was named MVP at the 2013 Future’s Game, and he also took home the Triple-A All-Star Home Run Derby trophy. Take a look at his minor league stats from 2010-2013:

2010 – 134 G|486 AB|18 HR|90 RBI|.272 BA|.360 OBP|.469 SLG
2011 – 135 G|535 AB|20 HR|106 RBI|.277 BA|.348 OBP|.465 SLG

2012 – 135 G|486 AB|23 HR|76 RBI|.261 BA|.367 OBP|.469 SLG
2013 – 115 G|443 AB|17 HR|74 RBI|.280 BA|.350 OBP|.481 SLG

As you can see, Davidson profiles as a power hitter with potential to hit 25-30 home runs a season. The one concern on Davidson is that he strikes out at a pretty high rate. Davidson has had strikeout totals of 134, 147,126, and 134 from 2010 through 2013, but he does walk enough to keep his on-base percentage at a very respectable rate.

Davidson did get his first taste of the majors last season when he had 87 at-bats in 31 games with Arizona. The youngster showcased a bit of what he can do by hitting three home runs, six doubles, and driving in 12 runs. The average was low at .237, but a .333 OBP suggests that he is much more than a free-swinger.

Rick Hahn mentioned that he isn’t sure whether or not Davidson will begin the season in Triple-A or with the White Sox, but I think he will certainly be given an opportunity to win the job in the spring. With Jeff Keppinger, Conor Gillaspie, and Marcus Semien as the other third base candidates, Davidson will undoubtedly get a chance to start at some point during the 2014 season.

Only time will tell if this trade works out, but it had to be done. As good as Addison Reed is, he is a closer and only appears in about 70 games for 70 innings a year. If Matt Davidson pans out, he’ll play in 150-plus games a year, or about 1,350 innings. Which player will impact a team greater if they both reach their full potential? I’ll take the everyday player 10 times out of 10.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

White Sox Aquire Eaton in 3-Team Deal


On Tuesday, the Chicago White Sox acquired outfielder Adam Eaton in a three-team trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The complete details of the trade are as follows:

White Sox receive CF Adam Eaton (From Arizona)
Angels receive LHP Hector Santiago (From Chicago) and LHP Tyler Skaggs (From Arizona)

Diamondbacks receive OF/1B Mark Trumbo (From Los Angeles) and a player to be named later from both Los Angeles and Chicago

Overall, this looks like a deal that should really help all parties involved. First, the Angels desperately needed to upgrade their starting rotation and received a pair of young left-handed starting pitchers that they can affordably control for several seasons. Second, the Diamondbacks were looking to add a power-hitting bat to their lineup to provide protection for their MVP-caliber first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. With Mark Trumbo’s potential to hit upwards of 40 homers in Chase Field, Arizona was happy to fill that void. Third and finally, the White Sox were looking to flip one of their left-handed starting pitchers for an everyday player. By acquiring Adam Eaton, the White Sox believe they have found their starting center fielder and leadoff man for the near future.

Like all trades, the performances of each player involved will ultimately decided which teams actually benefitted from the deal. But for now, each organization is feeling a lot better about their rosters after completing the trade.

As for the White Sox side of the deal, I like the move. Although I like the move, I’m not happy about losing Hector Santiago. During his team in Chicago, Santiago has held every role imaginable on the pitching staff. He was a starter, a closer, and a reliever and for the most part Santiago exceeded in each role. Last year, Santiago found his place in the rotation due to injuries and flashed some of his potential while posting a 3.51 ERA and 8.4 SO/9 in 23 starts. While those numbers are solid, Santiago also had a troubling 1.39 WHIP inflated by walking 62 batters in just 130.2 innings pitched as a starter. Santiago has an above-average arm and features good stuff, but his success in Los Angeles will be depend on his ability to keep the ball in the strike zone.
What exactly are the White Sox getting in Adam Eaton? That’s the obvious question and one we won’t be able to fully answer until next season. Scouts are split on what type of player they believe Adam Eaton can become. Some scouts, like those within White Sox organization, feel Eaton can flourish at the top of a lineup and be a solid leadoff hitter given his high contact rates, on-base skills, and disruptive speed. Other scouts think that Eaton may only be a bottom of the order hitter, or even merely a fourth-outfielder. Let’s hope Eaton’s profile ends up being closer to the former, rather than the latter.

As for now, all we can do is judge Eaton based on his minor league and major league statistics. In 1,560 career at-bats, Eaton owns a .348 batting average, a .450 on-base percentage, and a .501 slugging percentage. Those numbers are outstanding, but they are unrealistic expectations at the major league level. In contrast, during Eaton’s 335 major league at bats he has managed to hit just .254, with a .332 OBP and a .373 SLG. Now those numbers are a bit underwhelming, but the sample size is also really small.

So, what should we realistically expect from Adam Eaton? I expect Eaton’s numbers to fall in the middle of his career minor league and major league statistics. Realistically, it is fair to think Eaton can become a .280 to .300 hitter with a .350 to .380 OBP. If those levels are attained, then the White Sox will indeed have themselves a solid table-setter at the top of the order for several years. With Eaton’s speed and supposedly strong baserunning skills, he should steal plenty of bases (probably around 30 a year) and score a bunch of runs if he were to get on base at least 35% of the time.
The jury is still out on Adam Eaton, but I think it is a risk worth taking. At 25 years old and under team control until the 2019 season, the White Sox feel they have obtained another building block for the future.

-Eric Tichelbaut
Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Konerko Returns for Another Season

On Wednesday, the Chicago White Sox and Paul Konerko agreed on a one-year, $2.5 million deal to keep the veteran first baseman on the south side.  The fan-favorite is coming off of a disappointing season where he hit just .244 with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs in 126 games.

Despite the poor season, I still think this move can’t hurt the White Sox. Unless the White Sox can find a way to unload Adam Dunn and his large contract, Konerko is expected to fill the role of part-time designated hitter and clubhouse mentor. With free-agent signing of Cuban defector Jose Abreu, Konerko probably won’t see much time at first base. Instead, Konerko and Dunn will likely split DH duties with Konerko facing left-handed pitchers.

White Sox fans might scoff at the notion of having over $17 million invested in a platoon, but honestly it is probably the best they can do with Dunn still on the roster.
Let’s take a look and see how a potential platoon might work out.

In 2013, Konerko was his usual self versus southpaws by hitting .313 with 5 home runs and 16 RBIs in just 99 at-bats. Likewise, Konerko’s .226 average and .290 on-base percentage against righties suggests that his time as an everyday player might be over.
Konerko’s success versus lefties also means that White Sox fans don’t have to watch Adam Dunn hit .197 and carry a .296 OBP versus left-handed pitching.

Ideally, with a platoon, the White Sox will maximize each player’s skills into production. In fact, if you put Konerko’s stats versus lefties and Dunn’s stats against righties together, it is pretty solid stat-line for 502 at-bats. In 2013, the duo would have accounted for a .243 average, .341 OBP, 33 home runs, and 80 RBIs. That stat-line might not be all-star caliber, but it is probably a lot better than either one can produce as an everyday player at this stage of their respective careers.

For an additional $2.5 million, the White Sox could do much worse than bringing back Paul Konerko.
-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Week 12 Recap: Stanford 27, Notre Dame 20


The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame dropped their season finale to the Stanford Cardinal, 27-20, to fall to 8-4 on the season. I predicted Stanford to win 31-23, so the outcome did not come as a surprise to me at all. I thought the Irish played pretty well and gave it a great effort against such a talent team. But, in the end, Stanford was just the better football team.

Notre Dame’s offense started off strong by driving 65 yards on 12 plays that set up a 21-yard field goal by Kyle Brindza to give the Irish an early 3-0 lead. Stanford would respond with back-to-back touchdown drives of 75 and 56 yards respectively giving the Cardinal a 14-3 lead. Kyle Brinza would later add a 27-yard field goal before the half to cut the deficit to 14-6. The second half started with Stanford marching down the field on 7 plays for 76 yards in just under four minutes. The drive was capped off with a 20-yard touchdown run by Anthony Wilkerson and it gave the Cardinal a 21-6 advantage. At that point, I thought the Irish were about to get rolled, but they fought back. Notre Dame answered right away when Tommy Rees hit T.J. Jones for a 4-yard touchdown that ended a 61-yard drive and brought the score to 21-13. After a Stanford 27-yard field goal to increase the lead to 24-13, Notre Dame would march 75 yards down the field to bring the Irish within four points after DaVaris Daniels hauled in a 14-yard touchdown pass from Rees. Stanford would add another field goal to give the Cardinal a touchdown advantage, but the Irish could not score again as Notre Dame’s last two drives ended in interceptions.

The Positives

1. The Irish didn’t give up. I believe that there are no moral victories in sports, but there is still something to be said for playing hard. Notre Dame was playing a great, physical team and was able to position themselves for a comeback win after trailing by 11 points twice and 15 points once. That was probably a game that an Irish team from a few years ago would have ended up losing by three or four touchdowns. Brian Kelly has wanted to instill a tougher mentality in his football team, and I believe this game was another example of how the Irish are getting there.

2. Few penalties. Whenever you play a great team on the road, you need to limit the amount of penalties you commit and the Irish did exactly that. Notre Dame was only charged with three penalties on the night that totaled 15 yards. Had the Irish won the game, that would have been a big factor.

3. Dan Fox’s big day. Senior Dan Fox finished the game with 15 tackles. In a game where Stanford was able to get to the second level in their running game, Fox did his part to slow down the Cardinal runners. Fox has had an underrated career at Notre Dame and I think his effort during his time a Notre Dame should be applauded. Well done!

The Negatives

1. Poor run defense. We all knew that Stanford was going to run the ball, but the question was how successful would they be? The answer was very successful. Stanford rushed the ball 51 times for 261 yards and two touchdowns. I said the Irish would likely need to hold the Cardinal running backs to under 150 yards to win the game, so obviously the inability to stop the run was a major reason as to why Notre Dame lost the game. Stanford was able to run the ball at will against the Irish defensive front, evident by only passing the ball 18 times. It was clear the Irish missed the presence of Louis Nix III, and the game could have gone the other way with Nix clogging up the middle.

2. Lost time of possession battle. Obviously any time a team runs the ball 51 times, they are going to come out on top in time of possession. Stanford held the ball for nearly 10 more minutes than Notre Dame did, and that advantage had a big factor in wearing down the Irish defense. Notre Dame’s defense was on the field an awful lot and never really had time to recover.

3. Two interceptions thwart a comeback. After trying to make a comeback all night, Notre Dame finally had two chances to tie the game but Tommy Rees was intercepted twice by Wayne Lyons while trying to make a play down the field. I’m not going to berate Tommy for the interceptions because he was in a tough spot all night and he played well for the most part. The final interception occurred on first down, so you would like to have seen a better outcome on the play, but that didn’t happen. In the end, Notre Dame lost the game because they couldn’t stop Stanford’s run game. It was not because of the two late interceptions.

Well, that does it for a disappointing 2013 season. Notre Dame finishes the season at 8-4, when many people believed they could reach 10 wins. The Irish showed what they were capable in wins versus Michigan State, Arizona State, USC, and BYU. However, Notre Dame also had poor performances at Michigan and Pittsburgh that hampered their success this season. Notre Dame had some ups and downs this season, but ultimately they were not consistent enough on both sides to reach their fullest potential.

Now, we await the bowl destination and I will have a full preview for that matchup as the date approaches.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Week 12 Preview: Notre Dame at Stanford


The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (8-3, 25th ranked) will wrap up their regular season with a trip to Palo Alto, California to take on the Stanford Cardinal (9-2, 8th ranked) later tonight. The Irish will be looking to pick up their ninth win of the season, and their fifth victory against teams that are currently ranked in the Top 25. Stanford is hoping to finish their season strong prior to their date with the Arizona State Sun Devils next week for the PAC 12 championship.

This matchup has the potential to be a very exciting and competitive game. A few weeks ago I would have picked the Cardinal to win by three touchdowns, but I think it will be closer than that. Notre Dame is coming off of arguably their best played game of the season, and Stanford looked a lot less dominant in their loss to USC a couple weeks ago. In addition, I believe that these two programs are similar in their style of play. Ideally, both teams would like to play a more physical brand of football and rely on their running game and defensives to win games. To this point, Stanford has proved to better than Notre Dame in those areas this season, but I think the Irish still matchup fairly well against the Cardinal.

Offensively, Notre Dame would love to be able to run the ball like they did last week versus BYU, but I don’t see that happening. Stanford owns the nation’s third best rushing defense by allowing a meager 89.5 yards per game. If Notre Dame is going to have any success running the ball, they are going to need to break multiple 20-plus yard runs. I don’t think the Irish will be able to line up and gain four to five yards a carry. Stanford will likely be able to shut down the Irish rushing attack more times than not, so the Irish backs need to make the most of their opportunities. Although Stanford’s rushing defense is elite, their passing defense is a weak spot. The Cardinal secondary has struggled to defend the pass all season by allowing 259 yards per game, good for 101th in the country. Given that, I expect Brian Kelly to dial up plenty of longer passing plays in hopes of getting several big plays against a stout defense. I know Irish fans hate when Kelly favors the pass over the run, but this time it may be necessary in order to have success offensively. Don’t get me wrong, Notre Dame still needs to try to establish the run, but don’t look for 47 rushing attempts again this week.

Defensively, Notre Dame knows that Stanford will try to run the ball and out-physical their opponent. The Cardinal are ranked 32nd in rushing offense at 203.7 yards per game, but come in at just 93rd in passing offense with 199.4 yards per game. The key for the Irish will be stopping the run. Notre Dame ranks 68th in rushing defense by allowing 167.5 yards per game, but most of that damage has come against spread/triple option schemes. While quarterback Kevin Hogan has deceptive speed (258 rushing yards this season), Stanford’s running game is a traditional, power running attack which Notre Dame has had some success against this season. Probably the biggest reason to stopping the run is to force Stanford to throw the ball more often than they would like. As I mentioned, the Cardinal’s passing game has struggled at time this season, and surprisingly Notre Dame’s pass defense ranks 21st in the country by allowing only 205.6 yards per game. If Stanford is going to have success through the air, it will likely come from play-action type passes. If Stanford can run the ball at ease versus Notre Dame’s defensive front, then the Irish secondary will be playing closer to the line to help out with the run. If this happens, Stanford will likely be able to get several big plays against the Irish secondary. On the receiving end of those throws will likely be Ty Montgomery. The junior receiver has had a great season by hauling in 50 passes for 822 yards and nine touchdowns. At 6’2’’ and 215 pounds, Montgomery will present a mismatch wherever he lines up on the field. Hopefully the Irish front seven will do a good enough job at bottling up the running game so Notre Dame can bracket Montgomery with an extra defender for certain situations. In the end, the key will be stopping the run. If Notre Dame can hold the Cardinal under 150 yards rushing, I think they will have a chance to win this game.

This game will be closer than most people think, but ultimately I think Stanford is just a little bit better in every facet of the game.

Prediction: Stanford 31, Notre Dame 23

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Week 11 Recap: Notre Dame 23, BYU 13


The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame picked up their eighth victory of the season by defeating the Brigham Young Cougars, 23-13 last Saturday. I predicted the Irish to win 23-20, so this game went about as I expected. It was a well played game and an exciting way to send out the senior class on their day. The Irish played extremely well in all facets of the game for a complete team-victory.

The action started when Tommy Rees hit DaVaris Daniels in stride for 61-yard touchdown to give the Irish an early 7-0 lead. The Cougars responded with a 12-play, 71-yard drive that was capped off with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Taysom Hill to JD Falslev. With the game now tied 7-7, Notre Dame answered right back with an 8-play, 75-yard touchdown drive of their own to give the Irish a 14-7 lead. Kyle Brindza would later add a 26-yard field goal to extend Notre Dame’s lead to 17-7 at halftime. In the second half, BYU and Notre Dame each kicked two field goals to secure a 10-point win for the Irish.

The Positives

1. Brian Kelly’s game plan. In order for Notre Dame to win this game, I said they needed to run the ball and have a balanced attack. Maybe it wasn’t balanced, but the Irish were running at will on the Cougars’ defense. With the weather and the success of the running game, Brian Kelly keep feeding the ball to his running backs to the tone of 47 carries. The Irish backs racked up 235 yards on the ground, led by Cam McDaniel (117 yards) and Tarean Folston (78 yards). It was the type of performance Notre Dame needed to win the game, and it was refreshing to see Brian Kelly lean on the running game. In addition to the successful day on the ground, the Irish also had a very productive passing day. Tommy Rees completed 15 of his 28 passes for 235 yards and one touchdown. Rees did throw a poor pass that resulted in an interception, but overall he had a strong performance. After the game, Brian Kelly said that this is the type of game the Irish need to play moving forward, and I agree. While Brain Kelly has shown a tendency to abandon the passing game like he did against Pittsburgh, Kelly has also shown that he can lean heavily on the running game when needed. If Kelly is going to be ripped for his pass-heavy game plans, then Irish fans should also applaud him for his coaching on Saturday.

2. Few mistakes. Outside of the Tommy Rees interception, Notre Dame made very few mistakes. There were no fumbles, the Irish only committed four penalties that totaled 25 yards, and they were flawless in the kicking game.

3. Special teams. Kyle Brindza lead the way by converting all three of his field goal attempts and both of his extra point tries, including a clutch 51-yard field goal to extend Notre Dame’s lead to 23-13 in the fourth quarter. Jarron Jones also made a huge impact by blocking a 22-yard field goal attempt with 4:15 left in the game. In any close game field goals are important, and the Irish made plays in the kicking game that significantly affected the outcome of the game.

The Negatives

1. Rushing defense. One of the keys to winning this game was to keep Taysom Hill and the BYU running game in check, but that didn’t go as well as planned. The Cougars were able to rack up 247 yards on the ground, with Hill and Paul Lasik each gaining 101 yards. In particular, Hill carried the ball 24 times and proved to be a real threat against the Irish defense. Fortunately, Notre Dame’s passing defense picked up the slack and held the Cougars to only 168 yards through the air on 36 pass attempts. Because BYU was only averaging 4.7 yards per attempt, Notre Dame’s defense was able to keep the big-plays and scoring to a minimum.

2. Rees’ interception. With the Irish leading 20-13 with just over 12 minutes to go in the game, Tommy Rees threw a careless interception on 2nd and 14 from the BYU 22. Rees was looking for the 6’7’’ Troy Niklas in the front corner of the end zone, but Craig Bills stepped in front of the pass to get the interception. It was really the only mistake that Rees made on Saturday, and it was one the Irish were able to overcome by forcing a BYU punt five plays later.

3. Nick Martin’s injury. The injuries continued to mount on Saturday when center Nick Martin left the game early due to an injury. Martin tore his MCL and will be out for six months, which will also include the Spring 2014 practices. Matt Hegarty will step in Martin’s place for the final two games of the year. It is just another significant injury for a key member of the team, and another example of how the “next man up” mantra continues to be a slogan for the 2013 season.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Are the Chicago Bears Ready to Make a Playoff Run?


At 6-4 and tied atop the NFC North (Detroit holds the tiebreaker), the Chicago Bears have positioned themselves to make a run to reach the playoffs. In order to obtain a playoff berth, the Bears will likely have to go 4-2 over their last six games to finish with a 10-6 record. Even with Jay Cutler’s status up in the air, I believe the Bears will get those four wins, maybe even more. The remaining schedule is as follows:

November 24th – at St. Louis (4-6)

December 1st – at Minnesota (2-8)

December 9th – vs. Dallas (5-5)

December 15th – at Cleveland (4-6)

December 22nd – at Philadelphia (6-5)

December 29th – vs. Green Bay (5-5)

I understand that four of those games are on the road, but I believe all six games are winnable. Will the Bears win all six? I doubt it, but it is possible. What is more likely is that the Bears will win at least four of those contests and position themselves for a playoff berth.

Probably the biggest reason as to why I think the Bears are about to go on a roll is because of the reemergence of their defense. In their last three games, the Bears have allowed just 61 points, good for a solid average of 20.3 points per game. One of the knocks on the Bears defense earlier this season was their lack of pass rush, but that appears to be turning around. The Bears have recorded eight sacks in the last three weeks, with Julius Peppers accounting for three of those sacks. Peppers had a poor first-half of the season, but he seems to be getting hot at the right time. Peppers is coming off of one of his best games of his career with 12 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 additional tackles for loss. If the Bears are going to make a run, then the defense needs to continue to perform well until Jay Cutler gets back.

Yes, Jay Cutler is still the Bears’ quarterback. As well as Josh McCown has played during Cutler’s absence, Jay is still the best option for this team when healthy. McCown supporters (or Cutler haters) will point to the fact that McCown is 2-0 in his two starts this season. While that is certainly true, the Bears still win those games with Cutler under center. The victory against the Green Bay Packers was more about Aaron Rodgers not being on the field than the Bears’ offense. Last Sunday, McCown made some great throws to pull off the win versus the Baltimore Ravens, but he also made many poor throws. Obviously the weather was less than ideal, but I have a feeling Cutler’s arm strength would have been better suited for the windy weather than McCown’s. Either way, the Bears are winning and that is all that matters. McCown has done exactly what every team wants their backup to do. Step in, perform adequately, and keep the offense clicking as much as possible.

Personally, I’m looking forward to the final six games of the season. Hopefully, the Chicago Bears will make this an exciting winter.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Friday, November 22, 2013

Jordan Lynch Deserves Heisman Consideration


Northern Illinois University quarterback Jordan Lynch deserves to be in the discussion for the Heisman Trophy. The senior quarterback has put up gaudy numbers for the second consecutive season while leading the Huskies to an 11-0 record to start the season. Now, I should state that I am a proud NIU alum, but that does not fuel my claim. Just look at the statistics:

Passing Yards: 2,418

Completion Percentage: 66.3%

Passing Touchdowns: 21

Rushing Yards: 1,434

Rushing Touchdowns: 17

Those numbers would make any BCS conference quarterback the front runner for the Heisman Trophy, yet Jordan Lynch is having trouble just garnering serious consideration. While I do think Lynch deserves consideration, I do not think he should, nor do I believe he will win the Heisman Trophy. I just simply feel he needs to be recognized for his accomplishments.

Detractors could easily point to the fact that Lynch plays in the Mid-American Conference, and by doing so he faces inferior defenses. Fair enough, but Lynch has also succeeded when given a chance to compete against BCS schools. This season against Iowa and Purdue, Lynch has completed 65% of his passes for 482 yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs, 91 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown. Granted, Iowa and especially Purdue aren’t the greatest BCS opponents to make a strong case for Lynch’s Heisman campaign, but Lynch has proven that he can perform well against better competition. Furthermore, I’m not necessarily sure that Lynch’s numbers would be a whole lot worse if he played for a quality BCS program. Even though Lynch would be facing tougher defenses, he would also have much more help offensively. If Lynch was the quarterback of an average BCS conference school, he would have a better offensive line, better receivers, and better running backs to compete against the tougher defenses in the country.

Whether Jordan Lynch is the quarterback of NIU or Alabama, the fact still remains that he is one of the most dynamic players in all of college football. The Heisman Trophy is awarded annually to the nation’s “most outstanding player”, and I find it hard to believe that Jordan Lynch isn’t near the top of that list. I’m not asking for Lynch to win the Heisman, I just believe that he has done everything he can to deserve a trip to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Week 11 Preview: Notre Dame vs. BYU


Tomorrow afternoon, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (7-3) will host the Brigham Young Cougars (7-3) on Senior Day. Senior Day is always a special day for the university and one that I particularly enjoy as an Irish fan. As part of being a student-athlete at Notre Dame, the players rarely get an opportunity to have an “individual moment” on the field. Notre Dame has always preached the concept of “team-first” by running out of the tunnel as a team, not having names on their jerseys, and embracing each other while they sing the alma mater after a home win. However, for a brief moment, each senior player will be individually announced and have a chance to walk to 50-yard line to greet their families. It is always great to see each senior get recognized for all the effort, time, and dedication they have given to the program and school.

With that being said, I am personally looking forward to seeing players such as Tommy Rees, T.J. Jones, Zack Martin, Chris Watt, Louis Nix III, Prince Shembo, Carlo Calabrese, Dan Fox and Bennett Jackson run onto the field. All of these players have had a pivotal role in resurrecting the Notre Dame football program, and they truly deserve their few minutes of appreciation from the Irish faithful. Of course, there are other seniors that will be honored tomorrow, and all of them should be commemorated for coming to play football at Notre Dame when the program was at arguably its’ lowest point ever. All of these players committed after the Irish were in the midst of a 15-21 record over the final three seasons of the Charlie Weis era. Before these players even got to South Bend, they had to deal with a coaching change. To their credit, these players held their commitment to Notre Dame and gave Brian Kelly their best effort for four seasons. Most of these players were recruited to play under different offensive (pro-style vs. spread) and defensive (4-3 vs. 3-4) schemes, but they handled the situation the best they could. Like last season, this senior class will always be a memorable one for me as a fan. They came to Notre Dame under less than ideal circumstances and helped bring the program back to where it should be.

In any event, there is still a game to be played. Notre Dame’s BCS hopes came to an end two weeks ago when they lost to Pittsburgh, but they still have plenty to play for on Saturday. With two games remaining, and a bowl game, the Irish still have an outside chance to get to 10 wins which would be nice for two reasons. First, a 10-3 season would look pretty appealing to future recruits and would aid the perception that the program has turned the corner. Second, I am a firm believer that finishing the season on a high-note can build momentum for the following year. Despite Notre Dame having many talented seniors, the Irish also have plenty of underclassmen that have made an impact this season, so finishing strong could boost their confidence and improve their preseason ranking for next year.

Offensively, Notre Dame will be facing a tough defense, but they are not an elite unit. BYU ranks 23rd in scoring defense at allowing 21.0 points per game, but they have allowed some yardage along the way. The Cougars find themselves towards the middle of the pack in total defense by allowing 377.3 yards per game (46th in the country). It will be interesting to see how the Irish decide to attack this defense since BYU ranks 57th in rush defense (155.0 yards per game) and 46th in pass defense (222.3 yards per game). The Cougars don’t appear to be significantly better in one area over the other, so Notre Dame’s entire playbook should be available. However, Brian Kelly may have tipped his hand during his press conference earlier this week when he said the Irish would have to make plenty of big plays offensively to win the game. Now, I don’t expect Notre Dame to plan on throwing the ball 50 times, but I do expect them to take several shots down the field. With the big and physical receivers Notre Dame has, Brian Kelly may feel like he has an advantage over the Cougars’ secondary. With that being said, Notre Dame needs to have a balanced offensive attack to win this game. If Notre Dame comes close to their average of 65 plays per game, I would hope that they run the ball at least 30 times. The running back position has been a bit of a revolving door this season, but I expect to see more of Tarean Folston tomorrow. Folston was hardly used two weeks ago against Pittsburgh, but I think his number of carries will be closer to what he had against Navy three weeks ago. I would like to see Folston tote the rock at least 15 times, with George Atkinson III and Cam McDaniel handling the bulk of the remaining touches. Also, don’t be surprised to see T.J. Jones get a few carries out of the backfield. Jones had three carries against Pittsburgh and I would think that Brian Kelly will be looking to get the ball into his hands any way he can since it is Senior Day and T.J. is Notre Dame’s best offensive weapon. Whether it is by run, pass, or returning, I’m counting on a big day from T.J. Jones.

Defensively, it all starts with containing Taysom Hill. The sophomore dual-threat quarterback is having a solid season with 956 rushing yards and 2,379 passing yards. Hill has also accounted for 24 total touchdowns (16 pass, 8 rush) and 12 interceptions while completing just 52.4 percent of his passes. If there is one knock on Taysom Hill, it is hill accuracy, but his running ability more than makes up for it offensively. The Cougars are averaging 33.5 points per game (42nd) and are gaining an impressive 503.7 yards per game offensively (13th). Needless to say, Notre Dame’s defense could be in for a long day trying to defend both the run and pass. Besides Taysom Hill, BYU also features a talented back in Jamaal Williams. The sophomore has racked up 940 rushing yards and six touchdowns while averaging 5.5 yards per carry. With both Hill and Williams, Notre Dame’s linebackers will have to be very active by making plays all over the field. If Hill and Williams can’t get anything going on the ground, look for Hill to target his favorite receiver Cody Hoffman early and often. Hoffman is a big receiver at 6’4’’, 210 pounds and he should present matchup problems anywhere he lines up versus the Irish defense. With Notre Dame battling injuries on defense, BYU should be able to move the ball fairly well and should score at least a couple of touchdowns.

I’m expecting a tough game, much like last year’s 17-14 victory. BYU will be looking for revenge, but the Irish find a way to win behind Tommy Rees and T.J. Jones.

Prediction: Notre Dame 23, BYU 20

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Kelly, Rees Unrightfully Criticized by Irish Fans


As I was on Twitter after the game, I heard two things that really irritated me as a Notre Dame fan.

1. Brian Kelly needs to be fired. Really? Do I need to remind Notre Dame fans where this program was before Brian Kelly took over? Except for a few season, Notre Dame football had become the laughing stock of college football after Lou Holtz left. Notre Dame’s woes were highlighted by a 3-9 finish in 2007, followed by two 6-6 seasons in 2008 and 2009 and a 4-5 start in 2010. Since then, Brian Kelly has led the Irish to a 30-7 record during the regular season and a trip to the BCS National Championship. Granted, the Irish got stomped by Alabama in the title game, but it shows that Notre Dame has come a long way from being a middling program. I will admit that Brian Kelly’s coaching performance on Saturday was not his best, probably his worst at Notre Dame, but one game should not decide his fate. It is easy to bash the guy after a tough loss, but there are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the direction the program is heading. Kelly has continued to recruit players to fit his style of play and plenty of underclassmen are making a tremendous impact on the season. After a 12-0 season last year, expectations were obviously high, but they were likely unrealistic. Notre Dame lost a lot of veteran talent and leadership in Manti Te’o, Tyler Eifert, Cierre Wood, Theo Riddick, Kapron-Lewis Moore, and Zeke Motta. Not to mention, Everett Golson’s departure from the university was crippling to the offense’s development. All of those players are tough to replace, and a litany of injuries this season certainly have not helped matters. Let’s at least wait a year or two before we run Brian Kelly out of town. If Notre Dame is still going 8-4 in 2014 and beyond, then there may be some reason for concern. For now, pump the brakes Irish fans.

2. Tommy Rees being verbally attacked. I will admit that I probably like Tommy Rees more than the average Notre Dame fan, but the amount of blame and abuse that he has received for this team and past Irish team’s woes is absurd. When Rees entered the Tulsa game in 2010, and subsequently won the final three games and a bowl game, I believed Notre Dame had their quarterback for the next three years. Despite Rees’ success, Dayne Crist was given his starting role back in 2011, a decision that I still feel was wrong. After sitting on the bench for the season opener Rees led the Irish to an 8-3 record during the final 11 games. Then came 2012, Rees was suspended for the opener versus Navy because of an incident he had involving the police. The suspension opened the door for Everett Golson to start versus Navy, and the freshman remained the starter for the majority of the season. Despite losing his job, Rees remained professional the whole time and succeed in his role when called upon. Rees technically started two games in 2012 (Miami and BYU), but his impact was felt the most in games versus Purdue, Michigan, and Stanford where the veteran was called upon to close out three games. Simply put, Notre Dame does not go 12-0 in 2012 without Rees on the team. Now in 2013, the tables turned and Golson was the one who lost their starting job, leaving Rees the starter once again and becoming an easy scapegoat for a disappointing season. All Rees has ever done is go about his business and perform his job to the best of his ability. I say that because in all honesty, Rees is limited in his ability and his lack of sheer talent sometimes gets the best of him. As a son of a coach, Rees is a very knowledgeable player and knows this offense like the back of his hand. In my lifetime, I can’t think of a college quarterback that has had more control over an offense and changes the play at the line of scrimmage more than Rees does. Some players have had similar control, but not many have had more control. After Rees left the USC game due to injury, I thought Notre Dame fans would get off his back after seeing what life without Rees looks like. I guess that wasn’t the case, and once again Irish fans are unrightfully bashing Rees.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Week 10 Recap: Pittsburgh 28, Notre Dame 21


Notre Dame’s BCS hopes came to a crashing halt last Saturday night when the Pittsburgh Panthers handed the Fighting Irish their third loss of the season, 28-21. I thought the game would be a close one, but I did not expect the Irish to play as poorly as they did. Notre Dame made many mistakes throughout the game and they could not overcome the errors. As a result, by losing their third game of the season, Notre Dame will have to regroup and focus on ending the season on a positive note. After a bye week this week, Notre Dame will host BYU and travel to Stanford for the season finale. With both games providing tests for Notre Dame, the Irish will be fortunate to finish the season 8-4.

Notre Dame started off the scoring when Tommy Rees found DaVaris Daniels for a 10-yard touchdown with 3:41 remaining in the first quarter. From there, the Panthers and Irish would trade scores with Notre Dame eventually taking a 21-14 lead with 3:29 remaining in the third quarter when Rees hit T.J. Jones in stride for an 80-yard strike. After the Irish took the lead, the Panthers would dominate final 18-plus minutes to come away with the victory.

The Positive

1. Big play potential. There weren’t a lot of positives to choose from in a very poorly played game by Notre Dame, but the one bright spot was the Irish’s ability to make big plays offensively. Notre Dame had 451 yards of total offense, with a good percentage of that production coming on six plays that totaled 243 yards. Rees had pass plays of 80, 38, 34, and 23 yards on the night, while T.J. Jones (35) and George Atkinson III (33) added long plays of their own on the ground. Without the big plays, it would have been a long night for the Irish offense as they could not sustain any long drives. Despite the explosive plays, Notre Dame was on the losing side due to many mistakes, miscues, and errors.

The Negatives

1. Turnovers. In a game that was as close as Saturday’s, turnovers proved to be the difference in the outcome as the Irish lost the turnover battle, 3-0. Tommy Rees threw two careless interceptions and T.J. Jones had a costly fumble after hauling in a 34-yard grab. One of the Rees interceptions and the Jones fumble occurred in the red zone and cost the Irish potentially 14 points. The other interception set up a Pittsburgh touchdown as Ray Vinopal returned the INT 40 yards to set the Panthers up with first and goal from the five yard line. In all, the three turnovers created a potential 21-point swing that was too much for the Irish to overcome. All three turnovers were careless and are mistakes that senior players should not be making in November.

2. Time of Possession. Based on Notre Dame’s tendency for big plays, the Irish controlled the ball for only 23:27. The 13:06 time of possession advantage for Pittsburgh was critical for sustaining offensive drives since the Irish defense could not stay off the field. I will never bash an offense for scoring too quickly, but there are times when sustaining a drive are crucial to the overall outlook of the game. There was several times where Notre Dame’s offense needed to chew up some clock to give their defense a breather, but failed to do so because of big plays, three-and-outs, and two quick possessions that ended in turnovers.

3. Play calling. Immediately after the game ended, I was looking for reasons as to why the Irish lost the game, and the play calling stood out right away. During the first half, Notre Dame displayed balance on offense by rushing 18 times for 128 yards and passing the ball 14 times for 115 yards. During the second half, Notre Dame rushed the ball just 6 times for 10 yards and threw 24 passes for 203 yards. With Notre leading or tied for the majority of the game, it is inexcusable to pass the ball 14 more times than running it. Uneven play distribution like that causes the defense to favor the pass and that often leads to interceptions and sacks. One of the reasons both of Tommy Rees’ interceptions occurred in the second half was due to there being no threat of a run. When looking at the play and yard distribution, it is worth pointing out that 68 of Notre Dame’s 128 rushing yards in the first half came on two plays. If you take away those two plays, Notre Dame had 70 yards on 22 carries for the entire game. That may not seem like a lot of production, but it is still 3.18 yards per carry and a strong enough output to stick with the running game. Instead, Brian Kelly completely abandoned the running game and put his team in a difficult situation to win. Furthermore, four of the Irish passing plays resulted in 175 yards, meaning the other 34 pass plays only accounted for 143 yards. That comes out to about 4.02 yards per attempt and further proves that the Irish passing game was not as efficient as it should have been to warrant relying solely on the passing game in the second half. This is a coaching mistake, and one that is correctable. For those saying that Brian Kelly can’t call a balanced offensive attack, look at some of the games earlier this season and most of the entire 2012 campaign.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Friday, November 8, 2013

Week 10 Preview: Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh


The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (7-2, 23rd ranked) will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers (4-4) tomorrow night. The Irish will be looking to win their fifth straight game and keep their BCS hopes alive after narrowly defeating Navy last weekend. Pittsburgh welcomes Notre Dame hoping to avoid their third consecutive defeat after dropping their last two contests to Navy and Georgia Tech.

Offensively, Notre Dame will be facing a much tougher test than what they saw the last two weeks with Air Force and Navy. Pittsburgh is allowing 26.8 points per game (66th), but they have a much stronger defense in terms of total defense by allowing only 366 yards per game (33rd). Pittsburgh biggest strength defensively is in their secondary where they are only surrendering 202 passing yards per game which is good for 18th best in the country. Based on that statistic, Tommy Rees could have a difficult time moving the ball through the air. One of the reasons Pittsburgh has such a good pass defense is because the Panthers get a tremendous surge from their interior defensive linemen. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald is one of the best defensive players in the nation. The senior lineman has 36 tackles (19.5 tackles for loss), and nine sacks on the season. He has been disruptive in the passing game, so center Nick Martin and guards Chris Watt and Steve Elmer will have to make sure they help each other out to give Rees enough time to read the defense. But, the Irish have weapons to throw the ball to, so if Rees gets time, I think he can still have a productive passing day. If the Irish passing game is thwarted, they will have to rely on a running game that has been rejuvenated in recent weeks. In particular, last week’s 264 yards on the ground was highlighted by a 140 yard performance from true freshman Tarean Folston. Look for Folston to receive the bulk of the carries once again as Brian Kelly has been looking for someone to step into the featured-back role all season. In addition to Folston, I also expect George Atkinson III and Cam McDaniel to receive 8-10 carries a piece. The Irish have a tougher assignment offensively this week, but they should still be able to put up points provided they have a balanced attack.

Defensively, the Irish are back to playing against a more traditional offense. After facing Air Force and Navy the last two weeks, one would expect the Irish defense to pick up where they left off after stifling the USC Trojans offense three weeks ago. While that is certainly possible, the Notre Dame defense will have to overcome a litany of injuries. Defensive lineman Sheldon Day and Louis Nix are expected to play and that should provide a boost in the trenches, but both are hobbled. In the last six games, Notre Dame has only had Day, Nix, and Stephon Tuitt on the field together for 13 plays. The trio’s success is evident by only allowing 21 yards and recording two sacks during those 13 snaps (Thanks to IrishIllustrated.com for that little nugget). Although Day and Nix are returning, the Irish lack depth all over the defense and simply can’t afford any more injuries. Looking at this Pittsburgh offense makes me think the Irish matchup well defensively. The Panthers rank just 104th in rushing offense at 122.5 yards per game, so I would not expect a huge day on the ground considering the Irish typically have success versus traditional ground attacks. Should the Irish stop the Panthers’ running game, Pittsburgh will have to lean on veteran Tom Savage who is enjoying a solid senior season. Savage has completed 60.7% of his passes thrown for 1,779 yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Notre Dame will need to generate pressure with their defensive line because the linebackers and secondary will have their hands full with a very talented receiving tandem. Senior Devin Street (40 rec, 690 yards, 4 TDs) and true freshman Tyler Boyd (45 rec, 644 yards, 6 TDs) are both big, explosive weapons at 6’4” and 6’2” respectively. If Savage gets time to throw, the Irish secondary could be in for a long day. Given the big play potential for Street and Boyd, I would expect defensive coordinator Bob Diaco to instruct his secondary to keep everything in front of them. Because of that, Pittsburgh may have multiple long drives, but Notre Dame will likely tighten up and keep the Panthers out of the end zone more times than not.

Based on how these teams match up and the recent history, I am expecting another close game. Ultimately, Notre Dame has more talent on both sides of the ball and comes away with the victory.

Prediction: Notre Dame 24, Pittsburgh 16

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Week 9 Recap: Notre Dame 38, Navy 34


Last Saturday, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame squeaked out a tough 38-34 victory over the Navy Midshipmen to improve to 7-2 on the season. Well, that was certainly more interesting and intense than I thought it would be. Based on how well the Irish have played against Navy and the other service academies since losing to the Midshipmen in 2010, I thought Notre Dame would cruise to their seventh win of the season. Boy, I was wrong. Hats off to the Naval academy, they played a nearly flawless game and gave the Irish everything they had.

When George Atkinson III split the middle of the Navy defense for a 41-yard touchdown run with 12:12 left in the first quarter, the rout seemed to be underway. But instead, Navy responded with 9-play, 56 yard touchdown drive to tie the score at 7-7. From there, a seesaw battle would begin with nine lead changes before the game ended in a 38-34 score. Notre Dame scored the winning touchdown with 3:47 left in the game on a 1-yard touchdown run by Tarean Folston. Navy was driving to set up a potential game-winning score, but their hopes ended when the Irish defense sniffed out a reverse on a 4th and 4 from the Notre Dame 31-yard line.

The Positives

1. The Irish offense. Against an inferior defensive opponent, the Irish offense enjoyed a very productive and efficient day. Notre Dame tallied 506 yards of total offense with 264 of those yards coming on the ground. The Irish ran 56 plays on the afternoon, good for a 9.03 average yards per play. As a result, the Irish only faced five third downs and just one fourth down situation. In addition, Notre Dame racked up 25 first downs, meaning that 44.6% of the plays called resulted in a first down. That is a tremendous percentage and shows how effective the offense was when they had the ball.

2. Tarean Folston’s breakout game. Tarean Folston officially arrived in South Bend by accounting for 140 of the 264 rushing yards. Folston carried the ball 18 times, and may have cemented himself as Notre Dame’s featured running back for the remainder of the season. The true freshman was explosive by attacking his holes and making quick-hard cuts when necessary. This was a performance that the Irish were looking for out of one of their running backs all season, and one they desperately needed as they look to close out the season against some tougher defenses.

3. Another close win. It might not be good for the hearts of Irish fans, but Notre Dame has developed a knack for winning close games. The four-point victory on Saturday marked the 10th straight win decided by a touchdown or less, a streak that ties Brian Kelly with Knute Rockne for the second-longest streak in school history. The record is currently 12, set by Elmer Layden. The ability to win close games proves that Brian Kelly has successfully changed the culture of this program. Since Lou Holtz left, Notre Dame seemed to be on the losing side of many close games, but Brian Kelly has instilled a confidence in his players that they believe they can win every game.

The Negatives

1. Irish defense had no answer for the Navy option. As good as the Irish offense was on Saturday, the defense was just as bad. Maybe I shouldn’t say that, because the Navy offense deserves a ton of credit. Navy ran 79 plays that totaled 419 yards, good for a 5.30 average yards per play. With the steady attack, Navy was able to control the ball for 37:36, while committing no turnovers and no penalties. It was a nearly flawless display of offense. Navy’s execution was paramount because of their ability to get off the ball quickly. There were numerous times where I thought either the Navy offensive line or running backs were moving early, but they were not. That’s how fast they were getting to their blocks and holes. As a result, the Notre Dame defense was not getting to their assignments quickly enough. Fortunately, the Irish offense was dominant in the second half and the defense made a play when they needed to secure the victory.

2. Turnovers, Penalties, and Time of Possession. As mentioned above, Notre Dame lost to Navy in all three of these critical areas. Navy had the ball for more than 15 minutes than the Irish did, and that really had an effect on how well the Navy offense played. The Notre Dame defense was on the field an awful lot, and they did not have much time to recover between possessions with the Irish offense scoring so quickly. Notre Dame also had a minus two turnover margin and committed five penalties for 55 yards. The fact that Navy won all three of these phases, shows how well of a game they play.

3. Early missed opportunities. With the scored tied 7-7, Notre Dame drove 67 yards in seven plays that led to a field goal to give them a 10-7 lead. While that is fine, Notre Dame missed a golden opportunity to take a 14-7 lead when Tommy Rees’ throw sailed on Troy Niklas on a 3rd and 3 from the 8-yard line. Niklas was open, but the throw had to be high in order to get it over the underneath coverage. Rees put a little too much air under it, and the ball bounced off of Niklas’ extended hand. It was a pass that could have been converted, and one that both Rees and Niklas probably wish they could have back. After taking a 10-7 lead, the Notre Dame defense forced a Navy punt and had a chance to take a two-score lead. Once again, Notre Dame was driving, but that drive ended on an interception when T.J. Jones slipped making his cut on a deep-in route. If Jones doesn’t slip, the play would have likely resulted in a reception setting up a potential field goal or touchdown. In the end, Notre Dame was only up 10-7, when they could have been up 21-7. If that occurs, the rest of the game may have been a much different story with Navy traveling by two scores.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07