Week 5 Preview: Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma

Later today, the Oklahoma Sooners (3-0, 14^th ranked) travel to South Bend to take on the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (3-1, 22^nd ranked). Other than the Irish’s traditional rivals, a regular season game can’t get much bigger than this one. The Sooners come to town seeking revenge from last year’s defeat in Norman, where the Irish scored 17 points in the final 6-plus minutes to win 30-13.

For a late September tilt, this game is very important for both teams. The Irish are still hoping to make a BCS bowl appearance this year, and they can only afford to lose one more game. With Stanford still looming at the end of the schedule, Notre Dame doesn’t have much wiggle room. Oklahoma is off to a quick start, but they haven’t been tested yet. Today’s matchup should give the Sooners a better idea of where they stand as a football team, and a win could set up a potential National Title run.

Offensively, Notre Dame needs to be able to run the ball in order to win. I wouldn’t set a yardage mark, but if the Irish can rush for 120 to 150 yards, then they should be able to get a victory. I don’t think Notre Dame will be able to win if Tommy Rees has to throw the ball 40-plus times. Oklahoma has too much talent on defense to rely on a one-dimensional offense. If Notre Dame can’t run the ball, then the Sooners’ defensive line will be able to pin their ears back and get to Rees. Since Rees has virtually no mobility, pressure means two things, sacks and interceptions. In addition to running the ball, Notre Dame will also have to make a few big plays in the passing game. We all know that T.J. Jones and DaVaris Daniels are serious threats, but the emergence of Corey Robinson and Will Fuller last week could help stretch out the defense and provide more one-on-one matchups for Rees to exploit. No matter how they do it, I think it is fairly obvious that the Irish need to put plenty of points up on the scoreboard.

Defensively, Notre Dame will have their eyes keyed on one person, Blake Bell. The junior quarterback will be making his first road start, and the Irish defense figures to be his toughest test yet. Last year, Notre Dame got a glimpse of Bell during short yardage situations. In fact, Bell scored a touchdown in last season’s contest when he broke through Bennett Jackson’s arm tackle. Obviously, at 6-foot-6, 252 pounds, Bell is a heavy load to tackle and he could be a problem in short yardage situations. Although Bell is a great short yardage runner, I wouldn’t exactly classify him as a dual-threat quarterback. I don’t expect him to scramble for 20-plus yards down field or approach 100 yards rushing like Devin Gardner did three weeks ago. Also, Brian Kelly made it a point earlier that the Irish need to be worried about Bell’s arm more than his legs. Bell threw for 413 yards and four touchdowns last week versus Tulsa, so the potential is definitely there. The difference, however, is that Notre Dame’s defense should be much more formidable than Tulsa’s. While Notre Dame has struggled against the pass early this season, they still have much more talent on defense than any team Oklahoma has seen this season. For Notre Dame to win, they will have to keep pressure on Bell and force him to throw the ball earlier than planned. Given that it is Bell’s first road start, he could be susceptible to making mistakes. Hopefully, the Irish can force a couple of turnovers and give their offense a short field to work with.

I have gone back and forth with a prediction in my head all week, so naturally I expect a very close game. From what I’ve seen early this season, I don’t know if Notre Dame has the running game and pass defense to get a victory. On the other hand, I don’t know what to expect from Blake Bell under his first true test. Both teams have their question marks, so your guess is as good as mine. I’ll side with the experienced quarterback at home.

Prediction: Notre Dame 27, Oklahoma 23

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Week 4 Recap: Notre Dame 17, Michigan State 13

Last Saturday, Notre Dame defeated their rival Michigan State in a low-scoring game, 17-13. Based on my prediction that the Irish would win 20-17 and the history of this rivalry, Saturday’s game was exactly what we thought it was going to be, a tough, physical battle. It wasn’t always pretty, but the result is all that matters. Notre Dame got a much needed victory.

Early on, the Irish offense struggled to move the ball versus one of the best defenses in the country. But, the offense finally got into the end zone with a late touchdown pass to T.J. Jones before the half, giving Notre Dame a 10-7 lead. Michigan State would get a field goal in the third quarter to tie the score, before Cam McDaniel scampered for a game-winning 7-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. From there, the Irish defense held on for the win.

The Positives

1. Early Game Plan. As I stated in my game preview, it was apparent that the Irish were not going to be able to sustain many long drives against the Spartan defense. In response to that, I thought Brian Kelly’s opening game plan was spot on. Notre Dame went deep early and often, and they had some open receivers that Rees missed (which I’ll touch on later). However, as much as I liked the aggressive play calling early, I felt that Notre Dame went to the well too much. After the defense was playing back and covering the go-routes, it looked like the Irish receivers would have been wide open if they ran some comeback routes. Despite the aggressive play calling, Notre Dame did a great job in trying to commit to a running game as well. Based on the early play calling, I was actually shocked to see that the Irish ran the ball 32 times and passed it 34 times.

2. Freshman Contributors. Freshmen receivers Corey Robinson and Will Fuller combined to catch 4 big passes for 91 yards, and without them the Irish would not have won the game. Robinson looks like a big, physical receiver (I guess that is to be expected since he is the son of The Admiral), and Fuller showed his speed and athleticism on an acrobatic catch down the sideline. In a game where T.J. Jones and DaVaris Daniels were held in-check, it was great to see the two freshmen make an impact.

3. Matthias Farley’s INT. This play was a turning point in the game. Farley picked off running back R.J Shelton on an attempted halfback pass, and returned the ball towards mid-field to help set up the winning score.

The Negatives

 1. Lack of Running Game. I understand the game plan was to throw it early and often, but the lack of a running game is beginning to be a serious problem. The Irish have five talented backs, but the fact is none of them have stepped up to take charge of the role. Cam McDaniel is a tough runner for his size, but Notre Dame needs more out of their backfield than just him. Yes, Michigan State has a stout run defense, but 78 yards on 32 carries won’t get you many victories. The Irish need to improve in this area as the season wears on.

2. Penalties. In a low scoring, defensive battle, penalties can kill you. The Irish committed 8 penalties for 86 yards, both numbers are way too high. In fact, the Spartans’ lone touchdown drive was aided by 30 yards in personal foul penalties. Luckily for the Irish, Michigan State committed 10 penalties for 115 yards, so the damage wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

3. Rees’ Inaccuracy. I mentioned above that Rees missed several open receivers on some of the deep throws early on. If the Irish would have lost the game, this would have been a bigger deal, because there could have been at least two or three touchdowns on deep balls. It should be noted that it was windy in South Bend on Saturday and it appeared to affect Rees. In the first quarter, Rees underthrew a few balls where the receivers had to come back and make a play. Then, when the quarter ended and Rees had the wind at his back, he really had issues with missing open receivers. It is not an excuse, but the wind definitely appeared to have an impact in the passing game.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Week 4 Preview: Notre Dame vs. Michigan State

Tomorrow afternoon, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (2-1, 22^nd ranked) will host one of their rivals, the Michigan State Spartans (3-0). Not only is this a very big rivalry, this game has major implications for both programs. For Notre Dame, a loss would practically end any chances of reaching a BCS bowl game. With Oklahoma, Arizona State, USC, and Stanford still remaining on the schedule, the Irish can’t afford to suffer another defeat. For Michigan State, a win would set them up nicely for a solid season and give them plenty of confidence before Big Ten play begins.

Offensively, the Irish will be tested by the nation’s top scoring defense. The Spartans have been one of the more physical and better defenses in the country for several years, and this year is no different. I expect Notre Dame to have a very difficult time running the ball (Michigan State is allowing just 50.3 rushing yards a game), especially between the tackles, so points might be hard to come by for the Irish. If Notre Dame is going to score enough points they will have to get big-chunk yardage plays. I don’t think the Irish will be able to sustain long scoring drives, so guys like Amir Carlisle and George Atkinson will have to try to get to the edge of the Spartan defense and run down the sideline. If the run is completely shut down, then the Irish will have to once again rely heavily on the passing game. The good news is that the passing game has been a strength for the Irish (16^th ranked in yardage), but the bad news is that Michigan State owns the nation’s top defensive passing efficiency and is allowing only 126.7 yards a game through the air. However, it should be noted that the Spartans have not seen an offense that is as talented as Notre Dame’s to this point. The Irish certainly have the weapons to make big plays, the question is how many will they able to make?

Defensively, Notre Dame has an opportunity to get back on track. For all the hype Michigan State is receiving for their defensive prowess, their offensive issues are well known. The Spartans rank just 105^th in passing offense and 43^rd in rushing offense. Those numbers aren’t great, and they are also pretty inflated considering a bulk of their offensive success came last week against an FCS opponent by scoring 55 points versus Youngstown State. Based on the numbers, I think the Irish defense matches up really well with the Spartans offense. Initially, Michigan State will try to run right at Notre Dame, but the Irish are still pretty stout against conventional running games. Of course, the weakness in the Irish defense is in the secondary. Michigan State has used three different quarterbacks this season, so obviously they aren’t comfortable with relying on one guy to run the offense. With that being said, Notre Dame should be able to shut down the nation’s 105^th ranked passing attack. If they can’t, then it is going to be a long, long season. The only other concern would be the mobility of quarterback Connor Cook. Cook has been the Spartans’ main quarterback thus far, and has showed some athleticism. Cook has carried the ball 15 times for 70 yards, including a 20-yard run. Cook shouldn’t be as elusive as Devin Gardner was, but he should still be someone to keep contained.

This game has all the makings of a tough-low scoring contest. I expect a close game, but in the end, Notre Dame wins because they have more playmakers on offense.

Prediction: Notre Dame 20, Michigan State 17

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Trestman Era Begins with 2-0 Start

The Marc Trestman era is off to a great start with the Chicago Bears starting the 2013 season with a record of 2-0. The two wins came against playoff teams from 2012, and both victories were of come-from-behind fashion.

After an exciting start to the season, I just wanted to share some of my thoughts on the Bears, Trestman, and the 2013 campaign.

-Jay Cutler looks comfortable and confident in the offense. Cutler was probably the happiest player with the change to an offensive minded head coach, and the results have shown it so far. Although he has still thrown three interceptions in just two games, Cutler has led two fourth quarter comebacks and is making some big-time throws. Hopefully he can now cut down on the turnovers, because this offense has a ton of potential.

-The offense is loaded with playmakers. We all knew that Brandon Marshall was a stud, but Cutler now has multiple options to spread the ball around. Martellus Bennett is a big, physical, and athletic tight end that presents plenty of matchup problems all over the field. Matt Forte appears to be heading for a huge year and should rack up a lot of yards in the passing game. Cutler is very comfortable throwing to Forte, and Marc Trestman has made it a priority to get him the football as often as possible.

-The offensive line is vastly improved. The free agent additions of Jermon Bushrod and Matt Slauson, coupled with the draft picks of Kyle Long and Jordan Mills have completely revamped a terrible offensive line over the last few years. Jay Cutler has had more than enough time to throw the ball and has only been sacked once in two games.  

-The defense is still very opportunistic. Any thoughts that the defense would take a step-back with the departure of Lovie Smith should be washed away. The Bears have scored a defensive touchdown in both of their games, and the defense should be at the top of the league in takeaways once again this season.

-Julius Peppers is off to a slow start. Maybe it is because of injuries, age, the flu, or just rust from resting during the majority of the preseason, but Peppers has been ineffective during the first two games. Hopefully it is just an issue of rust and Peppers can get back to play at a high level once again because the Bears will need him to make some plays down the road.

-Devin Hester is back! Well, maybe he never left, but he was improperly utilized during the last few seasons of the Lovie Smith era. Now that Hester is solely focused on kick and punt returns, he appears to be the huge weapon that he once was prior to moving to wide receiver.

-Marc Trestman has made a good impression. Although it has only been two games, I am really excited about the direction this franchise is heading under Marc Trestman. He appears to have a great relationship with Cutler and the rest of the players. Things should only continue to get better on offense as the players and coaches get more familiar with each other.

With all of that being said, the Chicago Bears are positioning themselves to have a very competitive season. I predicted them to go 10-6 and make the playoffs via the wildcard before the season started, and so far I am feeling good about that projection.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Disappointing 2013 Season Coming to an End

As we reach the final two weeks of the year, the Chicago White Sox are wrapping up a disappointing 2013 season. By now, White Sox fans are well aware of the problems this team has had for the majority of the year. The hitting has been bad, the defense awful, and the baserunning has been a joke. About the only consistent aspects of the team have been the starting pitching and their closer.

With the season winding down, I only have a few things to say. First, this might be Paul Konerko’s last season. Even though the team is hard to watch, try to tune into a few games down the stretch to see the final at-bats of one of the greatest players in franchise history. Second, the White Sox have some building blocks for a quick turnaround. While, I don’t expect a playoff run next year, they should at least be around .500. Third and finally, be sure to pay attention to the offseason. The White Sox have plenty of cash to spend by dumping most of their high salary players. Also, with a horrible 2013 season, I expect general manager Rick Hahn and Kenny Williams to be very active this winter.

On that note, this will be my last update for the 2013 season. I realize I haven’t posted anything in quite a while due to the poor play, and the beginning of football has occupied my blogging time. However, I will be posting from time to time during the offseason, especially if anything newsworthy should happen.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Week 3: Notre Dame 31, Purdue 24

Last Saturday, Notre Dame was able to score 21 points in the fourth quarter to rally from behind and beat Purdue 31-24. The Boilermakers got off to a quick start with a 10-0 lead in the second quarter, and they rode the momentum from an energetic crowd to maintain a 17-10 lead after three quarters.

Then, the Irish took off! Notre Dame scored three touchdowns in 3 minutes and 29 seconds to take a 31-17 lead, and held on for a well-earned road victory.

I predicted a 34-10 victory, so obviously I was disappointed with the performance from Notre Dame, especially in the first half. For the first 30 minutes, Notre Dame looked flat and out-of-sync. Maybe it was a letdown from the Michigan game (Michigan also struggled at home versus Akron for a 24-21 win), maybe not? But, the fact remains that the Irish got a win to improve to 2-1 on the season.

The Positives

1. DaVaris Daniels is a Beast! Looking at the box score, 8 catches for 167 yards and two touchdowns stands out, but it’s the way he did it. Both touchdowns were NFL-caliber type plays and showed his size, speed, strength, and athleticism. The first touchdown was a 9-yard fade route where he out-jumped the defensive back. The second touchdown was an 82-yard fly pattern where he stiff-armed a defensive back for 20-plus yards and managed to stay inbounds down the sideline. It was an impressive night for Daniels.

2. Tommy Rees’ Second Half. After an awful first half, Rees settled down and led the Irish to the comeback victory. Rees went 12 for 16 for 215 yards and two touchdowns. He had good rhythm and made some great throws, especially on some deep balls. It was the kind of performance the Irish were hoping to get for the entire game, but unfortunately that didn’t happen.

3. Bennett Jackson’s Pick-Six. Jackson made a great break towards the ball and took it to the house. It was the second straight week the Irish defense scored a touchdown. Hopefully the big play will hope boost Jackson’s confidence for the coming weeks.

The Negatives

1. Tommy Rees’ First Half. As good as Rees was in the second half, he was terrible in the first half. Rees went just 8 for 17 for 94 yards in the first two quarters, and nearly threw three interceptions. One of which would have been for a touchdown. Rees will have to put two good halves together if the Irish are going to win this Saturday versus Michigan State.

2. Pass Defense. For the third straight week, the Notre Dame passing defense looked weak. A good pass defense usually starts up front with a good pass rush, but the Irish haven’t put a ton of pressure on the quarterback early this season. However, despite the lack of rush, the secondary needs to play better. The secondary seems to have a ton of holes in their zone coverage and they are getting burned. With a struggling offense coming to South Bend this weekend, the Irish secondary better figure things out before Oklahoma, Arizona State, and USC light up the scoreboard in the coming weeks.

3. Lack of Running Game. For the second straight week the Irish had a poor effort on the ground. Even though Notre Dame was trailing for a good portion of this game, they still ran the ball 37 times, but managed just 91 yards. Cam McDaniel recieved the bulk of the work by getting 56 yards on 16 carries. Amir Carlisle had a rough day with just 16 yards on 11 carries, and George Atkinson never really got involved with only 5 carries for 27 yards. Actually, Atkinson had the best average of 5.4 yards per carry, but Kelly was forced to go with McDaniel and Carlisle because they are better blockers in passing situations. The running game might be in store for another quiet day versus a tough Spartan defense on Saturday, but I still expect all five backs to see some action. Hopefully, one or two of them will emerge as reliable options out of the backfield.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Week 3 Preview: Notre Dame at Purdue

Tomorrow night, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (1-1, 21^st ranked) travel to West Lafayette to take on their in-state rivals, the Purdue Boilermakers (1-1). The atmosphere at Ross-Ade Stadium won’t be quite like what the Irish saw last weekend in Ann Arbor, but the Purdue fans will be more than ready for this game.

Despite the in-state rival and raucous environment, I don’t expect this game to be particularly close. Last week, Notre Dame certainly had their hands full defensively with the mobility of Devin Gardner, and even struggled a bit to contain Temple’s quarterback, Connor Reilly, in the opener. Purdue’s quarterback, Rob Henry, will also present some issues in containment, but he isn’t as skilled as a runner as Gardner, so the Irish should be able to bottle him up. In addition, Purdue doesn’t have the same caliber of weapons surrounding their quarterback as Michigan did. In fact, running back Akeem Hunt is the only real top-level player that I could think of off the top of my head. If the Boilermakers are going to make this game interesting, then Hunt needs to have a big game. The Irish front seven should be able to keep Hunt in check, as they have against most traditional run plays, thus forcing Purdue to throw more often. If that is the case, then the Irish secondary needs to step up and shutdown a weaker passing attack. Purdue doesn’t have the big-play receivers to stretch the field, so I expect the Irish defense to have a bounce-back performance.

Offensively, the Irish should be able to do just about whatever they want against the Boilermaker defense. Purdue’s defense got stomped in week one versus Cincinnati and the Irish need to attack them early and often. I would like to see Brian Kelly open up the playbook early and try to throw the ball vertically down the field. With T.J. Jones, DaVaris Daniels, and Troy Niklas, I don’t think Purdue has the size or athleticism to keep up with the Notre Dame playmakers. Once the Irish build a comfortable lead, I expect a heavy dose of the running game. The Irish have plenty of talented backs to choose from, and all of them figure to see some touches. If the Irish have a nice cushion in the second half, it would be especially nice to see the freshmen Greg Bryant and Tarean Folston get an extended look.

 Notre Dame has four difficult games coming up after this road contest, so hopefully they will get back on track with a well-played victory.

Prediction: Notre Dame 34, Purdue 10

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Week 2: Michigan 41, Notre Dame 30

Last Saturday, the Irish suffered their first regular season defeat since 2011. The Michigan Wolverines were able to hold off a Notre Dame comeback to win 41-30 in front of the largest crowd in NCAA history.

Based on my prediction that Notre Dame would win 24-20, I was surprised by the amount of points that were put on the board. The outcome, however, wasn’t shocking. I expected a close game, and in all reality, these two teams are very equal.

It didn’t look good early as Notre Dame started off slow offensively with two 3-and-outs to open up the game, while Michigan was able to score ten quick points. With a quick 10-0 deficit, the Irish were left trying to make a comeback for the remainder of the game.

With Notre Dame trailing 20-13 right before the half, Tommy Rees threw an interception that changed the course of the game. Michigan got a good return and was able to score a touchdown before the half ended to increase their lead to 27-13. Despite the Notre Dame’s effort to make a comeback, Michigan was able to hold their lead and clinch a victory with a late touchdown to make it 41-30.

The Positives

1. The Passing Attack. I understand that the Irish were forced to throw often in this game, but they were able to move the ball efficiently through the air. Tommy Rees continues to find his receivers down the field, and he had another 300-plus yard game with 314 yards and two touchdowns. In fact, hindsight is 20/20, but I wish Brian Kelly would have opened up the playbook a bit earlier than he did. The Irish have two elite receivers in T.J. Jones and DaVaris Daniels, and an emerging tight end in Troy Niklas. Notre Dame needs to utilize these weapons as often as possible.

2. Tuitt’s INT TD. I can’t recap this game without mentioning the interception touchdown by Stephon Tuitt. With Devin Gardner going down for a safety, he threw the ball away right before hitting the ground and Tuitt came out of nowhere to scoop the ball up for an interception in the endzone. It was a remarkable play, and it shows just how athletic the big man is for a defensive end. It is just a shame he likely will be in the NFL next season.

3. The Kicking Game. After a horrible performance out of their kickers in week one, Notre Dame bounced back with a solid week. The Irish have gone back to Kyle Brindza, and he connected on all three field goal attempts on the night. This should bode well for future close games.

The Negatives

1. The Secondary Looks Weak. Devin Gardner and Jeremy Gallon had a field day against the Irish secondary. Gardner threw for 294 yards and four touchdowns, while Gallon caught eight passes for 184 yards and three scores. I thought Notre Dame’s secondary would improve after another year of growth, but it appears they are still the weak link in this defense. They better find ways to tighten up their coverage, or this season could be headed for an 8-4 finish.

2. Costly Turnovers. Although Tommy Rees moved the ball well all night, he did throw two costly interceptions. As I mentioned above, the interception before halftime was a big blow, and possibly a 14-point swing. If Tommy would have just thrown the ball away (it was 2^nd down), the Irish could have marched down the field and scored right before half to make it 20-20. Instead, Michigan was the team that scored, and went to the locker room up 27-13. The second interception was in the closing minutes of the game and squashed any ideas of a miracle comeback. It should be mentioned that it was also 1^st and goal, so Rees should know by now to not force the ball in that situation

3. Stalled Drives. The Irish had four drives that stalled inside the Michigan 25 yard line. Two of the drives resulted in field goals, one ended on a turnover on downs, and the other one ended on the last interception. Regardless of how the drives ended, the point is that the Irish left some points off the board. Despite how poorly the defense played, the Irish offense still deserves some blame for the loss.

-Eric TIchelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Week 2 Preview: Notre Dame at Michigan

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (14^th ranked, 1-0) travel to Ann Arbor to take on the Michigan Wolverines (17^th ranked, 1-0) for what figures to be the last trip to The Big House for quite awhile. Because of Notre Dame’s new agreement with the ACC, the Irish were forced to drop one of their regular opponents. Although it is unfortunate this series is coming to a halt, I fully expect the rivalry to be renewed down the road. But, that is a topic for another day.

The real story is that this game has potential national implications. The winner of tomorrow night’s game will undoubtedly enter the top 10, and at the very least becomes contenders for a BCS bowl appearance. While the outcome of the game will be decided on the field, the two head coaches certainly did their part to add more hype into this matchup. In May, Michigan head coach Brady Hoke said that Notre Dame was “chickening out” by opting out of the annual contest. In response, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly claimed earlier this week that he hasn’t “…seen it as one of those historic, traditional Notre Dame rivalries…" Well, I’m glad we got that out of the way!

Now, can we get back to the action between the sidelines?

I fully expect this game to come down to the final minutes. Last season, Notre Dame only managed 13 points off of six turnovers and Michigan was held to just six points. Things should be different this time. In 2012, Notre Dame was trying to nurse along redshirt freshman Everett Golson, and Tommy Rees was called upon to manage the game with the Irish defense in control. On the other hand, Michigan had a running back trying play quarterback in Denard Robinson, but this year they turn to Devin Gardner. Gardner was a wide receiver during last season’s game, so that should tell you about his athleticism. The Irish defense will indeed have their hands full in trying to contain Gardner from running, but he is also a much more skilled passer than Robinson ever was. Michigan should be able to challenge the Notre Dame defense, and has two talent wideouts in Jeremy Gallon and Devin Funchess that are capable of making big plays. Michigan will also try to run the ball with Fitzgerald Toussaint, but I expect the Irish defense to keep him in-check. If the Irish secondary can keep Gallon and Funchess in front of them and avoid the big plays, then Notre Dame will have a chance to pull out the road win.

Offensively, the Irish should be able to move the ball on the Wolverine defense. The issue is whether or not they can put points on the board. Obviously, scoring touchdowns is the main priority, but Notre Dame must also be able to convert on any field goal attempts they come across. As always, Notre Dame will look to run the ball early and often. With a plethora of talented and diverse running backs, Michigan could have trouble keeping up with the Irish ground attack. If not, then Notre Dame will have to turn to Tommy Rees for offensive production. Rees looked very good last week, and had plenty of success throwing the ball in Ann Arbor during the 2011 meeting. The problem during that game was the turnovers. If Rees can keep the turnover count at or under one, then the Irish offense will be in great shape. Michigan struggled against the pass late last season (allowing 11 TD’s and 0 INTs in their final five games), and Rees has the weapons in T.J. Jones, DaVaris Daniels, Chris Brown, and Troy Niklas to stretch the Wolverine defense.

This one should be another classic.

Prediction: Notre Dame 24, Michigan 20

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Week 1: Notre Dame 28, Temple 6

On Saturday, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame defeated the Temple Owls in the 2013 season opener by a score of 28-6. In my game preview, I picked the Irish to win 37-6, so this outcome was about what I expected.

To my surprise, the Irish got off to an extremely fast start on offense. Amir Carlisle opened up the game with a 45-yard run down the sideline, and then Tommy Rees connected with DaVaris Daniels two plays later for a 32-yard TD to give the Irish an early 7-0 lead. After a Temple three-and-out, Notre Dame scored again on another three-play drive. Rees hit T.J. Jones for a 51-yard completion, and then two plays later connected with Daniels once again for a 32-yard TD.

After opening up a 14-0 lead, it looked like the Irish would roll to a big blowout, but that was not the case. Temple’s offense started to move the ball efficiently in the second quarter and even got into the endzone just before halftime to make the score 14-6. Any visions that Temple had of winning this ballgame likely vanished when Rees hooked up with Troy Niklas for a 66-yard TD on the first play after the Temple score. With five big plays and three long touchdowns, the Irish went to the locker room with a comfortable 21-6 lead. George Atkinson III would add a fourth touchdown on a 2-yard run to push the lead to 28-6. From there, the Irish coasted to an easy season opening victory.

The Positives:

1. Tommy Rees look very good. Even though it was against a weaker opponent, Rees answered a ton of questions by throwing for 346 yards and three touchdowns. He showed great vision, led his receivers, and even threw a few good deep balls. I only counted one, maybe two bad throws on the afternoon, and most importantly he didn’t turn the ball over.

2. Balanced running attack. With Cierre Wood and Theo Riddick gone, many people wondered where the Irish would get production out of their running game. Brian Kelly answered that question by showcasing multiple backs. In particular, Amir Carlisle, Cam McDaniel, and George Atkinson III combined for the bulk of the carries. The trio carried the ball 27 times for 167 yards. When the game was in-hand, true freshmen Tarean Folston and Greg Bryant combined for 26 yards on 7 carries.

3. DaVaris Daniels. Yes, it was only one game, and only Temple, but Daniels looks the part of an elite BCS receiver. Daniels came on strong at the end of last season before suffering an injury that kept him out of the final two games. During the BCS Championship, Daniels was one of the few players that had a good game by netting 115 yards on six catches. He did have a minor groin pull that kept him out of most of Saturday’s game, but his two touchdowns prior to the injury proved that last season’s surge was no fluke.

The Negatives:

1. Kicking Miscues. The Irish had issues with both their kicking and punting on Saturday. Last season’s place kicker, Kyle Brindza, was handed the team’s punting duties this season. Overall, he wasn’t terrible with a 41.2 yard average on five punts, but he badly missed on two punts that were supposed to downed inside the 20. Since Brindza was focusing on punting during the offseason, the Irish turned to Nick Tausch to handle the place kicking duties. Although he converted all four extra point attempts, he missed horribly on a 40-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter. Brindza was given the other attempt of 44 yards in the fourth quarter, but he missed as well. The Irish need to improve in both areas quickly because either one could be the difference in a close game.

2. Penalties. The Irish committed nine penalties for 63 yards on Saturday. I understand that this was the first game, but again this is something that needs to be addressed right away. Notre Dame won’t win many games versus their tougher opponents if they continue rack up the yellow flags.

3. The Defense was soft. Although Temple only scored six points on the afternoon, they moved the ball with relative ease at various points of the game. Part of this may have been by design, and part of it may have been due to the fact the Irish jumped out to an early lead, but either way the defense wasn’t overly impressive. Temple had 362 yards of total offense, and a very surprising 134 yards on the ground. Again, the Irish will have to play much better defensively if they want to beat some of the tougher teams on their schedule, starting with Michigan this Saturday.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07