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 2nd 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 1st 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
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