In a must win game to stay alive for playoff consideration,
the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame laid an egg against the Arizona State Sun
Devils. The afternoon started off nicely with Kyle Brindza converting on a
46-yard field goal attempt after a 14-play, 59 yard opening drive. From there,
a series of mistakes and unfortunate bounces led to five turnovers that would
be too much for the Irish to overcome. Three of the five turnovers fueled the
Sun Devils to a 34-3 lead late in the first half, but Notre Dame would score
four unanswered touchdowns to cut the lead to 34-31 with 6:37 remaining in the
game. However, the furious comeback would prove to be false hope as the Sun
Devils responded with a quick 5-play, 75 yard touchdown drive to extend the
lead to 41-31. Arizona State would add two more scores on a pick-six that
bounced off of Corey Robinson’s chest, and a Taylor Kelly touchdown run in the
final minute. Overall, it was a disappointing performance for the Irish because
the turnovers were what ultimately proved to be the difference. Don’t get me
wrong, Arizona State deserves all the credit in the world for capitalizing on
those mistakes, but the final score was not indicative to how closely matched
these two teams should have been.
Obviously, the big story on offense was the turnovers.
Everett Golson has flirted with disaster several times this season, but this
time it finally came back to end Notre Dame’s playoffs. Golson committed five
turnovers on the afternoon, and those mistakes proved to be the difference in
the game. Even though all five turnovers were not entirely Golson’s fault, the
bottom line is that these mistakes need to stop. Golson has committed 17
turnovers in the last 6 games, and Notre Dame will not be a playoff contender
next season if the trend continues. With three games remaining, I’d like to see
if Golson can limit the mistakes and prove that he actually understands that he
can’t be careless with the football. The two batted balls and the Robinson bobble
were mostly fluky plays, but the fumble and the interception in the end zone
were inexcusable. Those are “freshman mistakes” and ones that can’t continue to
happen. It seems foolish to consider making a switch at the quarterback position
considering how many touchdowns Golson has been responsible for, but there
needs to be some accountability for his actions. Personally, I’d love to see
Brian Kelly bench Golson next Saturday for a series if he commits another
unacceptable turnover. With the playoffs no longer a possibility, Golson needs
to learn that he can’t continue to play sloppy and careless football.
When the other team scores 55 points, it is hard to make a
case that the defense played well, but I will give them credit for keeping the
Irish in the game during the second half. Considering the Sun Devils had
touchdown drives of 13 yards, 23 yards, 8 yards, and two pick-sixes, Notre Dame’s
offense basically handed the Sun Devils 35 points. Having said that, Arizona
State deserves credit for playing up-tempo and forcing Notre Dame to make quick
adjustments at the line. I thought that Notre Dame had trouble stopping the run
up the middle, demonstrating how important the loss of Joe Schmidt will be
moving forward. The Sun Devils rushed for 188 yards on 45 carries and really
moved the ball with ease at critical times of the game. Notre Dame’s defense
played their best football during the third quarter and for half of the fourth
quarter when they forced four punts and an interception during a span of five
Arizona State drives. That stretch allowed Notre Dame’s offense to mount a
comeback, but in the end they dug themselves too big of a hole to overcome.
-Eric Tichelbaut
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