Week 8 Recap: Notre Dame 45, Air Force 10

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame defeated the Air Force Falcons yesterday evening by a score of 45-10. The victory was the third straight win for the Irish and it improved their record to 6-2. I expected a blowout with my prediction being 45-17, so this game went according to plan.

Despite the lopsided victory, the Irish remain unranked in the latest AP Poll, but they did crack the Coaches Poll at number 25. The BCS Standings will be released later tonight, but it doesn’t matter where Notre Dame is ranked at the end of October. Notre Dame just needs to focus on winning all their games, and then the Irish will likely climb up the BCS Standings. A potential 10-2 Notre Dame team would certainly be an attractive BCS at-large candidate.

The Positives

1. Tommy Rees’ career-setting day. After leaving last week’s game with a strained neck, Tommy Rees enjoyed a career day. The Irish quarterback completed 17 of his 22 passes for 284 yards and 5 touchdowns. Rees did not throw an interception and was able to spread the ball around very nicely. Eight Notre Dame players had at least one reception and five different receivers hauled in touchdown grabs. Rees now has 20 touchdowns to just 6 interceptions on his senior season.

2. Everyone got involved. As I mentioned, many players were involved in the passing game and three players caught their first touchdown. Corey Robinson, Will Fuller, and Chris Brown found the end zone for the first time at Notre Dame, and that production showcases Notre Dame’s depth at the receiver position. Outside of the receivers, Tarean Folston and Andrew Hendrix also received some valuable playing time down the stretch. Folston carried the ball 11 times for 47 yards and Hendrix followed up a 47 yard completion to Fuller with a 4-yard touchdown run.

3. Defense made an adjustment. After a long opening drive ended with a blocked field goal by Air Force, the Falcons marched down the field and scored the first touchdown to take an early 7-0 lead. During the 10-play, 71 yard drive, the Falcons triple option attack exposed the Irish defense. The Falcon runners were able to get to the edge and burn the Irish defense for several long gains. However, after that opening drive, the Irish defense brought more pressure to the edge with their secondary to help slow down the Air Force ground attack. Defensive backs KeiVarae Russell and Cole Luke helped out the rushing defense by making six tackles on the edge. Hopefully, the defense will keep that same strategy going with Navy next on the schedule.

The Negatives

1. Stalled opening drive and blocked FG. The Irish opened up the game with a nice 11-play, 46 yard drive, but it ended poorly. With 4^th and 2 at the Air Force 24, Notre Dame was lining up to go for it, but a False Start penalty negated the decision. After the penalty, Kyle Brindza’s 46 yard field goal was blocked, leaving the Irish scoreless once again on their opening drive. Fortunately, the offense was rolling the rest of the day and that lack of execution didn’t come back to haunt the Irish.

2. Air Force’s opening drive. As stated earlier, Air Force took an early 7-0 lead with a 10-play, 71 yard drive. During that drive, Notre Dame’s defense looked clueless on how to defend the triple option. Jaylon Smith was left out on an Island multiple times, making him choose which player to defend. The results were not good, and Air Force took advantage of the poor design on defense. The good news was that Bob Diaco made an adjustment and the defense played much better after that.

That’s it. I couldn’t think of any more concerns about how the Irish played. Notre Dame played well in all facets of the game, and they will look to continue that next week when they return to South Bend to take on Navy.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Week 8 Preview: Notre Dame vs. Air Force

On Saturday, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (5-2) travel to Colorado to take on the Air Force Falcons (1-6). Notre Dame is coming off of a hard-fought victory over the USC Trojans, while the Falcons have dropped six games in a row after defeating Colgate in the season opener.

After starting the season with a tough slate of games, the Irish now have an opportunity to add some wins to their record as they should be favored in their next four contests. If Notre Dame has any hopes of playing in a BCS bowl game, they need to win the rest of their games and beat the majority of teams in convincing fashion.

First up, Air Force.

Offensively, Notre Dame should be able to do just about whatever they want against the Air Force defense. The Falcons have surrendered 37.6 points per game (116^th in the nation), while giving up 221.3 rushing yards per game (111^th) and 267.4 passing yards per game (102^nd). Tommy Rees was injured during the USC game and missed the final 24 minutes, but he has practice all week and is expected to start. Based on how well the Irish offense played with Rees under center last week, I believe Brian Kelly will look to keep the fast-paced tempo up. Whether it is by run, or pass, I expect the Irish to come out of the gate strong and looking to score as fast as they can. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Rees come out and throw the ball early and often, but I think the running game will prove to be more prevalent on Saturday. In 2011, Notre Dame rushed for 266 yards against the Air Force defense and with Rees coming off of an injury, Brian Kelly will likely want to keep the ball out of his hands. Notre Dame has previously stated that they have confidence in all five of their running backs, so maybe this will be the game where we get to see all five guys receive significant touches. Ideally, I would like to see the Irish get out to a big enough lead where they can simply pound the ball for the remainder of the game. If that is the case, then Andrew Hendrix may have a chance to get some much needed snaps behind center.

Defensively, the Irish have one job. Stop the triple option. It is no secret what the military academies will attempt to do on offense, but executing the defensive game plan is still necessary. After suffering a 35-17 loss to Navy in 2010 and surrendering 367 rushing yards, Bob Diaco’s defenses have done a nice job stopping the option attack. Notre Dame has defeating the military academies in four straight contests since that late October game, and will be looking to keep that trend going. All-American defensive tackle Louis Nix will not play in this game, but as Brian Kelly said, “option football is not his cup of tea”. In order to keep the Falcons’ option attack in-check, the Notre Dame defense has three responsibilities; containment, tackling, and discipline. The first step to stopping any option attack is containment. The Irish defense has to understand their assignments and make sure the pitch-man does not get to the sidelines. Defensive ends Stephon Tuitt and Sheldon Day, and outside linebacker Prince Shembo have had experience in defending the option, but the same can’t be said for freshman phenom Jaylon Smith. Smith is a supreme athlete, but he needs to make sure that his athleticism doesn’t tempt him into trying to make a play that he can’t make. Whether or not the option attack breaks containment, the Irish defense needs to have superb tackling on Saturday. If the Air Force runners get into the second and third levels, the Irish linebackers and secondary need to make tackles in the open field. When a team runs the ball as much as an option team does, there are bound to be a few big runs in the game. The key will be for the Irish defenders to limit those runs to 10-20 yards, as opposed to 20-40 yard gains. The third and final key will be discipline. Since the defense will be keyed on stopping the triple option, the Irish defensive backs need to be smart enough to stick with the Falcon receivers when they decide to pass the ball. Notre Dame’s defense should be talented enough to keep the Falcons’ offense intact, but that could become a problem if they allow a few easy big gains in the passing game.

Overall, the Irish are clearly the better team. Notre Dame is bigger, faster, and stronger and they should not have a problem in this game.

Prediction: Notre Dame 45, Air Force 17

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Week 7 Recap: Notre Dame 14, USC 10

Last Saturday night, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame defeated the rival Trojans from Southern California, 14-10. The victory improved Notre Dame’s record to 5-2, and it also ended a home losing streak to the Trojans that dated back to 2001. Notre Dame has now won three out of the last four contests with USC, and it appears that the momentum has shifted in this great rivalry.

The game on Saturday was really a tale of two halves. The Irish open up the game with a solid drive, but the USC defense ultimately got the first big play of the game when they stuffed a Notre Dame run attempt on 4^th and goal from the 1-yard line. From there, the Trojans drove 96 yards on 13 plays and took a 7-0 lead on Silas Redd’s 1-yard touchdown run. After that, Notre Dame quickly responded with a 10-play, 77 yard touchdown drive that was capped off by a 7-yd strike from Tommy Rees to Troy Niklas. Later, USC would add a field goal in the second quarter to take a 10-7 lead, and it appeared they would head to the locker room with a halftime lead. But, with 2:42 remaining in the half, Notre Dame raced 91 yards down the field on five plays to take a 14-10 lead. The drive was highlighted by two long runs by Cam McDaniel (24 and 36 yards) and an 11-yard touchdown catch by T.J. Jones.

With that, the Irish went into halftime with a 14-10 lead, but that would be it for the scoring. Tommy Rees left the game due to a neck strain with nearly nine minutes remaining in the third quarter, and the offense was non-existent from that point forward. With the offense struggling to move the ball, the Notre Dame defense took it upon themselves to close out the game. Not only did the Notre Dame defense hold the Trojans scoreless in the second half, they also appeared to get their swagger back. For the first time all season, the Irish defense looked like the 2012 defense.

The Positives

1. The first half offense. Prior to Tommy Rees exited the game in the second half, the Irish offense was really clicking in the first half. In particular, Brian Kelly made it a point to pick up the pace of the offensive attack. Notre Dame opened up the game with back-to-back 10-plus play, 70-plus yard drives. In all, Notre Dame ran 36 plays during their six first half drives, spanning a total of 268 yards on the field. Tommy Rees look very comfortable running the high-tempo attack and finished his night with impressive numbers. Rees completed 14 of his 21 passes, for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Based on the success the offense had running up-tempo, I would expect this style of play to continue throughout the remaining five games.

2. Stephon Tuitt is back. After a slow start to the season, Stephon Tuitt has regained his 2012 form over the last few weeks and Saturday night was a perfect example. Tuitt finished the game with seven tackles and two sacks, and he was virtually unstoppable in the second half. Tuitt’s relentless play in the second half helped set the tone for the Irish defense, and is the main reason why Notre Dame defeated their rivals.

3. Jaylon Smith is the real deal. Jaylon Smith really had his coming out party against Arizona State when he made two key stops on the edge where he held his containment. Those two plays really showed his athleticism, as well as his interception did on Saturday night. Smith made a great read in zone coverage and broke on the open receiver before the ball was even thrown to make the interception. It appears that the Irish may have a special player for the next two or three years.

The Negatives

1. Stalled opening drive. After 10 plays and 73 yards on their opening drive, the Notre Dame offense was stopped on 3^rd and goal from the 2-yard line and was stuffed for a three yard loss on 4^th and goal from the 1-yard line. After possessing the ball for 4:32, the Irish offense came away empty handed. It would have been a huge momentum builder if the Irish could have cashed in for a touchdown, but poor playing calling may have been a reason why the drive ended on a turnover on downs. With 1^st and goal at the 8-yard line, Notre Dame called for four running plays with Cam McDaniel. Personally, I would have liked to have seen the Irish throw the ball at least once and try to utilize their big tight end, Troy Niklas.

2. Tommy Rees’ injury. With 9:31 left in the third quarter, Tommy Rees dropped back for a pass and was driven to the ground by Lamar Dawson. The sack resulted in Rees being injured and he was gone for the remainder of the game. The good news is that Tommy is expected to start this weekend at Air Force. The bad news, Irish fans got a glimpse of what life without Tommy Rees would be like and it wasn’t pretty.

3. Andrew Hendrix’s performance. Even though Tommy Rees was sidelined for the majority of the second half, it is not an excuse for the offense’s lack of production. I understand it is tough to come into a game “cold”, but Andrew Hendrix needs to perform better. By all indications, Hendrix throws the ball very well in practice and even has a stronger arm than Rees, but that obviously has not translated to game success. If Brian Kelly is faced with a similar situation later this season, he may just have to consider taking the “redshirt” off of freshman Malik Zaire.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

White Sox Sign Jose Abreu

The Chicago White Sox made the first big splash of the offseason by agreeing to terms with Cuban defector Jose Abreu. Abreu, 26, is a right-handed hitting first baseman and will assume the position that Paul Konerko had for so many years. The deal is reportedly for six years and worth $68 million, making Abreu’s signing the highest first-time contract for an international free agent in MLB history.

Obviously, this is a gamble by general manager Rick Hahn, but it is one that is worth taking. With Paul Konerko expected to retire, the White Sox have a glaring hole at first base. Couple that with a relatively thin free agent market and that the White Sox cleared roughly $40 million is salary last season, and you can see why Rick Hahn felt it was necessary to go after the unknown product.

Anytime you sign an international free agent there will be question marks, and Jose Abreu is no different. As mentioned, Abreu is 26 years old, and if the age is accurate he is entering the prime of his career. But, what kind of career will he have?

The one thing that all scouts agree on is that Abreu has tremendous raw power. Most scouts rate Abreu’s power as a 70 on the 20-80 scale, with some scouts pushing their evaluation to 80. The real question with Abreu is whether or not he will be able to hit for a high enough average to reach his full power potential. Some scouts have classified Abreu’s bat speed as “slider-speed”, meaning he hasn’t shown the ability to catch up to mid-to-high 90s fastballs. While that may be true, some other scouts have a different opinion, stating that Abreu simply has not faced many good fastball pitchers in the Cuban League. In Cuba, the average fastball velocity is significant lower than in the MLB. For example, the average fastball in the majors this season was 91.3 mph. In Cuba, many pitchers rely on off-speed pitches and feature sliders, splitters, and forkballs. In any event, there will certainly be a learning curve for Abreu during the better part of his first season in the majors. If Abreu can prove that he can handle fastballs, then the White Sox may have themselves a great hitter.

Just to give you an idea of what kind of hitter Abreu has been, take a look at his stats for the last two years in Cuba. In the 2009-10 season, Abreu hit .399 with 30 home runs and 76 RBIs in 89 games. Abreu followed that outstanding year with some terrific numbers in 2010-11 by hitting .453 with 33 home runs and 93 RBIs in 63 games. Based on his production, it is apparent that the potential is there, and that is why I am excited that the White Sox took a gamble on the young slugger.

It remains to be seen what other moves the White Sox will make, but they could potentially have three young hitters to build around in Jose Abreu, Avisail Garcia, and Dayan Viciedo. All three players posses serious power and could combine to hit 100 home runs a season in the heart of the order.

Of course, things can go wrong and this deal could backfire. However, the fact is the White Sox are in much better position to rebuild their roster now, than they were back in July.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Week 7 Preview: Notre Dame vs. USC

Tomorrow night, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (4-2) welcome their bitter rivals, the Southern California Trojans (4-2) to South Bend. For many Irish fans, the yearly matchup against the Trojans is the highlight of the season, and I would agree. Games against Michigan State, Michigan, Purdue, and Boston College are nice, but USC is our rival.

But, over the last decade-plus, the Irish have struggled to even keep it close versus USC, losing eight straight contests in the series from 2002 to 2009. However, under Brian Kelly, Notre Dame has turned things around winning two out of the last three games. Kelly and the Irish will be looking to win tomorrow night to keep their slim BCS Bowl chances alive. If the Irish were to come out on top, it would be their first home victory versus USC since 2001.

USC comes to town hoping to get their season back on track. After a 62-41 loss to Arizona State on September 28^th, USC fired head coach Lane Kiffin and promoted defensive line coach Ed Orgeron to interim head coach. Last Thursday, the Trojans’ players responded by defeating the Arizona Wildcats 38-31 to give Orgeron a win in his debut.

Offensively, Notre Dame needs to focus on trying to sustain the balance they had two weeks ago against Arizona State. In that game, the Irish had 424 yards of total offense (279 passing, 145 rushing) on 75 plays (38 passes, 37 rushes). If Notre Dame can come anywhere close to those numbers, then they should be able to put enough points on the board to come away with a win. If the Irish are forced to lean in any one direction, they would be better off trying to run the ball. USC still has talented players on both sides of the ball, but the one thing they lack is depth due to scholarship reductions. Because of that, the Irish should be the more physical team in the trenches and wear down the Trojan defense (quite like what we saw last season in Southern California). If that is the case, look for the Irish backs to hammer away at the Trojan front seven. If for some reason the run does not work or Notre Dame is forced to abandon the run due to a large deficit, then the Irish could be in trouble. In two starts versus USC, Tommy Rees has played poorly. In 69 pass attempts, Rees completed 43 passes (62.3%) for only 339 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions. Although Rees had struggled, he can still have an efficient night of passing if the Irish stick to their game plan. Just like the Arizona State game, the Irish need to establish a running game to take pressure off of Rees and force the USC secondary to play close to the line. Once that occurs, Notre Dame should be able to dial up a few play-action pass plays and take advantage of their talented receivers to pick up some big gains in the passing game.

Defensively, Notre Dame might not know what to expect from the Trojans. USC is coming off of consecutive weeks of explosive offense by putting up a combined 72 points against Arizona State and Arizona. While those scoring outputs are impressive, this is also the same USC team that put up 7 and 17 points respectively against Washington State and Utah State. So which offense will the Irish see tomorrow night? I would guess somewhere in between. Sophomore quarterback Cody Kessler has had a solid season and has really come on over the last four games. In those four contests, Kessler has completed 61.8% of his passes for 993 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions. Part of Kessler’s success is because of his top two receivers, Marqise Lee and Nelson Agholor. The talented duo has combined for 738 yards and three touchdowns on 48 catches. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned about Lee and Agholor burning the Irish secondary for a few big plays. The key will be limiting those big plays by tackling them as soon as the catch the ball. In addition to having playmakers in the passing game, USC also has two great runners in the backfield. Sophomore Tre Madden is off to a fast start with 611 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Madden was a workhorse during the first five games of the season, but he is doubtful for tomorrow’s game. Regardless if Madden can go or not, former Penn State running back and senior Silas Redd figures to have a much more prominent role in the running game after returning from a torn meniscus that he suffered in the spring. Last week, Redd racked up 80 yards on 19 carries during his first week back. I expect the Irish defense to play well against the run and keep Redd and the other USC backs in-check, but I’m still worried about the passing game. Notre Dame’s secondary has been a weak spot all season, but the Irish front seven can help them out immensely if they pressure Cody Kessler. Notre Dame came on strong last week and had five sacks, doubling their season total. If Prince Shembo, Stephon Tuitt, and the rest of the Irish front seven can create pressure, look for Notre Dame defense to force a couple of turnovers. In a rivalry game like this, turnovers can be the difference.

I expect Notre Dame to build on their performance from last week and prove that they are the better team on both sides of the ball. USC will keep it close because they have plenty of playmakers on offense, but I believe the Irish offense will score enough points to win.

Prediction: Notre Dame 31, USC 23

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Bears Begin 2013 with a 4-2 Record

After starting the season with three straight victories against Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings, and Pittsburgh Steelers, the Chicago Bears lost their next two games versus the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints. Last Thursday, the Bears returned to their winning ways by defeating the New York Giants 27-21 to improve their record to 4-2 on the year. This Sunday, the Bears travel to Washington to battle the Redskins, and they are hoping to pick up their fifth victory of the season before heading into their bye during week 8 of the NFL season.

With just over one-third of the season complete, I wanted to quickly share some of my thoughts on how the 2013 season is shaping up for the Bears.

-Jay Cutler is off to the best start of his career. Through six games, Cutler has thrown for 1,630 yards with 12 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and a 65.9% completion percentage. The 65.9% completion percentage would be a career high for Cutler, and he is on pace to 32 touchdowns and 16 interceptions if he plays all 16 games. If Cutler were to reach 32 touchdowns, he would surpass his top-season mark of 27 set in 2009. Based on the numbers, I think it is safe to say that Cutler has adapted to the new offense and he is comfortable working with Marc Trestman.

-The offensive line continues to impress. Phil Emery made it a point to revamp the offensive line in the offseason, and he has done exactly that. The free agent additions of Jermon Bushrod and Matt Slauson, coupled with the draft picks of Kyle Long and Jordan Mills have turned this offensive line into a solid group. Jay Cutler has been sack 9 times in six games, good for a 4.0% sack percentage on attempted passes. That number would be Cutler’s lowest since his offensive line in Denver produced a 1.8% sack percentage in 2008. It is no coincidence that Cutler’s lone Pro Bowl appearance came in 2008. It’s funny to think that a good offensive line generally leads to good quarterback play…

-Cutler no longer has to rely on Brandon Marshall. As good as Brandon Marshall is, it is nice to see Cutler have confidence throwing to his other receivers. With Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett, and Matt Forte, Cutler has four above average targets to throw to and the results have shown that. Marshall still leads the team with 40 receptions, but Forte (33), Bennett (31), and Jeffery (29) are all on-pace for big years in the passing game. This balance and depth is exactly what the offense has lacked during Cutler’s first four seasons in Chicago.

-Injuries have taken a toll on the defense. The Bears have already lost DT Henry Melton, DT Nate Collins, CB Kelvin Hayden, and ILB D.J. Williams for the season. In addition to those season ending injuries, the Bears defense also played without DT Stephen Paea and CB Charles Tillman last week. Both Paea and Tillman are hoping to play this week, but the impact that injuries have had on this defense is apparent. The Bears cannot afford any more injuries to their starters on defense, or anyone else for that matter because they are lacking depth at several positions. Luckily, rookie ILB Jon Bostic was able to get valuable playing time this preseason while D.J. Williams sat out this summer due to injuries. Bostic made some nice plays and showed a lot of promise while he was on the field, so hopefully he can step right in and make an impact right away.

-The defensive line is playing soft. Last Thursday night was a prime example of how weak the Bears’ defensive line is playing. Now, part of the reason for the soft defensive line play is because of injuries, but they need to be better. With DT’s Henry Melton, Nate Collins, and Stephen Paea all out last week, the Bears were forced to move some personnel around. DE Corey Wootton played the majority game at DT and Shea McClellin was the primary defensive end. McClellin’s listed position is DE, but he is more of a “hybrid” type player and should only be used during pass rushing situations. With McClellin (260 lbs) and Wootton (270 lbs) essentially playing out of position, the Bears were severely undersized on the defensive line and it showed. Giants’ running back Brandon Jacobs rushed for 106 yards on 22 carries, with most of the runs coming right up the middle or to McClellin’s side. The Giants realized the Bears’ weakness and they took advantage of the undersized line. The Bears need to find a way to fix this issue before a team with a stronger running game torches them. In addition to the poor rush defense, the Bears only have 8 sacks on the season. At this point of the season, you would like to see a sack total twice that size, so the Bears need to improve that area as well.

-The secondary is still very opportunistic. Despite the defense’s struggles and injuries, they are still creating turnovers and scoring points on defense. The Bears have a +7 turnover ratio on the season and a large part of that is due to the secondary. The unit has a total of nine interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. Obviously, the Bears can’t rely on turnovers and defensive touchdowns to win games, but it is always a nice bonus.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Week 6 Recap: Notre Dame 37, Arizona State 34

Last Saturday night, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame played arguably their best game of the season. The Irish defeated the then 22^nd ranked Arizona State Sun Devils, 37-34, for their biggest win of the year. The victory improved Notre Dame’s record to 4-2, and kept alive any hopes it has of going to a BCS Bowl game.

Coming into this matchup I knew that the Irish would have to score a lot of points to keep up with Arizona State’s high-octane offense. However, as I stated in my preview, I did not think that Irish secondary would be able to keep up with the Sun Devils’ passing attack. In addition, I was not confident that the Irish could sustain a balanced and consistent enough offensive attack of their own to come out on top. As a result, I pick Arizona State to win 31-27, and I could not be any happier that I was wrong. The Irish offense moved the ball efficiently all night long, and the defense made enough big plays to give Notre Dame a well earned and much needed victory.

The Positives

1. Balanced offensive attack. The Irish had 424 yards of total offense, and I was really impressed with how balanced they were offensive. Tommy Rees passed for 279 yards and 3 touchdowns, while the Irish running backs combined for 145 yards on 37 carries. It is also worth noting that Notre Dame ran 75 plays, so that means that 38 plays were passes. A nearly identical pass/run split is exactly how this offense should be operating, but it has been tough with the Irish playing from behind in three of their first five games. Since Notre Dame was able to stay close with Arizona State through the first quarter and eventually grab the lead before halftime, it allowed Brian Kelly to stick to his game plan.

2. Winning the turnover battle. Notre Dame won the turnover battle 3-1 and scored 14 points off of the three Sun Devil turnovers. The first turnover, a fumble, led to a 21 yard touchdown pass to Troy Niklas two plays later that gave the Irish a 24-13 lead. The final turnover clinched a victory for the Irish when Dan Fox intercepted Taylor Kelly and ran it back 14 yards for a touchdown. The pick six gave the Irish a 37-27 lead with just 1:16 left to play.

3. Pressuring the quarterback. One of the reasons Notre Dame was able to hold the Sun Devils’ offense in check was because of the pressure they put on quarterback Taylor Kelly. The Irish had five sacks on the night, three by Prince Shembo. The five sacks doubled their season total, and for the first time the pass rush reminded us of the 2012 Irish defense. Hopefully this will continue during the second half of the season. The next five games feature matchups against weaker offenses, so the Irish defense has a chance to get on quite a roll.

The Negatives

1. Rees’ interception. Other than a couple overthrows, Tommy Rees played well for most of the night. Rees made some big plays and took care of the football expect for one costly interception. The pick six Rees threw to Osahon Irabor was simply inexcusable and it almost cost the Irish the game. Rees is a senior and has to understand when he should not force a throw. Fortunately, Notre Dame held onto the victory.

2. Secondary still has issues. Notre Dame’s defense played really well, but the secondary still allowed some big plays in the passing game. Arizona State threw for 362 yards and had three passing touchdowns of 36, 21, and 16 yards. Not allowing big chunk plays is what this Notre Dame defense relies on, but unfortunately it is something they have not been very good at doing. As I stated earlier, the next five games pose favorable matchups for the Irish secondary, so now would be a good time to start locking down on some wide receivers.

3. Jarrett Grace’s injury. During the game, Notre Dame lost inside linebacker Jarrett Grace for the rest of the season due to a broken leg. Grace was having a solid campaign and was tied for the team lead in tackles with 40. The good news is that the Irish still have veterans like Carlo Calabrese and Dan Fox to fill the two inside linebacker positions. The three players were actually a part of a rotation in the inside, so Calabrese and Fox have seen a lot of action themselves. In fact, Calabrese (40) and Fox (36) make up the other two-thirds of the top three leading tacklers on the Irish defense. The injury to Grace to a big loss, but it should be one that Notre Dame can absorb with the players they already have in place.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Week 6 Preview: Notre Dame vs. Arizona State

Tomorrow night features the 2013 edition of the Shamrock Series as the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (3-2) will travel to Arlington, Texas to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils (3-1, 22^nd ranked). This matchup is being played at AT&T Stadium, so “JerryWorld” figures to be quite a seen on Saturday night. It is considered at home game for the Irish, and both squads will be sporting some “interesting” uniforms. With that being said, this should be a very entertaining ballgame.

Notre Dame is coming off of a 35-21 loss last week to the Oklahoma Sooners, and they now control their own destiny. If the Irish have any hopes of making a BCS Bowl game, they need to win their remaining seven contests. With Arizona State, USC, Stanford, and other quality programs left on the schedule, running the table is still possible, but it will be very difficult.

Arizona State enters Saturday’s tilt having defeated the USC Trojans 62-41 last week, and they will look to continue their offensive explosiveness. The Sun Devils are ranked 11th in the FBS in scoring (44.3 ppg) and 15th in total offense (505.0 ypg), so the Irish defense will certainly be tested. The Sun Devils’ lone loss came against Stanford, and they are a legitimate threat to reach and win the Pac-12 Championship. A win here would only help their confidence and momentum as they fight through their conference slate.

Offensively, Notre Dame needs to put up a lot of points if they want to win this game. As mentioned above, Arizona State has a potent offense, so the Irish have to get into the endzone and not settle for field goals when they get into the redzone. To do this, look for Notre Dame to try to build on last week’s tremendous effort on the ground. Last week, the Irish rushed for a season-high 220 yards and they could be in store for an even bigger day with Arizona State surrendering 192.3 rushing yards per game, good for 90^th in the country. Not only will a good running attack likely lead to some touchdowns, it will also keep the ball out of the Sun Devils’ hands. Hopefully, the Irish can establish a solid ground game early on which should lead to some nice play-action pass plays. If that becomes the case, then the Irish should be able to make a few big plays in the passing game. However, if the running game is stagnant, then the Irish will be in trouble. I don’t believe that Tommy Rees can sit in the pocket and throw the ball 35 to 40 times and be effective. For Notre Dame to win this game, they need a balanced offensive attack.

Defensively, Notre Dame faces arguably their toughest challenge of the season. As stated earlier, the Sun Devils average 44.3 points per game and 505 yards of total offense per game. In addition to those stats, Arizona State ranks 7^th in passing offense at 358.8 yards per game, but just 84^th in rushing offense at 146.3 yards per game. The good news is that Notre Dame should be able to keep the Sun Devils’ running game in check. The bad news is that Arizona State could have a field day versus the Irish secondary. Quarterback Taylor Kelly is off to a great start in 2013 with 1,370 yards passing, a 61.4% completion percentage, 11 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. As good as Kelly has been, the Sun Devils’ best weapon is Marion Grice. The senior has 439 yards of total offense (256 rushing, 183 receiving) and has scored a whooping 12 touchdowns on the season. Grice could present some matchup problems for the Irish defense, so he is worth keeping an eye on.

I expect a close and relatively high-scoring game, but the Irish secondary has struggled too much and their offense hasn’t been consistent enough to beat a team like Arizona State.

Prediction: Arizona State 31, Notre Dame 27

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

Week 5 Recap: Oklahoma 35, Notre Dame 21

Last Saturday, Notre Dame’s BCS Bowl hopes took a crushing blow when the Oklahoma Sooners handed them their second loss of the season, a 35-21 defeat. Unfortunately, I was not able to watch the entire game live, but I did watch a replay of it today and I actually felt encouraged by some things. While watching the parts that I did on Saturday, it looked like Notre Dame was completely overwhelmed versus Oklahoma, but the replay had me believing otherwise.

Obviously, the two early turnovers were a huge part of the game. No team can give a talented team, like the Sooners, a 14-0 lead in the opening minutes of the game and expect to win. From there, the Irish were left playing catch-up for the rest of the game and it really impacted their play calling late in the game. Notre Dame was able to bring the deficit within six points at 27-21 in the fourth quarter, but a long touchdown catch and run on a quick slant sealed the Irish’s fate.

The Positives

1. The Irish didn’t give up. With the score 14-0 before the Irish could blink, a lesser team may have folded, but Notre Dame fought back and really turned it into a great game. Watching the replay, I was impressed with how the Irish handled the early adversity. As the game wore on, there were points where it felt like the momentum was on Notre Dame’s side. However, the Irish dug an early hole and were never able to fully complete the comeback.

2. The running game. Perhaps the best thing to take away from this game was the emergence of a running game. Notre Dame rushed for 220 yards on 29 carries, and would have had much more if they could have run the ball more often. But with the deficit being two scores the majority of the time, the Irish were forced to abandon the running game, especially once Oklahoma opened up a 35-21 lead in the fourth quarter. It should be noted that 118 of those yards came on just two carries, but even if you take away those two long runs, the Irish still rushed for 102 yards on 27 carries. Either way, this was Notre Dame’s most impressive running game of the season. And, without the turnovers, Notre Dame may have been able to ride their ground game to victory.

3. The defense played better than the score would indicate.  One of the reasons that the Irish were able to stay in the game was by how well the defense played. Oklahoma scored 21 points off of 3 turnovers (14 of those points were a direct result of turnovers), so Notre Dame’s offense certainly did not help out the defense. If you take away the turnovers, Notre Dame’s defense played extremely well. Without the two early touchdowns, Notre Dame probably has a 21-13 lead in the fourth quarter. But, you can’t take away the turnovers and Oklahoma deserves a lot of credit for cashing in on the miscues.

The Negatives

1. Turnovers.

2. Turnovers.

3. Turnovers.

I hate to blame the loss solely on turnovers, but that’s the truth. If Notre Dame doesn’t turn the ball over three times, they probably win the game. Oklahoma played well and executed their game plan, but so did Notre Dame. Despite being down early, the Irish were still able to establish a running game and scored three touchdowns against a talented defensive unit. Without the turnovers, Notre Dame would have been able to stick to their game plan for the entire contest, and that could have led to a different outcome. But, it didn’t and now the Irish sit at 3-2. With seven games remaining, Notre Dame will have to run the table if they have any hopes of making a BCS Bowl appearance.

-Eric Tichelbaut

Follow me on Twitter @etichel07

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