ND-USC was the perfect showcase for how this team looks: good on offense, horrible on defense. That’s ND all year.
Granted, our offense was stymied in the first half pretty good, but the O caught fire in the second half and put in a solid performance overall. Once again, the D had fits and starts, and moments where we looked good. But too often there were huge gaps in coverage, massive miscommunication, and the inability to make a play.
Let’s look at how USC fared against our D compared to their Non-ND season thus far, and then we’ll do the same for our O against the USC defense. A pretty clear story emerges.
USC Offense vs. ND Defense
Boy, the stats here are ugly. First, ND’s defense gave up 34 points to USC. That’s not great in and of itself. But what’s more disconcerting is that this isn’t some explosive offense from USC. USC’s O has averaged only 29 points this season (against Non-ND competition), with a score of 56 against San Jose State really helping that average (ignoring that 56, USC averages 22 points a contest this year). ND gave up a full TD more than their straight average, and almost 2 more TDs than their 22 points if you ignore SJ State. Not great.
USC’s offense put up 501 total yards against us. That’s over 70 yards more than their average on the year thus far, and USC has played San Jose State and freaking Washington State. ND gave up more yards than WSU. 100 more yards.
And the ND D struggled most mightily against the pass. USC threw for 380 yards. They have averaged only 223 yards/game passing this year outside of ND. 223!!!! ND gave up almost 160 more yards than USC’s average. Ouch.
Our Defense is a mess. Someone please fix it.
ND Offense vs. USC D.
So while the defensive side is struggling, the O is doing a good job this year (obvious, I know). But it’s worth laying out the same stats, as USC has a top-tier D, and our boys hung in there.
On average this year, USC has given up 9 points to non-ND competition. 9!!!! ND put up 27, and almost got to 34. On average, USC has given up only 239 total yards a game. ND went for 367 yards of total production. And USC has averaged giving up 174 passing yards per game. Only 174 against the rest of their schedule, and ND passed for 285.
That’s a pretty solid performance against a really strong defense, even if it was heavily weighted toward the second half.
Our offense is clicking. Again, someone please fix the D.
Please?
Don't take me, yourself, or life so seriously. This is supposed to be fun.
Biscuit co-founded HerLoyalSons in partnership with his ND roommate (Dillon Hall baby!), MQ, in 2006 and has been ranting about ND Football and everything Notre Dame since. He strongly believes in the mission of ND and its football program. Biscuit expects logic and data in arguments and will absolutely crush you if you come to a debate missing one or the other. He despises everything Michigan, and his favorite pastime is mocking Purdue.
- (Re)Introducing: DANCING LEPRECHAUNS - August 29, 2019
- Ticket Auction: ND vs USC - August 22, 2019
- No Respect! - December 14, 2018
Ask any defensive coach, at any level from high school up to the pros, the following situational question:
The offense comes out with triple wide receivers spread out wide on one side, and a 4th receiver on the other. The defense moves three corners to cover the trips wide. Should you blitz one of the corners covering one of the trips? If so, should you do this without rolling a safety quickly into the receivers’ area?
Other than Bob Davie, how many “hell yea” answers do you think you would get?
If our defensive couches actually called for that blitz, then I feel sorry for our defensive players – the job of the coaches is to put the players in the best position to win, not to give them impossible tasks that put them in a hole. If the players did not know enough to not perform a called corner blitz when the offense came out in triple wides, then the coaches have done a terrible job of teaching them situation football.
Exactly Mark G, it either poor play calling or poor coaching. If there is a coach at Notre Dame that needs to go it Tenuta, he should be fired now. I like Charlie Weis he is a great offensive coach and can get top talent to Notre Dame but he can’t mold a team into a winner. Mark May told Lou Holtz there is no way ND could win this game because these are the same players on offense from two years ago he’s right these are the same players and its like night and day in the production of this unit, all praise to Charlie Weis. Weis took that 2007 team and made them a top 15 offense amazing, our defense is 105!!! Coach Weis is a nice guy I doubt he would fire Tenuta and he won’t take control of the defense, thats why he needs to go. Pete Carroll has lost every coordinator he has ever had and keeps winning because He sets the tone on HIS team. Do I want Charlie Weis to be Pete Carroll no, I want him to require his defense to perform with the same machine like efficiency he requires from his offense. If he can not do that I want him to leave.
It could be worse. Chicago (a pro team) apparently managed to only line up two defenders against trips. At least we started out with three defenders there, even if we did blitz one of them (leaving an easy read for the QB).