DeShone Kizer Archives - Her Loyal Sons https://www.herloyalsons.com/blog A Notre Dame Football Blog Fri, 10 Feb 2017 21:01:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8.3 https://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/HLS-Avatar-Option-2-150x150.png DeShone Kizer Archives - Her Loyal Sons https://www.herloyalsons.com/blog 32 32 Key Matchups Against Duke https://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/2016/09/24/key-matchups-duke/ Sat, 24 Sep 2016 14:41:12 +0000 http://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/?p=36027 Both the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-2) and the Duke Blue Devils (1-2) have been disappointments so far this season. The Irish came into the season with high expectations but couldn’t prove themselves against big-time programs. On the other hand, Duke lost to programs they needed to beat – Wake Forest and Northwestern – to...

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]]> Both the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-2) and the Duke Blue Devils (1-2) have been disappointments so far this season.

The Irish came into the season with high expectations but couldn’t prove themselves against big-time programs. On the other hand, Duke lost to programs they needed to beat – Wake Forest and Northwestern – to even stay relevant in the ACC. Both teams’ only wins came against weak opponents, as Notre Dame beat Nevada 39-10 at home and Duke crushed North Carolina Central 49-6 in the season opener.

On the offensive side of the ball, both teams have surprisingly put up almost identical numbers at this point in the season. It should be noted that Notre Dame has played much tougher opponents. Nevertheless, the stats are eerily similar. The Irish have averaged 429 total yards per game while the Blue Devils have averaged 433. Both teams have averaged exactly 262 passing yards per game and the Irish have out rushed the Blue Devils by 13 yards, 167 to 154.

Notre Dame needs this win in the worst way, as a loss to Duke would undoubtedly end their season in mid-September. You cannot take any win for granted at this point, as the Irish will basically need to win the remainder of their games to have any playoff chances. Here are three key matchups to look for as the Blue Devils travel to South Bend to take on the Fighting Irish.

Quarterback Battle

South Bend Tribune Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN

Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer (14) breaks away from Texas’ Kevin Vaccaro (18) during the Notre Dame-Texas NCAA college football game on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. South Bend Tribune Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN

Obviously these two players don’t play directly against each other, but the difference in the level of experience and play is a major factor coming in. For the Irish, junior quarterback DeShone Kizer is flying up NFL draft boards, possibly being the #1 overall pick if that team is need of a quarterback (cough, the Cleveland Browns, cough).

Kizer has 715 passing yards this season with nine touchdowns, two interceptions, and a completion percentage of 63 percent. Despite the loss, Kizer is coming off a very good game against Michigan State, a team with NFL talent on defense, throwing for 344 yards and two touchdowns. The Blue Devils’ pass defense ranks 34th in the country with 181 pass yards allowed per game, but it’s hard to judge those numbers as they come against the likes of North Carolina Central. If Kizer truly is a top NFL prospect, he shouldn’t have many problems against Duke.

The Irish must exploit Duke’s freshman quarterback Daniel Jones. Don’t let his 800 passing yards fool you, as it comes off 111 pass attempts includes only two touchdowns (both against North Carolina Central). Jones holds onto the ball for too long, leading to a forced throw or a sack for Notre Dame. The Irish have allowed an average of 240 passing yards per game this year, but, once again, that comes against Texas and Michigan State. Expect the defense to step up and give Jones problems all day.

Notre Dame’s Offensive Line vs. Duke’s Front Seven

The Blue Devils have caused havoc in the backfield so far this season. The defense has produced the third most sacks in the country with 14 along with 25 tackles for losses and 17 QB hurries. The Notre Dame offensive line must be accountable for senior defensive tackle A.J. Wolf (3 TFL, 3 sacks), senior cornerback Devon Edwards (3 TFL, 3 sacks), and senior safety Corbin McCarthy (3.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks). With pressure coming from Duke’s secondary, Kizer has the perfect opportunity to show NFL scouts he can identify defenses and call out the correct blocking adjustments at line of scrimmage to avoid Duke’s pattern of putting pressure on the quarterback. Kizer is a freak of an absolute who was actually drafted by the Cubs out of high school before choosing to pursue football at Notre Dame.

TilleryIndividual Matchup: Jerry Tillery vs. Interior of Duke Offensive Line

Notre Dame sophomore defensive tackle Jerry Tillery has been one of the best players on the Irish defense this season. In three games Tillery has recorded 11 tackles and two sacks on a limited snap count, about 29 plays per game. After the Michigan State loss, Brian Kelly praised Tillery’s performance saying, “He was our best defensive lineman on Saturday. Played his best game since he’s been at Notre Dame.” Two weeks ago Wake Forest exposed the offensive line of Duke, only producing 37 rushing yards. Tillery should take advantage of the interior of the line, including redshirt freshman Zack Baker at left guard and new starting center Austin Davis.

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]]> After Last Night, I See Only Four “Likely Wins” Left https://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/2016/09/18/four-likely-wins-left/ Sun, 18 Sep 2016 22:08:17 +0000 http://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/?p=35905 We can now confidently conclude that the Texas loss was no aberration. It was not the result of a hostile crowd, an outmatched-but-inspired Texas team or some fixable defensive errors. Notre Dame is a deeply flawed team this year; last night confirmed that. It was almost hard to watch the Irish make huge errors on...

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]]> We can now confidently conclude that the Texas loss was no aberration. It was not the result of a hostile crowd, an outmatched-but-inspired Texas team or some fixable defensive errors.

R.J. Shelton #12 of the Michigan State Spartans scores a touchdown in front of Drue Tranquill #23 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half of a game at Notre Dame Stadium on September 17, 2016 in South Bend, Indiana. Credit: Stacy Revere/Getty Images

R.J. Shelton #12 of the Michigan State Spartans scores a touchdown in front of Drue Tranquill #23 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half of a game at Notre Dame Stadium on September 17, 2016 in South Bend, Indiana. Credit: Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Notre Dame is a deeply flawed team this year; last night confirmed that. It was almost hard to watch the Irish make huge errors on special teams, continue to play defense with the density of Swiss cheese and make questionable coaching decisions in a game they absolutely had to win. There was seemingly no rational reason for handing the ball back to Michigan State down 36-28 with 3:37 remaining.

I know we will hear the arguments and excuses.

The Irish had three timeouts left.

It was fourth and 7 and the Irish were on their own 32.

Blah, blah, and blah!

COACHING FAILURES DOOMED IRISH

With 3:37 to go, the Irish needed two yards on third down to keep the drive and, in all reality, the season alive. Did Brian Kelly have that little confidence in the run game that he didn’t believe they could get him two yards? If the run is stopped, it’s fourth and short.

Despite analysts dramatizing time, football fans know a team almost never runs out of clock. A turnover or a failure to get 10 yards in four downs kills the two minute drill. Kelly opted to take the ball out of his best players’ hands and put the game on a defense that allowed more than 500 yards of total offense.

I predicted the Irish would win this game last week because of Kizer. But, for me, the Irish sealed their fate the moment Kizer trotted off the field and the punt team entered. I would have “rolled the dice” on fourth and 7 in favor of leaving it the hands of the defense.

This week is no easier for Brian VanGorder. The Irish defense struggled. The Spartans manhandled them on the line. The tackling and pass coverage was simply abysmal. I don’t see any scenario where VanGorder returns next year.

It’s difficult to see many wins on the remaining schedule. I think Syracuse, Army, Navy and Duke are likely wins. But, at this point, who knows? NC State, Miami and Virginia Tech – games which, just weeks ago, seemed very manageable – now go into the “toss up” category.

CBS’s latest project has Notre Dame in the Russell Athletic Bowl versus Oklahoma. The leaves haven’t even fallen, and the Irish are out of the playoff race. It’s hard to believe.

 

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]]> Friday Roundup: The “No More Talking to Myself” Episode https://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/2016/09/16/friday-roundup-no-talking-episode/ Fri, 16 Sep 2016 16:00:46 +0000 http://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/?p=35855 When I came back from my podcast break, I said that the main goal of the show is simple: having fun and creating an entertaining show. When I go back and listen to what I’ve done so far and, quite frankly, while recording, I feel like the times I’m missing that simple goal is when...

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]]> Friday RoundupWhen I came back from my podcast break, I said that the main goal of the show is simple: having fun and creating an entertaining show. When I go back and listen to what I’ve done so far and, quite frankly, while recording, I feel like the times I’m missing that simple goal is when I’m just talking to…well, no one.

So with that in mind, I decided that there was a need for a co-host on the show. Shane, aka SuperManTDJesus, aka the one that brings you awesome videos here on HLS, had mentioned that he had some interest in appearing on the podcast here and there. So I took that, ran with it, and asked him to join me as co-host.

EddieMac will still join for picks as always, but there will be no more segments (unless my work schedule hoses me) in which I’m just sitting around and talking to myself. I’m hoping this will create a much more entertaining product going forward. I know it was sure as hell a lot more fun to record than usual.

Before we hit the Roundup links, HLS Podcasts are now on Stitcher! I believe this puts us out on practically every podcast app now. If I’m missing your favorite, and the RSS feed won’t work, let me know.

The Roundup

CFB Law & Order has some updates. Two should be filed under “not great”. The first, Southern Cal’s Osa Masina, being charged with rape and two counts of forceable sodomy in Utah is by far the worst. Penn State is still determined to stupidly honor Joe Pa and ignore all the victims that he could’ve helped. Thankfully, the NCAA provided a bit of levity in finding Stanford’s Devon Cajuste guilty of violations that no one really cares about.

Urban Meyer’s past got some more clarity. He ran a win-at-all-costs program at Florida and then inexplicably ran away only to return a year later to Ohio State. It turns out he was battling a major enemy: his own mind.

In case you didn’t realize, Deshone Kizer is really good at sports. Like, really, REALLY good.

#NDFBIsDeterninedToKillMe. And we now have #SportsMath proof of this. Thankfully, things have been better in the BK era.

It’s easy to overlook Alabama. Especially coming off a season in which you lost yet another coach, hired the interim, have proven nothing, and believe that makes you unbeatable–right, Southern Cal?

You can now enjoy Kirk Herbstreit’s meet. I’m not joking.

Harbaugh believes that publicly sharing a depth chart is wrong. Because of this, Colorado decided to have a little bit of fun and hide their own depth chart in the best and most creative way possible.

There’s also a football game happening. No real links to share here, but be sure to stick around after the news roundup to hear our thoughts on Notre Dame taking on Michigan state.

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]]> Morning Roundup: Sept. 16, 2016 https://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/2016/09/16/morning-roundup-sept-16-2016/ Fri, 16 Sep 2016 08:45:28 +0000 http://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/?p=35843 The Morning Roundup is now available as an easy-to-digest e-mail. Sign up at the bottom of this post and be sure to check your spam filter for a confirmation message from newsletter at herloyalsons dot com. Once you’re signed up, you’ll get all the headlines from Notre Dame athletics delivered to your inbox before breakfast....

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]]> The Morning Roundup is now available as an easy-to-digest e-mail. Sign up at the bottom of this post and be sure to check your spam filter for a confirmation message from newsletter at herloyalsons dot com. Once you’re signed up, you’ll get all the headlines from Notre Dame athletics delivered to your inbox before breakfast.

FROM OUR SITE

PODCASTS

Blue & Gold Illustrated

Inside the Irish

Irish Illustrated

Irish Sports Daily

ND Insider

The Prime Time Podcast

SATURDAY’S GAME: vs. MICHIGAN STATE (7:30 ET, NBC)

Associated Press

Battle Creek Enquirer

Blue & Gold Illustrated

Campus Pressbox

Chicago Tribune

Click on Detroit

Cleveland Plain Dealer

18 Stripes

ESPN

Inside the Irish

Irish Sports Daily

Irish247

iSportsWeb

MLive

MSU Athletics

ND Insider

One Foot Down

Spartan Avenue

Spartan Tailgate

UHND

UND

Wood TV8

2016 TEAM

Blue & Gold Illustrated

CSN Chicago

18 Stripes

ESPN

Irish Illustrated

Irish Sports Daily

Irish247

ND Insider

One Foot Down

UHND

RECRUITING

Blue & Gold Illustrated

18 Stripes

Irish Illustrated

Irish Sports Daily

Irish247

ND Insider

IRISH IN THE NFL

18 Stripes

Slap the Sign

MISC.

Indianapolis Star

Irish Sports Daily

MLive

ND Insider

WSBT

 

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]]> Morning Roundup: Sept. 15, 2016 https://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/2016/09/15/morning-roundup-sept-15-2016/ Thu, 15 Sep 2016 09:00:12 +0000 http://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/?p=35818 The Morning Roundup is now available in e-mail format! Get all the Notre Dame athletics headlines in your inbox every morning at 5 a.m. ET by entering your e-mail at the bottom of this page. Today’s top stories: Torii Hunter updates us on his concussion; Ara’s still salty about fans’ perceptions of the ’66 tie...

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]]> The Morning Roundup is now available in e-mail format! Get all the Notre Dame athletics headlines in your inbox every morning at 5 a.m. ET by entering your e-mail at the bottom of this page. Today’s top stories: Torii Hunter updates us on his concussion; Ara’s still salty about fans’ perceptions of the ’66 tie versus Michigan State; lots of recruits visiting this weekend; women’s hoops lands a big recruit.

FROM OUR SITE

PODCASTS

NEXT GAME: vs. MICHIGAN STATE (7:30 p.m. ET SATURDAY, NBC)

2016 TEAM

OFFENSE

DEFENSE

RECRUITING

SCHEDULE

LAST GAME: NOTRE DAME 39, NEVADA 10

BASKETBALL

MISC.

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]]> The Irish Get Well With Nevada Win, But Spartans Loom https://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/2016/09/12/irish-get-well-nevada-win-spartans-loom/ Mon, 12 Sep 2016 16:00:07 +0000 http://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/?p=35768 Last week I foretold the beginning of the end of the Brian Kelly era. Several people on Twitter and HLS strongly disagreed. Hey, it happens! The Irish got exactly what they needed on Saturday with a convincing win over Nevada. While I don’t think Nevada is a great team, any win on Saturday was welcome....

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]]> Last week I foretold the beginning of the end of the Brian Kelly era. Several people on Twitter and HLS strongly disagreed. Hey, it happens!

The Irish got exactly what they needed on Saturday with a convincing win over Nevada. While I don’t think Nevada is a great team, any win on Saturday was welcome. I would also argue that Nevada is akin to a victory over a top MAC program as the Wolf Pack have been in a bowl game the last two seasons. It is also a much higher quality game than the FCS opponents that dot other top programs’ schedules.

WHAT LIES AHEAD

Saturday night in prime time the Michigan State Spartans come calling along with their No. 12 ranking. This is yet another game in prime time against a top tier opponent. The Spartans have won the Big 10 championship in two of the last three seasons and also were a College Football Playoff qualifier last season. The Spartans also return 12 starters.

However, Sparty did not exactly look unbeatable in their opener. They led Furman 21-13 in the fourth quarter before finally putting the Paladins away 28-13 in the first week. As bad as the loss to Texas was, the Irish could completely change their situation with a win over Michigan State. A win on Saturday night arguably puts the Irish back in the playoff picture. A win over Michigan State and Notre Dame likely heads into the Stanford game at 5-1.

EVERYONE NEEDS TO WIN

At that point, they need Stanford and Miami to keep winning. It also wouldn’t hurt to have USC go on a run after their opening game debacle at Alabama. The climb for Notre Dame is high largely because of the remaining schedule. That being said, the early forecast for this college football season looks particularly stormy, which clearly puts a ton on the line Saturday night.

A loss here, the playoff is done and it is hard to see even a New Year’s 6 bowl. Additionally, another loss in prime time would likely derail any momentum that DeShone Kizer has been building for a Heisman trophy run. It will be interesting to see how much the defense has progressed since Texas.

I hate to sound overly optimistic. But each time I watch Kizer play, I’m more convinced that he is one of those rare players that gives you a shot to win regardless of the opponent every time he takes the field. Regardless of our defense at this point, because of DeShone Kizer, I’m confident heading into Saturday night.

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]]> Morning Roundup: Sept. 11, 2016 https://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/2016/09/11/morning-roundup-sept-11-2016/ Sun, 11 Sep 2016 14:37:04 +0000 http://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/?p=35737 The Irish trounce Nevada. Cornerback Shaun Crawford is lost to a season-ending injury. Michigan State awaits next week. These stories & more from the past 24 hours below. LAST GAME: NOTRE DAME 39, NEVADA 10 AP: Kizer leads No. 18 Notre Dame to 39-10 win over Nevada ASAP Sports: Brian Polian press conference Bleacher Report:...

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]]> The Irish trounce Nevada. Cornerback Shaun Crawford is lost to a season-ending injury. Michigan State awaits next week. These stories & more from the past 24 hours below.

LAST GAME: NOTRE DAME 39, NEVADA 10

NEXT GAME: vs. MICHIGAN STATE (7:30 p.m. ET SATURDAY, NBC)

2016 TEAM

DEFENSE

RECRUITING

MISC.

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]]> Morning Roundup: Sept. 10, 2016 https://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/2016/09/10/morning-roundup-sept-10-2016/ Sat, 10 Sep 2016 09:00:33 +0000 http://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/?p=35721 Torii Hunter Jr. is ruled out for today’s game due to ongoing recovery from a concussion. This story and much more from the past 24 hours of Notre Dame football. FROM OUR SITE Friday roundup: The “Hooked” episode Predictions: Growing our Wolf Pack PODCAST Irish247: Wrapping Notre Dame-Texas, previewing Nevada Irish247: On-air talking Kizer, Notre...

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]]> Torii Hunter Jr. is ruled out for today’s game due to ongoing recovery from a concussion. This story and much more from the past 24 hours of Notre Dame football.

FROM OUR SITE

PODCAST

NEXT GAME: vs. NEVADA (3:30 ET SATURDAY, NBC)

https://vine.co/v/5JqQ2WXm1hu

OFFENSE

DEFENSE

SCHEDULE

RECRUITING

LAST GAME: Texas 50, Notre Dame 47

MISC.

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]]> Morning Roundup: Sept. 9, 2016 https://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/2016/09/09/morning-roundup-sept-9-2016/ Fri, 09 Sep 2016 09:00:37 +0000 http://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/?p=35687 Mike Tirico says he’s not a Michigan man. Bleacher Report has us reaching for the tissues with its remembrance of Greg Bryant. These stories and more from the last 24 hours of Notre Dame football below. FROM OUR SITE Defensive “change” must come, one way or another PODCAST CSN Chicago: Where does Notre Dame’s defense...

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]]> Mike Tirico says he’s not a Michigan man. Bleacher Report has us reaching for the tissues with its remembrance of Greg Bryant. These stories and more from the last 24 hours of Notre Dame football below.

FROM OUR SITE

PODCAST

NEXT GAME: vs. Nevada (3:30 ET Saturday, NBC)

2016 TEAM

OFFENSE

DEFENSE

RECRUITING

LAST GAME: Texas 50, Notre Dame 47

MISC.

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]]> Morning Roundup: Sept. 8, 2016 https://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/2016/09/08/morning-roundup-sept-8-2016/ Thu, 08 Sep 2016 09:00:07 +0000 http://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/?p=35673 DeShone Kizer says he’s starting against Nevada and won’t rotate with Malik Zaire at quarterback. The BGI guys debate the effect of Torii Hunter’s absence. Brian VanGorder’s defense remains under the microscope. All these stories and more from the past 24 hours of Notre Dame football below. FROM OUR SITE This is not the end...

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]]> DeShone Kizer says he’s starting against Nevada and won’t rotate with Malik Zaire at quarterback. The BGI guys debate the effect of Torii Hunter’s absence. Brian VanGorder’s defense remains under the microscope. All these stories and more from the past 24 hours of Notre Dame football below.

FROM OUR SITE

PODCAST

NEXT GAME

2016 TEAM

OFFENSE

DEFENSE

SCHEDULE

RECRUITING

LAST GAME: Texas 50, Notre Dame 47

MISC.

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