Photo by James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys

CHRIS BROWN: There are actually two players named Chris Brown on the Dallas Cowboys roster as of right now. The first is the Notre Dame graduate who was a great complement to Will Fuller in the 2015 Irish receiving corps. The second is a former Cal Poly QB who was invited to a minicamp to prove himself as a wide receiver. In a Tuesday post, SB Nation’s Ryan Ratty wonders aloud if Notre Dame’s former standout could push fellow Cowboys WR Devin Street off the roster.

Obviously, Brown will have a tougher road, as Street has the advantage of knowing the offense and being more familiar with the rest of the roster. But Brown will be given the opportunity to jump right in and prove himself. Brown’s workout numbers were impressive. It’s worth mentioning that he was a stud track jumper and sprinter in high school. If Brown can put on weight to match his speed, which he likely will with an NFL weight room and conditioning program, the Cowboys will be getting a unique player that can do a lot for this offense.

Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

AMIR CARLISLE: Carlisle, who is sporting #81 in camp, has survived the first round of cuts with the Arizona Cardinals. SB Nation’s Jess Root, who profiled the former Irish receiver Wednesday for the Revenge of the Birds blog, said Carlisle’s long-term viability with the Cardinals is in doubt: “Carlisle will have a very hard time even sticking on the practice squad. The receiver room is stacked right now. However, his versatility could prove valuable. Nonetheless, he is likely just a camp body.”

MATTHIAS FARLEY: Like Carlisle, Farley signed with the Arizona Cardinals after going undrafted. I haven’t been able to find any news about Farley since his May 1 signing.

EVERETT GOLSON: Golson transferred to Florida State after graduating from Notre Dame in 2015. He started the season for the Seminoles, but was benched by season’s end and skipped the Peach Bowl for personal reasons. He returned to Notre Dame for Pro Day. After the draft, Golson accepted an invitation to tryout with the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are low on quarterbacks, so they invited Golson and former Irish adversary, UMass’ Blake Frohnapfel, to throw and “to help the practices function.” I haven’t seen official word on how the event went. But the Colts claimed former Liberty QB Josh Woodrum off waivers on Tuesday, so it’s safe to assume that the Golson/Indianapolis relationship may soon be at an end.

JARRETT GRACE: Grace, who started for the Irish at middle linebacker in 2013 before a devestating leg injury, participated in Notre Dame’s March 31 Pro Day. While his performance was not enough to be drafted, the Chicago Bears have extended a mini-camp tryout invitation. The mini-camp begins this weekend.

Eilar Hardy

EILAR HARDY: Hardy, a former Irish safety perhaps best known for his inclusion in the “Frozen Five” academic scandal, was invited to tryout with the Cincinnati Bengals. That happened May 6. On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Times’ Greg Auman tweeted that Hardy has been offered a second tryout with the Buccaneers. Hardy returned for the final five games of the 2015 season, then spent his senior season at Bowling Green. He returned to Notre Dame for its Pro Day.

MATT HEGARTY: The former Irish center, who finished his career at Oregon, was invited to the San Francisco 49ers’ rookie minicamp, which took place last weekend. The 49ers start organized team activities in two weeks. To my knowledge, they haven’t announced any signings or cuts.

ROMEO OKWARA: Okwara signed as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants. There’s not much news coming out of camp about him. The Twitter account of Big Blue United, a popular Giants-related site, said Okwara was an “extreme long shot to make it past the first cut at training camp.”

ELIJAH SHUMATE: Undrafted, the former Notre Dame safety signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the conclusion of the draft. Shumate, wearing #41 for the Bucs, had an interception – one of at least three on the day – off former Alabama and Toledo QB Philip Ely during the Saturday session. Shumate, a film, television and theatre major, graduates this weekend from Notre Dame!

Rookie Mini-Camp Check In ?

Elijah Shumate is already making plays in Tampa Bay.#NDinTheNFL
pic.twitter.com/Pl5XVY3KTv

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) May 8, 2016

Shumate told the Essex (N.J.) News Daily that he plans on a career in the NFL.

“That been a dream of mine since I was 6, but I also want to work with inner-city kids and help change the environment to not only a comfortable environment but also a confident one, too. I want kids to feel they have the sources to put them in good standing with kids that are more fortunate. Some of my fondest memories growing up in East Orange was having everything I needed, within a matter of a few steps from my house; a park that I not only had fun in, but also help make me become the person I am today. Stemming from either competing on the court or even as little as talking to a girl, (I) just did not want to lose and that is one of the biggest character traits that I carried.”

New York Giants defensive end Ishaq Williams runs through a drill during NFL football rookie camp, Friday, May 6, 2016, in, East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

ISHAQ WILLIAMS: Williams, whose last competitive game was in December 2013, impressed New York Giants personnel enough to earn a contract at the conclusion of his tryout. In a Giants.com video, the WFAN’s Paul Dottino said Williams may have gotten a look due to a recommendation of new Giants strength and conditioning coach, Aaron Wellman, who worked in a similar capacity for Notre Dame. The only problem with that thought: I’m not sure how much interaction Wellman would have had with Williams, who the NCAA ruled ineligible for the 2015 season. It may have been because Williams was New York State’s 2010 Gatorade Player of the Year and a standout in nearby Brooklyn, N.Y. Regardless of why the Giants invited him, Williams is providing much needed depth for Big Blue at the defensive end position. Williams is currently three classes short of graduation.

The post Checking In On The Undrafted Irish appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Notre Dame’s Elijah Shumate (22) tackles Virginia’s Taquan Mizzell (4) during the second half of the Fighting Irish’s 34-27 win over Virginia Saturday, September 12, 2015 in Charlottesville. (SBT Photo/BECKY MALEWITZ)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed former Irish safety Elijah Shumate, according to Irish Illustrated’s Pete Sampson.

Shumate was ranked as the 14th overall Strong Safety out of 193. At 6’ 216 pounds he more than possesses the size to play that position at the next level. In fact, Shumate actually remarked that he had cut too much weight for the East-West Shrine game and was now back a more viable playing weight. His strength (18 repetitions on 225 lb. Bench Press) and (4.10) in the 20 yard shuttle were both respectable.

Shumate worked out and met with a number of teams during the lead up to the draft.

While at Notre Dame, he played in 48 games with 27 starts. He also piled up 168 career tackles and 10 Tackles for a loss.  If you combine this with 2 interceptions and 10 passes broken up you have a player in Elijah Shumate who had a pretty productive career at Notre Dame. Most of the mock draft boards had Shumate as a likely 7th round selection with some even pegging him as a free agent. Much like Matthias Farley who I profiled earlier, Shumate has extensive special teams experience.

Where Shumate may struggle seems to be in regards to overall athleticism. As pointed out by some other prognosticators, Shumate finished in the lower half of some of the speed and jumping tests at the NFL Combine. The NFL.com analysis seems to support this also. Citing one scout from the midwest, NFL.com highlighted an overall weakness in man coverage but some ability to play the run. They further indicated that he would have to play well on special teams to make a roster. That being said, as I mentioned previously there seems to be a shift by some teams away from the combine numbers that have often defined the draft in recent years.

We wish Shumate the best of luck in landing a roster spot with the Buccaneers.

The post Elijah Shumate Headed To Tampa Bay appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

JAYLON SMITH’S INJURY EXAMINED

Courtesy of NY Jets / Twitter

Linebacker Jaylon Smith gave contradictory – or confusing – answers to reporters’ questions about possible nerve damage in his left knee. Smith tore his ACL and LCL during the Irish’s Jan. 1 loss to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.

NFL team physicians were allowed to examine Smith today to evaluate the extent of his injury. Doctors will need to determine what nerve damage, if any, has been suffered – and if Smith will be able to recover from it.

In the media scrum, Smith initially said there was no nerve damage. In later questioning about an Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) brace he’s wearing, the junior linebacker said: “It’s helping the nerve heal.” He maintained throughout that the nerve was not “stretched” during the accident.

A FoxSports.com source – who was not named – told the publication that two doctors who evaluated Smith today had diverging opinions. The second doctor, the report said, pegged Smith’s chance at a full recovery at only 10 percent.

Smith was unsure of his own recovery timeline. Ian Rapoport, a NFL Network reporter, said teams – which he did not name – believe the linebacker will miss the entirety of the 2016 season.

Before today, the Fort Wayne, Ind. native was considered a certain Top 15 pick – with at least one mock draft having him as high as #7. If these evaluations cause Smith to tumble out of the first round, he will likely be able to collect on a $5 million loss of value insurance policy he purchased last year.

You can watch Smith walk, seven weeks removed from surgery, in this video shot today.

C.J. PROSISE BLAZES

Running back C.J. Prosise ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds today, which made him the eighth-fastest back at the Combine among 22 participants. The 4.48 second mark tied Prosise with former Irish running back George Atkinson III, who participated in the 2014 Combine.

C.J. Prosise runs an unofficial 4.46 in his first 40-yard run at the NFL Combine. pic.twitter.com/3FHHYrrxLz

— BlueandGold.com (@BGInews) February 26, 2016

Prosise’s overall performance was quite similar to Michael Floyd’s output in 2012.

• Prosise: 6 foot tall, 220 pounds, 4.48 40-yard dash, 35.5 inch vertical leap, 121 inch broad jump
• Floyd: 6 foot 3 inches, 220 pounds, 4.47 40-yard dash, 36.5 inch vertical leap, 122 inch broad jump.

Having seen this comparison, Floyd tweeted:

He making $$$$$$ https://t.co/h5v1gsM7eX

— MichaelFloyd (@MichaelMFloyd) February 26, 2016

Not really the natural hands you want to see from a converted WR. C.J. Prosise was hit and miss in drill work today. pic.twitter.com/XvzdGlXAqb

— Ethan Young (@EthanYoungFB) February 26, 2016

Prosise is projected to be a second, third or fourth round selection during the NFL Draft, which will be held April 28-30 in Chicago.

RONNIE STANLEY BATTLING TO BE FIRST TACKLE PICKED

Ronnie Stanley and Ole Miss’ Laremy Tunsil are widely considered to be the best tackles in the upcoming draft. Many weak teams are looking for a left tackle to protect their quarterback’s blind side and today was an opportunity for teams to evaluate Stanley and Tunsil side-by-side.

While Tunsil opted to skip most timed events, Stanley ran a respectable 5.20 second 40-yard dash (16th out of 47 offensive linemen), took 4.90 seconds to complete the 20-yard shuttle and 8.03 seconds to finish the three-cone drill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tSe2XGaR7E&feature=youtu.be

Tunsil did his best to impress as well, demonstrating absurd athleticism and causing scouts to gush about him more than any other player who participated in drills Friday.

The Rebels top lineman only had one hiccup today. His former teammate, Robert Nkemdiche, said Tunsil was in his hotel room when a drunken Nkemdiche fell 15 feet out a window before the Sugar Bowl. Nkemdiche was cited for marijuana possession, but did not connect Tunsil to the drugs.

Here’s a fun drill that allowed Stanley to play “mad dog” to Tunsil’s mirror:

Tunsil vs Stanley (as the mad dog) pic.twitter.com/BWz8d9Fj2B

— Rolo (@RoloEdits) February 26, 2016

ALSO APPEARING TODAY

• Center Nick Martin ran a 5.22 second 40-yard dash, did 28 reps on the bench press, jumped 97 inches in the broad jump, took 4.72 seconds to complete the 20-yard shuttle and 7.57 seconds to finish the 3-cone drill. His performance is similar to that of former Irish offensive lineman Eric Olsen, who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 draft.
• Defensive end Romeo Okwara was measured today – and his results are remarkably similar to former Irish tight end Troy Niklas’ measurables during the 2013 NFL Combine.
  • Romeo Okwara: Height: 6-5; Weight: 265 lbs.; Arm length: 34 1/8″; Hands: 10 1/8
  • Troy Niklas: Height: 6-6; Weight: 270 lbs.; Arm length: 34 1/8″; Hands: 10″
• Will Fuller logged 10 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press. Chris Brown skipped the event.
• Sheldon Day’s measurables: 6 feet tall, 286 pounds, Arm length: 32 7/8″; Hands: 9 3/8″

THIS WEEKEND

The NFL Network will air the Combine from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

SATURDAY

• On-field: Chris Brown, Will Fuller
• Bench press: Sheldon Day, Romeo Okwara & Jaylon Smith
• Measurements, interviews and medical exams: KeiVarae Russell, Elijah Shumate

SUNDAY

• On-field: Sheldon Day, Romeo Okwara
• Bench press: KeiVarae Russell, Elijah Shumate

MONDAY

• On-field: Elijah Shumate

The post Notre Dame At NFL Combine: Early Results appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

FROM OUR SITE

• Step one: Northeastern

VIDEO

• WatchND: Brian Kelly press conference – March 17, 2015 (42:18)
• Blue & Gold Illustrated: Video: Kelly previews spring ball (3:03)
• Irish247: Video: Kelly previews spring practice (3:08)
• Irish Illustrated: Video: Kelly welcomes QB battle (3:03)
• Irish Sports Daily: ISD video: Brian Kelly press conference (3:16)

PODCAST

• Blue & Gold Illustrated: The Irish Huddle (28:15)

RECRUITING (2016 offers / 2017 offers)

• Irish Sports Daily: Oden defines determination (Tylin Oden)
• Rivals: Rivals 100: 61-80 updates (Donnie Corley, Dwayne Haskins, Javon McKinley)
• Scout: Scout 300: Big West movers (Jack Jones, Curtis Robinson, Brandon Burton and N’Keal Harry)
• Scout: South 2016 rankings: 10 big moves (Brandon Hill, Keyshon Camp, Devin White, Patrick Bethel)
• Scout: Midwest recruiting notebook (Brandon Peters, Sean Foster and Donnie Corley)
• Scout: West moves outside the Scout 300 (Troy Warner)
• Scout: New 4-star DL in Florida (Keyshon Camp)
• Scout: Gators impress 4-star RB (Elijah Holyfield)
• Scout: Commitment analysis: WR Theo Howard
• Scout: 5-star Calif. LB wowed by Michigan (Part 1 – Caleb Kelly)
• Scout: 5-star Calif. LB wowed by Michigan (Part 2)
• Scout: No. 1 safety talks recruiting (Brandon Jones, although Notre Dame is not in his top 10)
• Scout: Lewis has special feeling in Baton Rouge (Cameron Lewis)
• Scout: Holmes takes Big 12 swing (Darnay Holmes)
• Scout: Week in review: Chicago area (Julian Love)
• Scout: Houston recruiting notebook (3/18/15 – Eric Monroe, Dontavious Jackson, Deontay Anderson and Devwah Whaley)

CURRENT TEAM

• AP: Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly unsure on starting QB
• Bleacher Report (Monaco): Notre Dame football: What to expect at the start of spring ball
• Blue & Gold Illustrated: Notebook: ND ready for spring ball (Everett Golson, Malik Zaire, Nick Martin, Matt Hegarty, Colin McGovern, Hunter Bivin, CJ Prosise, Matthias Farley, John Turner, Doug Randolph, Chase Hounshell, Jalen Brown and Ishaq Williams)
• Chicago Tribune: Notre Dame enters spring with no clear No. 1 at QB
• CSN Sportsnet Chicago: With depth up front, Notre Dame eyes physical practices (Greer Martini, James Onwualu, Jarrett Grace, Nyles Morgan, Jaylon Smith, Te’von Coney, John Turner, Max Redfield, Elijah Shumate, Nicky Baratti, C.J. Prosise, Tarean Folston, Greg Bryant, Matt Hegarty, Quenton Nelson, Alex Bars, Ronnie Stanley, Nick Martin, Sam Mustipher, Mark Harrell and Chase Hounshell)
• CSN Sportsnet Chicago: Notre Dame LB Jarrett Grace cleared for spring practice
• CSN Sportsnet Chicago: Ishaq Williams not guaranteed to return to Notre Dame
• CSN Sportsnet Chicago: Notre Dame hits the reset button on quarterback competition
• Elkhart Truth: Notre Dame football spring storylines: Wide receivers have top-tier potential; tight ends a mystery
• Elkhart Truth: Brian Kelly believes Notre Dame has great opportunity with Golson, Zaire at QB
• Goshen News: Notre Dame football: Irish start spring practice, quarterback battle between Everett Golson and Malik Zaire
• Inside the Irish: Irish open spring: Five quick updates from BK (Ben Councell, Jalen Brown, Alex Bars, Quenton Nelson, Nick Martin, Matt Hegarty, Amir Carlisle, C.J. Prosise, Tarean Folston, Greg Bryant, Josh Adams, Dexter Williams, Chase Hounshell, Durham Smythe, Tyler Luatua, Everett Golson, Malik Zaire)
• Irish247: Defensive line tandem highlights players to watch (Jonathan Bonner, Jhonny Williams, Jerry Tillery, Jaylon Smith, Max Redfield, Greg Bryant and Tarean Folston)
• Irish247: Irish247 extra points (KeiVarae Russell, Ishaq Williams, James Onwualu, Greer Martini, Joe Schmidt, Nyles Morgan, Jarrett Grace, Joe Schmidt, Josh Atkinson, Jalen Brown, Ben Councell, Anthony Rabasa, Drue Tranquill)
• Irish247: Kelly talks depth chart, position moves, QB timetable (Everett Golson, Malik Zaire, Matt Hegarty, Alex Bars, Quenton Nelson, Sam Mustipher, Tristen Hoge, John Turner, Elijah Shumate, Max Redfield, Chase Hounshell, Mike Heuerman, Durham Smythe, Nic Weishar, Tyler Luatua, Doug Randolph, C.J. Prosise and Amir Carlisle)
• Irish247: Notre Dame releases spring football roster
• Irish Illustrated: From second to first? (Jaylon Smith, Max Redfield)
• Irish Illustrated: Spring finally suits Kelly (Matt Hegarty, Mike McGlinchey, Nick Martin, Alex Bars, Quenton Nelson, Colin McGovern, Hunter Bivin, John Montelus, Jarron Jones, Sheldon Day, Isaac Rochell, Jay Hayes, Kolin Hill, Daniel Cage, Pete Mokwuah, Andrew Trumbetti, Jhonny Williams, Grant Blankenship, Doug Randolph, Jerry Tillery, Ishaq Williams and KeiVarae Russell)
• Irish Illustrated: Of graduates, nuts and realigned roles (Avery Sebastian, KeiVarae Russell, Ishaq Williams, Amir Carlisle, Connor Cavalaris, Matthias Farley, Everett Golson, Jarrett Grace, Chase Hounshell, Nick Martin, and Joe Schmidt, Montgomery VanGorder, Ben Councell, Jalen Brown, Matt Hegarty, Jarron Jones, Joe Schmidt, Drue Tranquill, Nicky Baratti, Will Fuller, James Onwualu, Nyles Morgan, Greer Martini, Te’von Coney, C.J. Prosise, John Turner, Doug Randolph, Jonathan Bonner and Jerry Tillery)
• Irish Turning Point: Brian Kelly spring presser recap (Ben Councell, Jalen Brown, KeiVarae Russell, Chase Hounshell, John Turner, Doug Randolph, Greer Martini, CJ Prosise, Jonathan Bonner, Nick Martin, Will Fuller, Drue Tranquill, Jarrett Grace, Jerry Tillery, Te’von Coney, James Onwualu, Quenton Nelson and Alex Bars)
• Journal Gazette: Brian Kelly: Need basketball team’s unselfishness
• ND Insider: No room for excuses for Notre Dame football (Everett Golson and Brian Kelly)
• ND Insider: Brian Kelly opens Notre Dame spring practice with QB questions
• ND Insider: Notebook: Jerry Tillery, Te’von Coney stir interest for Notre Dame’s spring (Charlie Weis Jr.)
• One Foot Down: CTTCS: Brian Kelly’s pre-spring update
• UHND: Return of Ishaq Williams to Notre Dame in doubt (Jarrett Grace, Ishaq Williams, KeiVarae Russell, Matt Hegarty and Ben Councell)
• UHND: Notre Dame’s Jarrett Grace cleared for spring football (Joe Schmidt, Nyles Morgan, Greer Martini and Jaylon Smith)
• UHND: CJ Prosise cross-training at RB for Notre Dame

COACHING

• AL.com: Alabama adds football staff member with a famous name (Charlie Weis Jr.)
• Irish Sports Daily: Irish begin spring practice with eye on leadership and development

SCHEDULE

• College Football Talk: Notre Dame, Ball State to meet in football for first time in 2018
• UHND: Ball State added to 2018 Notre Dame football schedule

MISC.

• One Foot Down: Crossroads construction progress 3/17/15
• Reign of Troy: USC Football: Paying homage to St. Patrick’s Day (Trojans vs. green jerseys)
• WNDU: Kelly Cares Foundation raises more than $750,000 from gala in New York City

The post Morning Roundup: March 18, 2015 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

VIDEO

• Irish Illustrated: NFL Combine interview: DaVaris Daniels (5:23)
• Scout: Scout spotlight: Bo Wallace (00:54)
• Irish Illustrated: NFL Combine interview: Ben Koyack (5:10)

RECRUITING

• Scout: The No. 1 center in Florida will visit Auburn (Brett Heggie, brother of Bruce Heggie)
• Scout: Noah Davis finding recruiting surreal (Notre Dame has not offered)
• Irish Sports Daily: Recruiting week in review (Chauncey Gardner & Tre Nixon)
• Fox Sports: Miami football: Hurricanes are absolutely crushing with their 2016 recruiting class (ND is currently #40)
• Washington Post: Freedom-Woodbridge’s Kyree Campbell makes up for lost time
• NJ.com: Jordan Fuller, N.J.’s top athlete, on Rutgers: “They’re pretty high for me.”
• Scout: Kraemer flattered by attention being shown

COACHING

• Slap the Sign: Autry Denson is a slam-dunk hire for Notre Dame
• 247 Sports: Getherall: “Irish lucky to have Denson”
• 247 Sports: Bob Davie: Denson would be a home run hire
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bucs hire Duke Preston as director of PD
• Tampa Bay Times: Bucs hire Preston as new director of player development (Duke Preston)
• Athlon Sports: Ranking the ACC’s football-basketball coaching tandems (Kelly-Brey are #3)

CURRENT TEAM

• Inside the Irish: Spring solutions: Tight ends
• Irish Illustrated: Spring questions: Wide receivers
• Irish Illustrated: Regan seizes walk-on opportunity
• One Foot Down: May the Road Rise Up to Meet You: Elijah Shumate
• News-Sentinel: Notre Dame adds defensive depth with Pac-12 transfer
• UHND: The growing game of Corey Robinson

IRISH IN THE NFL

• UND.com: Three former Irish players invited to NFL Combine
• CSN Chicago: DaVaris Daniels not bitter about how Notre Dame career ended
• Chicago Tribune: DaVaris Daniels seeks to explain Notre Dame departure
• Chicago Sun-Times: After Notre Dame suspension, DaVaris Daniels seeks NFL job
• ESPN: Receiver DaVaris Daniels eager to move on from Notre Dame ordeal
• CBS Sports: 2015 NFL Combine 5 things to know: DGB passes the eye test (DaVaris Daniels)
• Chicago Tribune: Finishing kick boosts Kyle Brindza
• ESPN: Five things learned at the Combine: Falcons (Prince Shembo)

MISC.

• Philadelphia Inquirer: Temple’s football schedule released (Oct. 31 vs. Notre Dame)
• Navy Sports: American Athletic Conference releases 2015 football schedule (Oct. 10 vs. Notre Dame)
• Chicago Tribune: Customer gets grandfather’s Green Bay Packers pic he spotted at a Grafton, Wisc. Rosati’s (Fred “Ojay” Larson)
• Go Game Cocks: Georgia to play North Carolina in Atlanta in 2016
• Athens Banner Herald: Georgia football will play North Carolina in Atlanta in 2016 season
• Naples Daily News: College football: Lou Holtz thinks Jameis Winston can succeed with right team

The post Morning Roundup: Feb. 20, 2015 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Recently, the script for Notre Dame football ends in nightmares.

The 2012 season, and the events that followed after it, serves as a perfect example. After an undefeated season, everything came crashing back down to earth as Alabama demolished the Irish. The destruction of our dreams didn’t end there. The feel-good story of the season, Manti Te’o dealing with the tragic death of his girlfriend and excelling to a Heisman-caliber level of play, transformed into a PR disaster and added the term “catfishing” into many a vocabulary. A few months later, Everett Golson found himself dismissed from Notre Dame.

Granted, 2012 was full of fantastic moments and memories; however, when the time came to close the book on the season, the final pages were filled with nothing less with some of the most awful things that we could imagine.

“Ow, my balls.”

“Hold me, I’m Irish.”

These became better descriptors for Notre Dame football than “Play like a Champion Today” or “Win one for the Gipper.” Good things would happen, but, eventually, the other shoe would drop.

Travelling to Notre Dame this past weekend, I couldn’t help but think the end of the Michigan series would have a similar disappointing and painful end. And, yes, I had these feelings despite the fact that I was confident ND would win comfortably. That’s just what ND football does to my brain.

Just think about everything that happened leading up to this game. Notre Dame finally got to be the one to put a hiatus on the series. The final game would be a home game. Jack Swarbrick stuck it to Michigan by announcing a series with Ohio State in a clear message that there are no plans to revive the series anytime soon.

I will forever remain convinced that Swarbrick firing that final salvo Michigan was in direct response to Michigan’s reaction to the cancellation. Dave Brandon told anyone in the media that would listen of Swarbrick’s cruelty. Brady Hoke began the “chicken” narrative that he damn well knew fans would grasp on to.

Notre Dame couldn’t have asked for a clearer path for final vengeance. They could go 2-1 since the cancellation notice, killing the chicken narrative for anyone with a brain. With Brandon determined to channel his predecessors’ arrogance in ND relations, he all but guaranteed that such a result would stick for the remainder of his tenure. His constituents could beg him for a rematch, but we’d let the phone ring when his name shows up on caller ID.

You couldn’t ask for a better set up for a storybook ending on our end. That meant something had to go wrong.

Truth be told, while 2012 is a great example of our dreams falling back down to earth, 2011 is the bigger culprit, especially in regards to Michigan. 2011 should have gone down as a beautiful ass-kicking of Michigan under the lights if the game had ended after the three quarters. But that fourth quarter was played and instead of a 24-7 win, we had a 35-31 loss.

No loss had ever stung so bad. I had never been so angry about a ND result in my life, Bush Push included.

That game marked the first time that my wife realized I care way too much about ND football. Instead of running for the hills years ago, this Southern Illinois alumna sat next to me on the flight into O’Hare airport, excited to spend a weekend with myself and our friends at Notre Dame whom we hadn’t seen in almost four months at the day of our wedding. As we prepared to take off, the plane stopped mid-taxi and we were informed that we’d be stuck on the runway for an hour and forty-five minutes. Thankfully, the delay was only a half-hour; however, any temporary relief quickly disappeared as our flight was suddenly diverted to St. Louis.

As we waited for O’Hare to give us clearance to resume our flight, I received some text messages from my friends that had arrived in our rental house. A power line by the house went down and half of our block was without power. Soon after, two more members of our eleven person group informed us their flights were cancelled. Soon after that, we received word that he had been cleared once again for takeoff–and right before I put my phone away, I saw on Twitter that Ron Washington, the manager of the Texas Rangers, my other love, had abruptly resigned for “personal reasons” that still aren’t clear today.

What in the hell just happened? An anxious pit in my stomach, born in 2011, resurfaced. Before we took flight again, I expressed my concern on Twitter and saw this reply:

https://twitter.com/IDtheMIKE/status/508055912582742016

Son of a bitch, that’s right. I have to write about this one way or the other. Please be the greatest retribution win ever, please.

The rest of the evening went much smoother than the flight. The house got power back so we didn’t have to drink beer with LED headlamps on anymore. And, of course, it’s Friday night, we are back at Notre Dame, and that means one thing: ‘Backer.

To no surprise, we had to stand in an hour and thirty minute-plus ‘Backer line in the rain since everyone and their uncle was in town for this game, tickets or not. At some point in that slightly miserable existence, I noticed dehydration had kicked in. Fun fact: a steady diet of caffeinated drinks that begins to take over your usual water intake as a result of a hectic work and blogging schedule that further results in little to no sleep will cause your body to start hating you because you have made poor life decisions.

But into the ‘Backer I went and decided double-fisting a long island and water would get me through. That gameplan quickly switched to water-only after swallowing yet another cup of poison, but, dammit, I was going to close this place down tonight. This is my one ‘Backer trip this year.

Yes, body, I know I’m too old for this shit. A smarter person than I would’ve been very concerned that they are unable to sweat in this crowded mass of humanity and left. Unfortunately for you, body, I am drunk and can no longer make good choices. I’m not drunk on ‘Backer long islands, but on being here at Notre Dame, my second home, in the shittiest of all shitty dive bars that I have the deepest of love for because of all kinds of illogical reasons. I’m sure if we asked Joe Theismann, he could come up with the worst quote ever to put on a shirt to describe it, but the point is that I’m going to dance with my wife, hang out with my friends, and pretend I’m 22 for few more hours and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Well, expect for the drinking water part. You win that battle.

See, I have grown up.

Thankfully, I acquiesced to re-hydration demand from my body. I woke up the following morning feeling like a normal person once again. Unfortunately for my poor body, that meant that I was fully ready to tailgate my ass off for about ten hours:

Not pictured: the forty I was drinking during this time and the shotgun that caused the spill on my jersey.

I would come to find out later that posting this picture on social media made a lot of you concerned about my potential well-being for the remainder of the day, including concern that I would fail to make it to the game. Truth be told, even the people with me were questioning my decisions at the time.

Silly people, there would be no way in hell, copious amounts of morning alcohol or not, that I would miss this game.

Sure, my morning sprint required that I take a breather and sober up a bit on the way to campus (and get drunk again while tailgating), but I made it to the stadium, happily buzzed and ready to watch ND beat Michigan. As an added bonus, at this point, my capacity for worry about potentially disastrous things happening on the field was long gone.

Until Everett Golson called a timeout to avoid a delay of game penalty on the very first play of the game.

Okay, that’s a bit rough, but maybe we’ll be fine–oh, nevermind, he had to call yet another time out. Oh, sweet, the drive’s over. 6 plays, 14 yards, and two timeouts dead–all in three minutes and eleven seconds. The efficiency in which we shot ourselves in the foot? Kind of concerning.

Here comes Michigan with three plays and two first downs. Well, I’m sobering up in a hurry now. And now there’s a fourth down conversion. Oh hey, terrible 2011 feelings, there you are again. I didn’t miss you at all, can we please make this stop?

Thankfully, Michigan’s kicker heard my screaming internal dialogue and sends his field goal attempt well wide-right. For once, I’m thankful NBC has long TV timeouts so I can calm the hell down.

Golson returns to the field and, in almost half the time it took Michigan to miss a field goal, puts together an 8 play, 71 yard drive. Joy has returned, but more so, relief. The lead is nice, but taking advantage of a Michigan failure is even better. 10 point swings are good.

Yes, I’m choosing to ignore the fact Notre Dame used it’s last timeout on that drive. Shut up, 2011 feelings, LEAVE ME ALONE.

Michigan begins another drive with promise. That promise dies in a spectacular blaze of glory with a field goal attempt that doesn’t even reach the endzone on the fly. I do not yet know that Michigan’s kicker shanked the attempt so bad ND partially blocked the kick with a facemask because that was apparently where Matt Wile was aiming. All I know from my vantage point is that it’s the worst field goal attempt I’ve seen in recent memory and I’m laughing my ass off.

After trading punts, the Irish are driving towards my seat in overlooking the south endzone. I see Corey Robinson make a wonderful play, diving just short of the endzone. From my vantage point in the corner, I’m slightly offset from the goal line, but I know he isn’t in. Whatever, we will just punch this in from the…three?!

“The previous play is under review.”

Well, thank God. That spot is terrible, B1G refs. I’m glad our new ACC friends in the booth will correct this injustice.

“The ruling on the field stands.”

I hate everything.

The 2011 feelings are back again, taunting me. I tell them to shut up, but they get louder as both Tarean Folston and Golson fail to punch it in the endzone on the next two plays. The jubilant screams of 80,000+ drown them out as Amir Carlisle hauls in a Golson pass for a touchdown.

With only 3:58 left in the half, I know this stand for the defense is beyond crucial. Sheldon Day knows it too. That’s why he shoves a Skunkbear lineman all the way into Devon Gardner who panics, tries to hold on to an attempted pass and fumbles. Notre Dame doesn’t recover, but they didn’t need to. The resulting 3rd and 20 on the 17 yard loss kills the drive.

Notre Dame gets the ball back damn near in Michigan territory thanks to a 12 yard punt return by Cody Riggs. My excitement for seeing an actual Irish punt return quickly subsides as I realize the realty of the situation: Golson has 1:24 left to take the Irish 56 yards and he has no timeouts.

He needs only 50 seconds.

The Irish go into the half up 21-0. I’m beside myself. This doesn’t feel real. The Michigan fans spotted around me are even more stunned than I. They’ve been silent all game, completely shell-shocked by the first half. As the break winds down to a close one mentions that crazier things have happened before in this series. Perhaps Michigan could find a way to come back.

2011 is back. It fled from my body and possessed other people and is now speaking through them. I need this demon slayed in the worst way.

Max Redfield does his best to answer the call. His first career interception couldn’t have come at a better time. Michigan is on the ropes now after their first drive fails in spectacular fashion, unfortunately, their defense counter-punches by giving the Irish their first negative yard drive in the game. The momentum starts to creep towards the Michigan sideline.

But sometimes the unlikeliest of heroes manage to stand. Like Neville Longbottom pulling out the Sword of Griffindor to halt Voldemort’s army, Kyle Brindza and the Irish punt coverage team pin Michigan on the two yard-line. Momentum continues to wear blue and gold.

Michigan can only reach their own 32. They pay for their failure with another Notre Dame touchdown. The score is 28-0, there is 3:02 left in the third quarter. 2011 is nowhere to be found. After another Gardner fumble, like many Michigan fans, 2011 departs from Notre Dame stadium.

Molly, you asked me earlier this week when I started to get greedy and want the shutout. That fumble was the moment. The forth quarter was just around the corner and 28-0 wasn’t enough. A win wasn’t enough. I wanted blood. I wanted the shutout. The entire crowd wanted the shutout.

So did the ND defense. In 2012 Denard Robinson fashion, the next play that Gardner got resulted in an interception. Kyle Brindza adds on three more points for good measure. 31-0.

Michigan doesn’t even cross the 50 again until the forth quarter is well past its halfway point. It’s now 4th and 10 on ND’s 22. Michigan is so close to actually running a play in the red zone for the first time all game. The lone Michigan fan in our section is begging Hoke to play for the field goal. I become slightly aware of Michigan’s scoring streak thanks to his cries. I have no idea this will be the first time Notre Dame will ever pull off the feat. I have no idea that it will be the first time Michigan will be shutout in 365 games and the first time a non-conference opponent will do this to them since the 1920s.

I’m not sure if Brian VanGorder knows. I’m not sure if he cares. He wants the shutout just as much as the Notre Dame faithful that are, in a move not often seen in the stands with a 31 point lead in the forth quarter, all on their feet screaming for blood. VanGorder gives it to them and brings the house. I do not see the fist pump, but it is unknowingly fueling my joy.

https://vine.co/v/OuYHajJMHFh

At this point I see the student section waving. A few minutes earlier, I was hoping we’d sing “Goodbye” to our enemy should this result hold. I’m straining my ears, hoping that’s what’s happening. It was. I join in on the chorus. It is the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard.

https://vine.co/v/OuYgia6jdx5

Michigan receives one final chance to save themselves from embarrassment. Gardner delivers his final act of failure, this time into the hands of Elijah Shumate who runs all the way into the endzone. The clock reads 0:00, 37-0. It’s over.

@HLS_NDtex pic.twitter.com/yKfYg1bFQ5

— ??BayouIrish?? (@HLS_BayouIrish) September 7, 2014

I’m jumping around in seats once occupied by Michigan fans. My cracked voice strains to deliver the amount of joy I’m feeling. My wife has as big of a smile on her face as I do and I’m sure she thinks I’m acting like an idiot right now.

I don’t care. Neither does she. We both remember 2011. Fuck 2011. That game is dead, gone, and we will never speak of it again. 2014 is all that matters and Michigan still hasn’t scored.

The B1G officials, however, aren’t aware that the game is done. They have issue with Max Redfield delivering a block to Devin Gardner.

The block is delivered from the side and Redfield hits Gardner square in the front of his shoulder. Michigan fans will later call this a dirty hit and the B1G officials agree. Roughing the passer is called, the touchdown is removed from the board.

And not a single Notre Dame fan in the stadium gives a damn.

We aren’t even aware what the call actually is. We can’t hear the officials and we are too busy laughing at Michigan players sheepishly trotting back on the field so Zaire can run an untimed kneel down. We all have pictures of the 37-0 scoreboard right now and 31-0 isn’t any less embarrassing.

So enjoy that final act of B1G defiance, Michigan. It matters not.

I wouldn’t go to sleep for another 6 hours. I would manage to become drunk again for the third time in 24 hours while enjoying s’mores by our house’s firepit. I would wake up tired and hungover as hell the next morning. Much like that worthless penalty at the end of the game, I didn’t care.

I got my storybook ending. It couldn’t have been written any better if I had penned using my wildest dreams. We beat Michigan–no, we destroyed them. We ended them. They won’t get another shot for years. We got the last laugh.

Michigan went back to the same well they usually do in response. It’s just one game, the B1G title is what really matters after all. Some of the usual suspects tried to rationalize that the loss really wasn’t that bad because, after all, they gained more offensive yards than us!

But Michigan still hasn’t scored.

The End.

The post Notre Dame and Michigan: The End appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

To refresh, here’s how ND started to assign players to defend the option after the 2010 disaster in the Meadowlands:

1. FB Dive (Blue) – The DE and NG function as true interior DTs and attack the A-gaps that they line up over to stuff the dive.
2. QB Keeper (Red) – The Cat and DE get to the outside of the tackle and either make a play on the QB, force him back inside to the waiting safeties in second level support, or force a pitch.
3. Pitch to RB (Yellow) – The outside Will and Dog LBs contain the RB (or “pitch-man”), ensuring they are never beaten to the outside. As soon as they see the pitch, they attack the RB. The CBs serve as additional outside containment.
4. Manti Te’o (Orange) – Read the play and attempt to disrupt in the backfield if possible

While options #1-3 take care of the usual possibilities of the triple option, #4 was where Notre Dame’s defense was truly dangerous. Diaco used Te’o’s natural instincts and superb closing speed to force Navy into mistakes or quicker decisions on what to do with the football.

In 2011, Te’o had 23 tackles combined against Navy and Air Force, with 5 of those being tackles for loss (TFL). In 2012, Navy managed to avoid any Te’o TFL, but Te’o still managed 8 total tackles and 1 INT. As much as Navy tried to avoid Manti, they couldn’t do so completely.

To put it lightly, Diaco leaned on Manti and depended on him for defensive success against the option. So now that Manti’s gone, who fills his role? Or does Diaco go back to the drawing board and use a more traditional scheme without any unique wrinkles?

Personally, I would love to see Jaylon Smith slide inside and get a shot at filling Manti’s role in this kind of defense. He definitely has the raw talent and he demonstrated some impressive instincts against Southern Cal. If you are going to pick one guy from this LB corps to pretend to be Te’o flying to the ball, give me the one with the best instincts and closing speed.

This would give us a front seven that looks like this:

• DT (FB Dive): Rotation of Nix/Day/Schwenke
• DE (QB): Rotation of Shembo/Tuitt/Ishaq/Jones
• OLB (RB): Fox/Calabrese
• MLB (Rover): Smith

All that being said, and as awesome as I think it would be, I seriously doubt Kelly and Diaco would go for that idea. It would be a lot for a freshman to absorb and, if Kelly’s history is any indication, he does seem to favor experience in considering such large moves (remember, Jaylon likely isn’t playing as much as he is if Councell is healthy). So most likely the front seven will look like this:

• DT (FB Dive): Rotation of Nix/Day/Schwenke
• DE (QB): Rotation of Shembo/Tuitt/Ishaq/Jones
• OLB (RB): Fox/Smith
• MLB (Rover): Calabrese

Now, Carlo doesn’t have the same physical tools that Jaylon does, much less Manti. While I think he can do an adequate job in this role, I don’t see him completely filling the void. Because of this, I expect to see a lot more safety help than we are used to seeing. Specifically, look for the Strong Safety (SS), Elijah Shumate, to fill this role, giving almost a 4-4 look to the defense and, in a sense, having two people fill in the Manti void.

This then leaves the Free Safety (FS), Austin Collinsworth, to play “center field” and serve as the last line of defense on any run and ensure no receiver beats the secondary deep should Air Force sneak in a deep pass.

The Irish will most certainly miss Manti in defending the option, but Diaco has more than enough talent on this current squad to compensate.

The post Defending the Option: Who Takes Over for Te’o? appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

After rushing for nearly 190 yards per game in 2012, Notre Dame is averaging a meager 137 yards per game this season. While there are a number of reasons why the run game has struggled (graduation of key personnel, playing from behind, etc.), it is clear that the Irish miss Everett Golson’s mobility. Defenses are attacking the line of scrimmage with little fear that Tommy Rees will make them pay for over-pursuing the Irish running backs. Although Rees will never be a running threat, Brian Kelly and Chuck Martin should force defenses to account for Rees in the running game by using more packaged plays.

What are Packaged Plays?

Packaged plays consist of a run and a pass combined into a single play. The quarterback reads one defender and determines whether to pass or hand-off based on that defender’s movement. If the defender plays the run, the quarterback throws; if the he plays the pass, the quarterback hands off to the running back.

The most commonly used packaged plays are bubble screens and stick/draw plays, but the possibilities are endless. High-scoring teams like Baylor and Texas A&M are having great success packaging rhythm throws with inside and outside zone plays. Temple showed the Irish first-hand how packaging rhythm throws with inside and outside zone plays can keep a defense off balance. The Owls repeatedly abused Notre Dame’s linebackers by isolating them and forcing them to commit to defending the run or the pass.

Below is an example of Temple packaging an outside zone with a backside slant to the slot receiver.

The Owls line up in a three receiver, one tight end spread formation. The quarterback will read linebacker Dan Fox on this play. If Fox flows toward the run, the quarterback will throw the slant to the slot receiver; if Fox stays home to cover the slant, the quarterback will hand-off to the running back.

While Fox and Jaylon Smith attack the line of scrimmage, the quarterback pulls the ball and hits the slot receiver in stride. The void left by Fox makes for an easy read and ultimately results in a 25-yard gain for the Owls. As you can see in the video, Elijah Shumate compounds Notre Dame’s problems by taking a bad pursuit angle.

[youtube id=”5PNhbLstIZw”]

On the next play, Temple packaged an inside zone with a pop pass to the tight end.

The Owls line up in a three receiver, one tight end spread formation, but this time the tight end lines up to the same side as the twin receivers. The inside zone will go to the weak side of the formation. Once again the quarterback will read Fox.

With Fox rotating to cover the tight end immediately after the snap, the quarterback hands off to the running back heading in the opposite direction. The center gets to the second level and blocks Carlo Calabrese which allows the running back to get well into the secondary before being tackled.

[youtube id=”5ZJOWTuZ01I”]

Although the Irish have occasionally used packaged plays this season, below is the only example that I can recall where Notre Dame may have packaged a rhythm throw with a zone run.

On this play, the Irish line up in a 2X2 spread formation. Tight end Troy Niklas is the slot receiver to the boundary. Given Notre Dame’s tendency to use Niklas as a lead blocker on quick screens, it’s not surprising that the outside linebacker lines up directly over over Niklas, while the safety lines up way outside of the hash marks. The middle of the field is wide open. Rees will read the inside linebacker. If the linebacker takes away Niklas on the slant, Rees should hand-off to Amir Carlisle; if the linebacker crashes to stop the run, Rees should have Niklas open.

Niklas immediately gains inside leverage on the outside linebacker. As the inside linebacker rushes, Rees pulls the ball and throws to Niklas. Had Niklas held on to the pass, it would have been a big play. It’s hard to say whether this play was a designed “option” for Rees or a predetermined play-action pass, but it does illustrate how defenses have to respect backside rhythm passes.

[youtube id=”Ik59B0nAqJU”]

Conclusion

Running more packaged plays will not remedy all the issues with Notre Dame’s run game, but it can open some running lanes for the Irish backs. As you can see from the examples above, packaging rhythm throws with inside and outside zone plays would complement the “check it and chuck it” philosophy that Notre Dame has become too dependent on when defenses key the run.

The post Packaging Rhythm Throws with Base Run Plays appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Despite Slaughter being denied a sixth year of eligibility and Zeke Motta being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, the Irish do return the bulk of their 2012 experience in the secondary. Bennett Jackson and KeiVarae Russell will be expected to remain in their starting cornerback roles, while the return of Lo Wood from injury will add some much needed depth at the position. Matthias Farley, another young defensive convert who had a breakout 2012 season following the Slaughter injury, returns at one of the safety positions.

Sophomore Elijah Shumate, who played in all 13 games last year, will compete with incoming 5-star prospect Max Redfield for the last starting spot. Shumate was mighty impressive when he appeared in the nickel package but will be moving back into his more natural safety role this year. Redfield is the top secondary recruit the Irish have had in a number of years and should find a way to contribute early on even if he is unable to beat Shumate out for the starting role. There had been some discussion that Redfield could end up playing on both sides of the ball, but when it comes down to it I expect him to see the majority of snaps on defense.

Irish Player to Watch
Bennett Jackson
Position: CB
Year: Senior
Height/Weight: 6’1”, 185 lbs.

After freshman and sophomore campaigns where playing time was primarily concentrated on special teams, Jackson had an exceptional junior season at cornerback for the Irish. Starting all 13 games, Jackson was 3^rd on the team in tackles with 65 (45 solo), had 4 interceptions, broke up 4 passes and had 1.5 tackles for loss. Maybe most importantly, he was key in turning a unit that was the most notable concern for Notre Dame fans into a unit that was one of the team’s strengths. As the first of the trio of offensive players-turned defensive backs to make the transition, Jackson set the tone and example for Farley and Russell to follow. While in retrospect it would have been nice if he had sat out his freshman year or had moved from wide receiver to corner earlier in his career, Jackson is primed to make his final season in South Bend his most memorable.

http://youtu.be/zhCDDczXbCI

Enemy Player to Watch
Ed Reynolds
School: Stanford
Position: Free Safety
Year: Senior
Height/Weight: 6’2, 205 lbs.

A second or third team All-American (depending on if you ask the AP, Sports Illustrated, or Phil Steele), Reynolds enters his senior season with lofty expectations after being named a first team pre-season all American by Phil Steele and Athlon Sports and being named to the Nagurski Award and Thorpe Award watch lists. Reynolds led the Trees with 6 interceptions in 2012 (most by a Stanford player since 1973) including 3 returned for touchdowns. In addition, his 301 interception return yards were just 1 yard short of the NCAA single-season record. Oh, and we can’t forget his game altering 80-yard interception return against UCLA in the Pac-12 title game ended 1-yard short of being his 4^th touchdown of the season. While it may be unreasonable to expect those kinds of turnover numbers from Reynolds again, especially considering quarterbacks will be more cognizant of keeping the ball out of his hands, he has proven to be a game changer in the Cardinal secondary and we will need to hope Tommy Rees doesn’t float any ducks in his direction.

The post Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy: Defensive Backs appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Bob Diaco (and his flowing locks), has taken the schizophrenic Irish defense from the Weis era (seriously, three defensive coordinators in five years) and molded it into a true 3-4 anchored by a front seven that is a wrecking machine.

While it would be impossible to describe Diaco’s entire scheme or the intricacies of the 3-4 defense in a single post (if you’d like to do that, I suggest some serious reading), I decided to put together a primer instead. Think of it as your cheatsheet to the ND defense, allowing you to know the purpose of the “Cat”, why the “Dog” isn’t found in the nickel, and the benefits that a 3-4 defense brings to the table.

Positions

Below is a picture of the 3-4 defense at its most basic building blocks (aka its “base” formation) with the nomenclature that the Notre Dame staff uses. To better understand the role of each position, let’s take a brief look at each one.

Nose Guard (NG)

Also called the nose tackle (NT) or simply a defensive tackle (DT), the NG is the unsung hero and lifeblood of any good 3-4 defense. The ideal player for this position is a 300+ pound monster–no I’m not exaggerating. The NG is expected to draw a double team every snap to so the inside linebackers can make plays unblocked. They do this by clogging any interior holes that the opposing line tries to open. Good NGs are able to plug these holes at will, but the great NGs are a special breed all their own as they can also penetrate and wreak havoc behind the line.

Irish NGs You Should Know: Louis Nix III (#9, aka Irish Chocolate), Kona Schwenke (#96)

Defensive End (DE)

In a traditional 4-3, the DE is the pass rusher, the sack machine. In the 3-4, they must be more than that. Much like the NG, more often than not, the DE will have to act almost like a DT/DE hybrid that can both draw a double team to free up the linebackers (the outside linebackers in this case) and also have the skill set to rush the passer.

Irish DEs You Should Know: Stephon Tuitt (#7), Kapron Lewis-Moore (#98), Sheldon Day (#91), Jarron Jones (#94)

“Cat” Linebacker

The Cat (also known as the “Jack” on some teams), is the true pass rushing specialist of the 3-4. This is actually a role the Irish have yet to truly fill in previous iterations of their defense as the defensive ends have been the primary sack machines. For an example of an ideal Cat linebacker, think DeMarcus Ware of the Dallas Cowboys. Often times, you will see the Cat line up as if he were a defensive lineman as seen below:

Much like other positions in the 3-4, the Cat linebacker must also have the ability to preform more than one function as they are expected to drop into coverage from time to time.

Irish Cats You Should Know: Prince Shembo (#55), Ishaq Williams (#11)

“Will” Linebacker

The Will, or weak side linebacker, gets its name from the side of the offensive line that they line up against. This “weak side” of the line is most often the side of the line (bisecting at the center position) that does not have the tight end. The job here is simple: make plays on your side.

Irish Wills You Should Know: Dan Fox (#48), Carlo Calabrese (#44)

“Mike” Linebacker

The “Mike” (traditionally the middle linebacker in a 4-3 front) functions much like the Will. Their job is to make plays on the “strong side” (the side with the TE) of the line. Additionally, the Mike is often the quarterback of the defense, calling audibles and making pre-snap adjustments. The player filling this position is most often the best linebacker on the team and will often lead their squad in tackles.

Irish Mikes You Should Know: Manti Te’o (#5), Manti Te’o (#5), Manti Te’o (#5)

“Dog” Linebacker

The “Dog” (sometimes called the “Sam” or strong-side linebacker) is the coverage specialist of the linebacker corps. Most often matched against an opposing tight end, back, and, at times, a wide receiver, they are somewhat of a LB/CB hybrid in this style of defense.

Irish Dogs You Should Know: Danny Spond (#13), Ben Councell (#30), Romeo Okwara (#45)

Cornerback (CB)

Fairly simple here–these are the guys that try to break up passes and cause all of ND fandom to have heart attacks like we did last year against Michigan (nope, still not over it).

Irish CBs You Should Know: Bennett Jackson (#2), Lo Wood (#23), KeiVarae Russell (#6), Elijah Shumate (#22), Josh Atkinson (#33), Jalen Brown (#21)–yep, all of ’em

Strong Safety (SS)

Part of the last line of defense, the SS plays a bit closer to the line than his counterpart and often lines up on the strong side. They can do a bit of everything: stop the run, cover receivers, and on rare occasions come in like a bat out of hell on a blitz.

Irish SSs You Should Know: Jamoris Slaughter (#26), Chris Salvi (#24)

Free Safety (FS)

The “center fielder” that is almost always dropped back in a zone, serving as the de facto last line of defense.

Irish FSs You Should Know: Zeke Motta (#17), Austin Collinsworth (#28), Dan McCarthy (#15)

Gap Assignments and Wreaking Havoc

So now that we’ve covered the “who” of the defense it is time to examine what exactly they do. In order to properly understand how the 3-4 (or really any defense) works, knowledge of gaps and gap assignment is a must.

As diagrammed above, there are three gaps that are mirrored across the offensive line for a total of six. The “A” gap is the interior gap between the center and guards. The NG is primarily responsible for these gaps, often attacking the center directly and then moving to the gap in which the play is going towards. The “B” gap is the exterior gap of the line in between the tackles and guards, typically falling into DE territory. Finally, the “C” gaps define the area outside the tackle box. While this is usually an assignment handled by the outside linebackers (Cat and Dog), this is also a gap that a DE chooses to attack on a straight pass rush.

Ideally, on a run, the three defensive lineman will attract the attention of all five offensive linemen, which should also plug three gaps as well. This then frees up all 4 linebackers to make a play on the ball carrier with only the TE and possible a FB to worry about.

Let’s put this theory into action with the play diagrammed below:

Moving from left to right, we see the weak-side DE attack the B gap in front of him. As we are going to assume everything is perfect here, this action draws a double team from the weak-side tackle and guard. The NG attacks the strong-side A gap and the strong-side DE attacks the B gap right next to it. This puts the highlighted guard in a very interesting spot as he now has to pick which defender to double team.

This leaves all the line backers unblocked by the offensive line. For the Dog and Cat, they will contain the C gap. The Will has a wide open shot at the weak-side A gap, allowing for easy penetration past the line, which would likely take the FB out of the equation early. The Mike is free to pick either the strong-side A or B gap, depending on how the offense handles the play. Of course should the play move away from either of these two options, he will be free to pursue it as well. The end result here is that all four linebackers have a legitimate shot at disrupting the play before it even crosses the line of scrimmage.

Again, this proposed sequence is an ideal situation, but it shows how proper gap assignments and containment can result in a scarily effective run defense; however, the true joy in my opinion, is how the 3-4 handles a pass rush.

Much like a 4-3, the 3-4 will usually rush four defenders on every play. An example of a basic pass rush with the Cat is shown below:

Unlike the 4-3, in which the defensive line almost exclusively rushes (save for some of the more exotic blitz packages), the setup of the 3-4 shines allows fourth rusher can really come from anywhere. While the Cat may be the pass rushing specialist, that doesn’t mean he will always do so.

To see what I mean, let’s look at another play:

In this scenario, all three defensive linemen are crashing down towards the strong side of the line. This leaves the weak-side tackle with a seemingly one-on-one match up with the “expected” pass rusher, the Cat. However, in this play, the Cat drops back and the Will blitzes through the B gap. Should the tackle’s focus be on the Cat, he will likely be beaten by the much quicker linebacker. As an additional bonus, the Will is shooting through a gap that has a shorter distance to the QB as well, leaving very little reaction time for the backs to pick up the blitz.

This is just one example of the myriad of combinations that Diaco can throw at an offense as the fourth rusher can come from anywhere, including the safeties and corners. This ability to create confusion on just a basic four man rush makes any additional blitzers even more effective. An opposing line that struggles with just the four man rush in a 3-4 will find themselves eaten alive by blitzes.

The final wrinkle is, of course, only rushing three and dropping eight men back into coverage. While this has been seen in 4-3 defense as well, the difference here is that the eighth pass defender is a more mobile linebacker instead of a much slower DE (or God forbid, a lumbering DT).

The Nickel

So all of the above is great, but what happens when the offense tries to spread the Irish out and comes out with three or four wide? The answer: the nickel package. The nickel derives its name from the five defensive backs in the formation (get it, a nickel!), one of which replaces a linebacker. For a 3-4 team like the Irish, this means that the Dog is sent off as shown below:

One of the first things that you will notice is that the Cat is once again lined up in as a defensive lineman, creating a four man pass rush. While the alignment is technically a 3-3-5, in practice, it is practically the same nickel package you’d see from a 4-3 team.

The “$” position replacing the Dog denotes the nickelback (no, not the crappy “rock” band). While traditionally the nickelback is the third CB on the depth chart, the Irish, and many other teams have employed yet another hybrid position in order to make up for a lack of depth. Last season, Jamoris Slaugther filled this role, which Diaco dubbed the “Star” linebacker. This position was a super-hybrid of sorts combining elements of safety, linebacker, and cornerback.

This season, expect the Irish to take a much different route. In his most recent presser, Kelly stated that he was very comfortable with all of his cornerbacks and plans to leave Slaughter at safety unless more catastrophic injures happen (please, God, no). While I do not share in Kelly’s optimism on the CB unit thus far (too many unproven guys), what this tells us is that Notre Dame will likely have a corner fill the nickelback role in 2012.

On the flipside, if you see Slaugther or another safety slide down into this position, start panicking because this means Kelly doesn’t trust CB #3 to cover a wide receiver.

Looking to Navy

So that sums up the basics on how the Irish run their 3-4 scheme against most offenses. How do they apply this to a triple option team like Navy though? Tune in next week to find out.

The post Notre Dame 3-4 Defense Primer appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.