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.

I’m admittedly a fan of prospects out of California that go on to become great college football players. I especially love it when they buck the trend and go out of state, and take a chance on Notre Dame. From my days of cheering on Kory Minor, I have always had a soft spot for guys on our roster from the Golden State.

Fresh off signing day 2016 and the anticlimactic Caleb Kelly announcement, I wanted to know how Brian Kelly has fared recruiting wise compared to his predecessor, Charlie Weis. My fuzzy memory tells me that Weis had better success in CA and landed a good number of kids from the state.  With the help of my HLS compatriot, @andrewinn, I looked at the data. Here are some summary points:

Charlie Weis in California

• Through Weis’ years (2005-2009) Notre Dame targeted 45 prospects in CA.
• Weis had 12 commits during this period, representing a 27% hit rate on pulling guys from out west.
• 11% of Weis’ commits transferred or left Notre Dame, guys of note – Joe Fauria and Shaq Evans who went on to become good players at UCLA (note that Evans left after Weis was fired, and it seemed he never was in the good graces of the new coaching staff)
• Notable misses from CA: honestly? Looking at the guys we didn’t get and looking at star ratings and what they went on to become – the only guy that could be a ‘miss’ was Mark Sanchez.

Brian Kelly in California

• Obviously Brian Kelly has a few extra years on Weis, but if you just consider his first five years – ND offered 70 prospects. If you include through 2016’s class – a whopping 123 total prospects offered.
• Unlike Weis, we didn’t land as many guys out of our targeted prospects. BK only signed 13% through his first five years, overall through 2016 ND has signed 11% of its CA targets.
• Not a lot of transfers out of ND for CA guys – one guy of note, Tee Shepherd (only for the drama), and most recently Tyler Luatua. Not a transfer but kind of a bummer – Troy Niklas leaving early for the NFL.
• The guys we missed on reads like an all-star roster (or the starting roster for USC): George Farmer, Robert Woods, Anthony Barr (still irks me that we couldn’t get him), Arik Armstead, Eddie Vanderdoes, Deontay Greenberry, Su’a Cravens, Matt Dickerson. It would be an understatement to say that the recruitment of these guys (and others from CA) were eventful and came down to the wire, and then some.

So what can we say about ND’s presence in CA? It would appear that Weis had better success from a bottom line perspective, targeting fewer guys but landing all of our top targets in the state. I mean, the guy called Jimmy Clausen on day one of the kid’s recruitment. Weis had Brian Polian running CA for the most part if I recall, and Polian really worked hard in the state for the most part.

Brian Kelly, although not as successful, is targeting more guys in the state, and going toe to toe against USC, UCLA, and Stanford to a certain extent, for a lot of the in-state talent. We hear of Denbrock running recruiting for CA, which at first seemed iffy. But he’s had a good run in the state and the addition of Mike Sanford is a good sign for CA recruiting.

I’m a believer in hitting to win – and you can’t get guys from CA if you’re not offering. It’s a good sign that we are offering as many guys over time in California; if anything to keep our traditional opponents on their toes (USC, Stanford).  I think as painful as these long recruitment sagas can go, I appreciate that ND is in it for a lot of guys late in the game. I think an energetic guy like Sanford could move the needle a bit for CA recruiting and we can have the best of Weis and Brian Kelly with regards to success out west.

The post Does Notre Dame Have a California Problem? appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

PODCAST

• Irish Illustrated (F): Irish hit spring stride (50:55)
• ND Insider: Podcast: ND Insider recruiting update 4-2 (10:42)

RECRUITING – OFFERED

• Bruin Report Online ($): Video: Lucas at The Opening ( AZ RB Chase Lucas)
• Dawg Post (F): Big get for Dawgs – Price commits ( GA OT E.J. Price)
• Irish247 (F): Robinson, family excited about Notre Dame offer ( KY CB Davonte Robinson)
• Irish Turning Point: The buzz buzz
• Scout (F): Offers coming in for Ulmer, Robinson ( KY CB Davonte Robinson)
• Scout ($): 4-star TE Angeline planning Penn State return (PA Cary Angeline)
• Scout ($): 4-star TE Angeline gets Michigan fill (PA Cary Angeline)
• Scout ($): ND history on, off field impresses 4-star TE (PA Cary Angeline)
• Scout ($): Fulton likes LSU’s DB track record ( LA CB Kristian Fulton)
• Slap the Sign: Notre Dame offers ’17 Florida offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons
• USC Football.com: Trevon Sidney steals the show ( CA CB, also CA WRs Tyler Vaughns and Dylan Crawford)

RECRUITING – ND INTERESTED, NO OFFER

• Big Red Report (F): Brendan Scales talks about Nebraska offer ( MO TE)
• Big Red Report (F): D.J. Morgan adds Nebraska offer ( CA S)
• Irish Illustrated ($): LaBruna visits dream school (CA QB Andrew LaBruna, no rating yet)
• Scout ($): Alloway has two on top ( CA WR Damian Alloway)
• Show Me Mizzou ($): Mizzou offer for Scales ( MO TE Brendan Scales)

CURRENT TEAM

• CSN Sportsnet Chicago: Notre Dame won’t be surprised by Will Fuller’s growth
• Inside the Irish: Opportunities await Notre Dame’s running backs
• Inside the Irish: Spring practice breakdown: A look inside (finally!)
• Irish247 ($): Irish staff navigating through quarterback competition
• Irish247 (F): Denbrock: ‘(QB) is going to be a hard decision to make’
• Irish247 (F): Smythe leads the way for Irish at tight end
• Irish Illustrated (F): From a one in a thousand chance to…
• One Foot Down: Notre Dame football – Spring practice recap for April 1
• Rant Sports: 5 questions for Notre Dame football during 2015 spring practice

COACHING

• CBS Sports: Power Five college football coach rankings: The top 25 (Brian Kelly is #13)
• Irish Illustrated (F): The village voice(s)
• Irish Illustrated (F): Sanford scouting style, substance

IRISH IN THE NFL

• Bleacher Report (Monaco): Notre Dame football: DaVaris Daniels, Kendall Moore eye NFL careers
• ESPN: Atlanta Falcons waive safety Zeke Motta
• Irish247 (F): Daniels ready for next step
• Irish247 (F): Boosting draft stock was Koyack’s Pro Day focus
• Irish Turning Point: Pro Day results
• State of the Texans (F): Vince Wilfork is “here for Houston” (Louis Nix)

MISC.

• USA Today: College football playoff will keep weekly rankings

The post Morning Roundup: April 3, 2015 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

As I watched the NFL draft over the last few days, I thought about the eight young Fighting Irish men who now know where their immediate futures will be taking them.  Who now take the knowledge, skills and values that they have learned at Our Lady’s University and will have a chance to shine with the best of them.

Eight men from the University of Notre Dame were selected in this years NFL Draft, tied for second with Alabama who also had eight men drafted, and only one behind LSU who had nine men drafted. This is the second year in a row that LSU had the most players selected in the NFL draft.

Here’s your Notre Dame Draft scorecard:

Round 1, Pick 16 – Zach Martin to the Dallas Cowboys

Round 2, Pick 14 – Stephon Tuitt to the Pittsburgh Steelers

Round 2, Pick 20 – Troy Niklas to the Arizona Cardinals

Round 3, Pick 19 – Louis Nix to the Houston Texans

Round 3, Pick 25 – Chris Watt to the San Diego Chargers

Round 4, Pick 39 – Prince Shembo to the Atlanta Falcons

Round 6, Pick 11 – Bennett Jackson to the NY Giants

Round 6, Pick 13 – TJ Jones to the Detroit Lions

I am so proud of these young men that will now go on to represent Our Lady’s University both on and off the field. They will showcase not only their football skills, but their values and character in how they lead their lives as Notre Dame men. And in twenty plus years we will all look forward to reading their “Where are they now?” stories.

Okay, now go give your mom a big hug and thank her for all that she’s done for you!

Cheers & GO Irish!

The post Happy Mother’s Day! appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

(AP Photo/Joe Raymond)

Apparently, Notre Dame felt like releasing just about everything possible on January 9th.

Sports Illustrated reported that Troy Niklas will forgo his senior season at ND and enter the NFL draft. He now joins juniors Stephon Tuitt and George Atkinson III as well as senior Louis Nix III as Irish players leaving early for the chance at a NFL payday.

I would wager Niklas lands in the third round, fourth at worst. He’s an incredible talent and his measurable alone will make this beast of a TE a very desirable pick.

While I’m definitely bummed that Niklas is leaving South Bend, Notre Dame has managed to be TE U. After Anthony Fasano graduated, Kyle Rudolph stepped in. As we wondered how we would replace Rudolph, Tyler Eifert emerged as an incredible talent. And then, once Eifert went to the NFL, Niklas had a superb year and deserves this payday.

Additionally, this now frees up yet another scholarship for this year’s recruiting class or for a fifth year. Before these NFL declarations, Notre Dame was going to have a very tight number of scholarships in which to work with. Now, we have four more scholarships to work with which is huge.

Best of luck to Niklas. You will be missed Hercules.

Also, can we try to space this news out a bit more next time? Please? For my sanity?

The post Troy Niklas Will Enter the NFL Draft appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Via 247 Sports

With two touchdowns in the last three games, Ben Koyack is quietly emerging as a legitimate offensive threat for Notre Dame. While his season stats will not turn many heads, Koyack’s emergence does something more important for the Irish than filling up the stat sheet—it allows the offense to use more multiple tight end formations.

As I have previously written, multiple tight end formations create mismatches that defenses cannot easily counter with changes in personnel or formation. Linebackers are generally too slow to cover tight ends, and defensive backs generally lack the physicality to cover them. As a result, defensive coordinators constantly face a double bind. On one hand, if they use base personnel (e.g., 4-3 or 3-4), the defense is vulnerable to the pass. On the other hand, if they substitute to a nickel package, the defense is vulnerable to the run.

In addition to creating mismatches, using multiple tight ends can disguise the offense’s intention (whether run or pass) and limit the need for substitution. A personnel grouping consisting of one running back, two tight ends and two receivers (12 personnel) could indicate power run just as easily as it could indicate a pass with five eligible receivers. If the tight ends are legitimate blockers and receiving threats, the offense can effectively line up in or motion to just about any formation imaginable.

Let’s look at some examples of the Irish using multiple tight ends against Air Force.

This first play is a good example of how having two tight ends can create mismatches in the passing game.

Notre Dame lines up with tight ends Ben Koyack and Troy Niklas to the boundary and receivers Davaris Daniels and T.J. Jones to the field. Air Force has a single-high safety, which is usually a good indicator that the defense is playing Cover 1 or Cover 3. When facing a single-high safety, the Irish will often use wheel routes like the one Koyack will run on this play.

[youtube id=”mIFuyVjXVVw”]

The 6-5, 253 lb Koyack ends up isolated against 6-2, 230 lb linebacker Jared Jones. Niklas’ seam route holds the safety and cornerback long enough for Tommy Rees to hit Koyack in the end zone. Air Force has to pick its poison: cover Koyack with two defenders or cover Niklas with two. Either way, the Irish will have a favorable one-on-one matchup for one of the tight ends.

While the first play illustrated how multiple tight ends can create mismatches in the passing game, the next play illustrates how they can aid the power run game.

Notre Dame lines up in a Pistol formation with Koyack and Niklas in-line to the left side. Although Air Force has eight defenders in the box, Rees will motion James Onwualu in tight to control the Sam linebacker and get an extra blocker at the point of attack. With an extra tight end and the backside guard pulling on the Power O, the offense will actually have a numbers advantage to the playside.

[youtube id=”E-ni7VfVnx4″]

The entire left side of Notre Dame’s line, including Koyack and Niklas, down block and almost push the Falcon defensive line to the far side of the hash mark. Cam McDaniel gets through the hole quickly for a nice gain.

Finally, the video below illustrates how easily a multiple tight end offense can shift from a power formation to a spread formation without changing personnel. Notre Dame opened the second quarter facing a 3rd and 2. With the Irish lining up in the Pistol formation and 12 personnel, the Falcons sub in what appear to be run-stopping defenders. As the new defensive personnel run onto the field, Rees changes the play and empties the backfield.

[youtube id=”WgVIKeL7ols”]

The line gives Rees plenty of time to find an open receiver. Jones eventually breaks open down the sideline for a big gain on 3rd and short. The Irish were able to give Air Force a power look and ultimately send five receivers out on patterns. Neither tight end was targeted on this play, but having two tight ends on the field was at least partially responsible for the defense bringing in run-stopping defenders.

Conclusion

Brian Kelly noted that the increased use of two tight ends in recent weeks has resulted in more consistency on offense. If Koyack continues to be a reliable blocker and receiver, look for multiple tight end formations to be a significant part of the offense moving forward.

The post Bringing Back Multiple Tight Ends appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees (11) passes against Air Force in the first quarter of an NCAA football game in Air Force Academy, Colo., Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Notre Dame met the Air Force Falcons on Saturday, the 30^th meeting between the two teams in the last fifty years, most of them ending in a similar outcome, a Notre Dame victory. And this meeting was no different. While the results of this series may be lopsided, a program like Air Force built on service and honor always has a chance. The 2013 Falcon squad, however, was no match up for Notre Dame’s impressive offensive showing.

Coming into the game there was some talk that the altitude and oxygen level would hinder the Irish performance but there were no such issues.

Tommy Rees opened the game with big passes to Troy Niklas (11 yards) and TJ Jones (11 yards). Jones currently is the leading receiver for the Irish and now has receptions in 35 consecutive games. Notre Dame put together an impressive initial offensive drive but was eventually stalled by the Falcons and then had an unsuccessful field goal attempt which was blocked by the Falcons. At this point it looked as though it was going to be a long day for the Irish.

When your offense gets the ball first and fails to score your coaching staff needs to quickly readjust their strategy and regroup. After watching the Air Force offense take over, march down the field and score on their first drive, the Notre Dame offense came out determined and ready to show Notre Dame nation what in their core.

After an Air Force penalty which aided the second Irish drive Tommy Rees, under pressure from the Falcon defense, quickly released a touchdown bomb to Corey Robinson. The 6’4” Robison had no problem going up and grabbing Rees’ pass which was perfectly placed in the end zone. This pass was Tommy’s 16^th touchdown pass of the season. The Irish very quickly answered the Falcon’s first touchdown with this very quick five play drive. This was the first collegiate touchdown for Robinson out of San Antonio, Texas.

The Falcons could not answer this Irish touchdown on their next drive and so the Irish got right back to work on offense. DaVaris Daniels had a big catch early on in the drive and George Atkinson III started to get his running legs tuned up. At the end of the first quarter the Irish and the Falcons were tied 7 -7.

To start the second quarter Rees came out all guns firing with a big pass to Jones, and then on the very next play a huge bomb to William Fuller for the second Irish touchdown of the game, Fuller’s first collegiate score. The Irish may have had a slow start, but nothing seemed to be stopping them as they scored their second touchdown of the game. Early in the second quarter Rees was already 11 for 13 in pass completions for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Notre Dame’s second scoring drive consisted of 6 plays, for 91 yards consuming only 2:18 off the clock.  Fuller’s touchdown reception was 54 yards.

After an Air Force field goal the Irish offense returned to the field and literally hit the ground running. The possession began with an Atkinson 38 yard return giving the Irish great field position. Moving down the field Daniels caught a 28 yard pass to get the Irish down to the 21 yard line. This pass play was followed by a Tommy Rees touchdown pass to Ben Koyack. Rees was having a brilliant day, lighting up the Air Force defense. At this point Rees had completed 12 out of 15 passes for 215 yards.  With this touchdown Rees tied Ron Powlus on the all-time Notre Dame passing list and the Irish went up 21-10.

Yet again the Air Force offense had no response and the Irish got the ball back. The ridiculously photogenic Cam McDaniel took the ball first and got nine and a half yards on the first possession of this drive. Amir Carlisle then came in and pounded out the first down. This drive was not as electric as the previous drives had been and on 4^th and 5 the Irish decided to go for it and not punt the ball. The gamble paid off for the Irish as Rees hits Troy Niklas for a nine yard gain and the first down. Tommy Rees had a few bumps in this drive, holding on to the ball at one point and ending up with a sack, but they still converted the drive into three more points on the board for the Irish with a Kyle Brindza field goal. This increased the Irish lead to 24-10.

During the game they flashed up Lou Holtz’s “How We Win” philosophy and once again we are reminded why we love Dr Lou so much.

1. Out hit
2. Fundamentals
3. Seven Areas: Turnovers, Big Plays, Missed Assignments, 3^rd Downs, Foolish Penalties, Kicking Game, Red Zone
4. Togetherness
5. Don’t Flinch

Okay, I digress; back to the offense. At the end of the first half Tommy had 224 yard passing and at one point he had eight straight completions and three touchdowns. A fantastic first half appearance for Tommy Rees. (First half stats. Tommy Rees: 14/19, 224 yds, 3 TD, TJ Jones: 3 receptions for 59 yards.)

The Falcons began the second half with the ball but on their first drive the Air Force quarterback Nate Romine turned over the ball and the Notre Dame offense continued what they started in the first half. The drive began with several Cam McDaniel rushes and then Rees aired out a long ball to TJ Jones (30 yards) which was caught in the end zone for yet another Notre Dame touchdown.  It was a beautiful pass that Rees perfectly dropped into the corner of the end zone. Notre Dame successfully capitalized off the Air Force turnover and went up 31-10 in the third quarter.

Another unanswered possession by the Falcons gave the ball back to the Irish once again. Tommy Rees continued his mix of throwing the ball to his Irish receivers for big receptions as well as adding another component to the Irish running game with running back Tarean Folston. The drive culminated with yet another touchdown pass, this time to Chris Brown, Tommy Rees’ fifth touchdown of the game. (A career record for Rees.) This was Chris Brown’s first touchdown of the season and Notre Dame increased their lead to 38-10.

With a four touchdown lead the Irish brought in Andrew Hendrix to get him some more playing experience. On his first complete drive, the Irish took over possession at mid field. His first pass of the drive was a 46 yard long ball to William Fuller. What a great confidence booster for Hendrix! On the next play he keeps the ball and runs it in himself for the Irish touchdown. His first rushing touchdown of the season and the Irish moved to 44-10 over the Air Force Falcons. After a successful extra point the Fighting Irish move to a 45-10 lead which would be the final score of the game.

The Irish offense was dominating over the Falcons on Saturday. The statistics are quite impressive I must say. Here are a few notable statistics:

• A school-record five different Notre Dame players (Corey Robinson, William Fuller, Ben Koyack, TJ Jones and Chris Brown) caught a touchdown pass today.
• Notre Dame’s 45 points today are its most since scoring 50 against Navy to open the 2012 season in Dublin.
• Today’s game was the first time that multiple ND freshmen (Robinson and Fuller) caught touchdown passes in the same game since Sept. 29, 2007 when Golden Tate and Duval Kamara caught touchdowns vs. Purdue.
• The Irish did not turn the ball over today, improving to 13-0 under Brian Kelly in that scenario. ND has won all 13 of those games. It is the second time that Notre Dame has not turned the ball over this season, joining the season opener against Temple.
• Eight different ND players caught a pass today, matching the squad’s season high.
• Rees set a career high with five touchdown passes. He previously threw four against Air Force in 2011 and Tulsa in 2010.

This was a great confidence booster for many of the young players on this Irish squad. I see a repeat of this next week versus Navy which gives the Irish a chance to continue to fine tune their craft on their journey to some tough games on the horizon (BYU and Stanford are worrisome in my eyes.)

What say you? Did this offensive performance give us false hopes for the rest of this season or is this team really starting to gel and work together?

Cheers!

Lisa

The post An Impressive Outing for the Irish Offense appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

(via UHND.com)

Mike Denbrock was one of the Irish coaches who spoke at the 2013 Notre Dame Coaches Clinic last spring. During his presentation, he discussed some of Notre Dame’s staple route concepts, including the “Knife” and the “Switch.” Because the Irish had some success with both the Knife and Switch against USC last Saturday, I decided to breakdown a few plays that illustrate these concepts.

What is the Knife?

The Knife is a two-man route concept. The outside receiver runs a 14-yard dig route, while the inside receiver runs a whip route, i.e., he pushes upfield about 6-8 yards and turns to the inside before breaking toward the sideline. The routes work in tandem. The dig often clears the short outside zone so the inside receiver has space to the outside, while the whip can open a passing lane inside for the quarterback to throw to the receiver on the dig.

Troy Niklas’ touchdown is a good example of the Irish attacking the boundary with the Knife.

On 3rd & 5 from the Trojan seven, the Irish line up in a 2X2 spread formation with Niklas and T.J. Jones lined up to the boundary. If you’ve watched many Notre Dame games in recent years, you’ve probably noticed that the coaching staff frequently puts the best receivers to the boundary. They do this because most defenses are field-strength based. The goal is to get a mismatch.

The Trojans line up with five defenders on the line of scrimmage. The safety creeps up to the line and bails shortly before the snap to help in coverage.

Rees does a nice job stepping up in the pocket as the play develops. Jones’ dig route holds the safety and eventually clears the outside for Niklas. The 6-6, 270 lb Niklas ends up isolated on the 6-1, 230 lb Hayes Pullard. Pullard is a good linebacker, but there are few, if any, defenders in the country who can handle Niklas one-on-one in the red zone. Rees puts the ball to the outside which allows Niklas to shield Pullard with his body and make the catch.

[youtube id=”1wr6xfOwHUU”]

What is the Switch?

The Switch is another two-man route concept that I’ve written about previously. Two receivers cross paths (or switch) before releasing vertically. The outside receiver slants inside before running down the seam, while the inside receiver runs a wheel route down the sideline. Against man coverage, the Switch often creates a pick that can free up one or both receivers. Against zone coverage, the Switch can put deep defenders in a bind by forcing them to choose between covering the seam or the sideline.

Below is an example of the Irish attacking the boundary with the Switch.

Notre Dame lines up in a 2X2 spread formation. This time Niklas and Davaris Daniels are lined up to the boundary. USC counters with a nickel package.

The playfake to Amir Carlisle does little to fool the defense, but cornerback Anthony Brown slips after trying to reroute Daniels and allows Niklas to run by him on the wheel route.

Daniels’ seam route holds the safety and gives Rees plenty of time to hit Niklas down the sideline. Niklas makes an over-the-shoulder catch and gets the Irish into USC territory. Even had Brown not slipped, Rees still could have thrown to Niklas and let him fight for the ball against a defender who is giving up 9″ and 90 lbs.

[youtube id=”kI0Nqgz5_80″]

Conclusion

The Knife and Switch are both great route concepts. Look for the Irish to continue attacking the boundary with these concepts and use them to take advantage of Troy Niklas’ size and athleticism.

The post USC Review: A Look at the “Knife” and “Switch” Concepts 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The Wolverines defeated the Fighting Irish Saturday night, 41-30. Here, the Irish’s Chris Brown is tackled by Michigan’s Delonte Hollowell after making a catch. (Photo:vGregory Shamus/Getty Images)

No one likes to lose to Michigan. Ever. But I don’t think the end of the world is any closer either. While the defense still has much work to do, the offense actually looks pretty good … and will only get better from here in my humble opinion.

Lets take a look at how the offense produced on Saturday.

Tommy Rees – Rees completed twenty-nine of fifty-one passes for 314 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. This was also the first time in his career that he had back-to-back games where he passed for more than 300 yards (346 yards against Temple on August 31). The two touchdowns that he threw against Michigan bring his career totals to 39 and his season totals to five. Rees also moved passed Jarious Jackson (’99, 4,820 yards) into sixth place all-time in career passing yardage at Notre Dame with a new total of 5,073 yards.

Yes, I know, two interceptions, but Tommy’s offense scored 30 points. How many points does this offense need to score to win games?

TJ Jones – Jones caught his first touchdown of the season, the 11th of his career, and snagged nine catches for 94 yards in the match-up against Michigan. Jones’ punt return for 18 yards in the first quarter was the longest of his career, and the longest punt return by a Notre Dame player since Michael Floyd returned a punt for 41 yards in 2011 against Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl. (We can all hope that Jones follows in Floyd’s footsteps and goes on to make one-handed grabs like Floyd was making Sunday against the Rams.) And tell me again why we stopped running back punts? Anyways, I digress.

Troy  Niklas – Niklas caught six passes for 76 yards, one being for a score and the longest being 21 yards. We seem to be holding strong in our reputation as Tight End U. I am very much looking forward to watching this kid play.

DaVaris Daniels – Daniels caught six passes for 63 yards, the longest being 22 yards. (I’m not saying that Eifert will not be missed this year, but with Jones, Niklas and Daniels catching passes Notre Dame’s passing game is bright to say the least.)

Chris Brown – Sophomore receiver, Brown, had three catches for 28 yards, his longest grab being for 11 yards.

Our receiving core looks tremendous and will only get better from here. We cannot, however, rely on our offense putting up huge numbers every game to make up for our defense not being able to hold or tackle anything.

Our running game, however, gave me fits of worry seeing as it was practically non-existent. This absence was not because we are lacking talent … we’ve all seen what Carlisle, Atkinson and McDaniels can do. Carlisle had 12 carries for 65 yards, Atkinson had five carries for 39 yards and a 50 yard kickoff return in the third quarter (this was his longest since a 96-yard touchdown run back at Notre Dame Stadium against USC on Oct. 22, 2011), and McDaniel had a mere one carry for four yards. Why Kelly is not utilizing this running core more effectively I have no idea. Our offense has got to be much more diversified in its attack for us to be successful moving forward.

Hopefully after they review game film and begin preparing for Purdue they realize that all passing and no rushing is not going to win games. I truly am not overly worried about this offense. Rees has a stellar surrounding cast and the more experience he gets under his belt the less mistakes he is going to make. Purdue should be a good chance for us to tune things up before we return home to face Michigan State.

Cheers!

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