Jaylon Smith recovers a fumble during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

In defeating Georgia Tech 30-22, Notre Dame became the only team in the country to beat three Power 5 teams this season and the first to contain Tech’s offense. After last week’s breathless finish at Virginia, fair questions were asked of the Irish about their understanding of Defensive Coordinator Brian VanGorder’s scheme and whether it was the right fit for Notre Dame. Fairer questions were directed at Notre Dame’s depth and DeShone Kizer’s ability to fill in for Malik Zaire, who joined the ranks of Irish starters lost to injury for the season. Yesterday’s victory provided positive answers and showed that, perhaps implausibly, Notre Dame is still very much in contention.

Fourteenth-ranked Georgia Tech came into yesterday’s game with college football’s number one rushing offense and had scored sixty plus points in both of its previous games. Its vaunted triple-option offense and Coach Paul Johnson’s mastery of it had projected to give Notre Dame’s injury-addled defense fits. After pummeling Alcorn State and Tulane, Georgia Tech averaged 457.5 rushing yards per game.

Notre Dame held Georgia Tech to 216 rushing yards on 47 rushing plays and just 313 total offensive yards. This achievement, in large part, was the result of a perfectly executed defensive scheme that took first and second down away from the Rambling Wreck. The Irish forced Tech into four three-and-out series. Tech had none in their previous two games and just eleven all last season.

Notre Dame’s defense, which consisted of personnel selected by Caoch VanGorder specifically for the Tech game and who dubbed themselves the “SWAG team,” showed themselves, indeed, to be “students with attitude and game.” Jerry Tillery got his first start and consistently got the better of the under-sized Tech offensive linemen. Sheldon Day was disruptive at the point of attack, which allowed ample penetration into the backfield by linebackers Jaylon Smith, who had a nifty scoop and rumble fumble recovery, and Joe Schmidt. On passing plays, of which Tech ran 24, another indicator that their game plan came off the rails, quarterback Justin Thomas never had a pocket and never looked comfortable. He was sacked once.

The Irish took their foot off the gas late in the game and surrendered two touchdowns in quick succession, the last of which came after Tech recovered an on-sides kick. The result, though, was never really in doubt, and VanGorder’s decision to substitute personnel should provide them with valuable game experience.

Offensively, DeShone Kizer threw for 242 yards on 21 completions in 30 attempts. If he was uncomfortable or nervous with his first start and under the glare of the NBC and Showtime cameras, he didn’t show it, much. In fact, if anything, he was maybe too certain that he could make something of nothing. His worst moment of the game was a terrible interception thrown near Corey Robinson but closer to either of two Tech defenders in the back corner of the end zone in the second quarter and on third and goal from the five yard line.

His connection to Will Fuller and Chris Brown, though, was much more precise. He connected with Fuller on a forty-six yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and, later in the game, a thirty-six yard completion. Fuller became the first Irish receiver since 1970 to start the season with three one hundred-yard games. Kizer hooked up with Chris Brown eight times. Brown should have caught at least two more, but he was clearly a favorite and readily-forgiven target of the young quarterback.

On the ground, the Irish and C.J. Prosise gashed Tech. Notre Dame’s last touchdown of the game came in the fourth quarter on a 91 yard carry by Prosise, Notre Dame’s longest rushing touchdown in its home history. He finished the game with 198 yards and three touchdowns.

The offensive line was obviously bigger and better than Tech’s defensive front and they did a good job protecting Kizer and letting him go through his reads. They blocked effectively enough for the Irish backs, guiding them to 215 yards on the ground. This was the third time Notre Dame ran for more than two hundred yards this season. Ronnie Stanley was called for three false starts and Mike McGlinchey for one. Whether that was on them or the new signal caller will be seen over this week in practice and next Saturday against UMass.

The Irish may have lost safety Drue Tranquill for the season as he seemed to have blown a knee celebrating a PBU with Joe Schmidt. With the Irish losing a starter per game, at this clip, “next man in” may, at Fenway, have to be changed to “next bassoonist” or “next silent auction-winner” in. When the book on the 2015 season is written, maybe Corey Robinson will realize that taking that tiki idol from the old graveyard wasn’t such a good idea.

The post Irish D Gives Bees Hives, Win 30-22 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Malik may never fully escape the shadow of Everett Golson, who was himself impressive in his fresh start at Florida State. Golson’s influence at Notre Dame was impossibly blown out of proportion as he played, over the years, the roles of sainted savior, lost sheep, and hapless hero. His backup, Zaire was thrown into the boil via last year’s Music City Bowl, where he shone a light bright enough to ultimately show the once starter the road to Tallahassee.

Last night, however, Zaire was the brightest star in a whirling constellation that baffled Charlie Strong’s players and fell in brilliant swaths from the magic wands of Coaches Kelly and VanGorder. Witness Zaire’s 86.6% pass completion rate that garnered him the most perfect-performance since Steve Beuerlein. Zaire had as many touchdowns, three, as incompletions and was as comfortable firing short- or mid-range darts as he was directing sixty-yard strikes. Notre Dame’s defensive scheme stymied Texas, resulting in four sacks of the two Texas quarterbacks.

If there was a surprise last night, it was the flash off Josh Adams, a freshman running back who was the “next man in” after Tarean Folston went down with a knee injury. C.J. Prosise carried the load for the Irish, collecting 98 yards on 20 carries, but Adams exploded on the scene with two touchdowns, the second of which was a brilliant twenty-five yard run. He finished the night with 49 yards on 5 carries.

Jaylon Smith and the defense overpowered Texas from the opening whistle. Smith was everywhere, collecting seven tackles and one sack. Joe Schmidt had six tackles. Jerry Tillery, the freshman converted offensive lineman, picked up the first sack in his career. Overall, Texas managed a mere 60 yards on the ground and neither quarterback ever looked comfortable.

The opposite was true for Notre Dame. The offensive line, four veterans and the monster Mike McGlinchey, held its shape throughout the game and gave Zaire textbook-perfect pockets in which to pick his receivers. They opened yawning holes for the running game and the coaches responded, calling 52 rushing plays that netted 214 yards.

On this Sunday morning, it is easy to question whether Texas, beset by youth and in year two of the Charlie strong era, was just bad enough to make Notre Dame look as good. Answering that question, though, can be done by looking at what the Irish got right. There were few false starts and none that you could blame on a fidgety signal-caller. There were no turnovers. No ill-timed routes or errant passes into space frustrated scoring opportunities. If anything, a strong argument can be made that the Irish played pretty close to perfect and most teams would have been pressed to keep up.

Notre Dame’s performance is all the more impressive as it came in an opening weekend that exposed the lie that is the thirteen game season. As the Irish were taking Texas apart, LSU and McNeese State huddled under awnings and away from a lightening storm that engulfed Death Valley. After some hours, the decision was made to call the whole thing off. The game will not be replayed, so that LSU, a favorite to win the SEC West, will “only” play twelve games this year. Just like Notre Dame. As so many teams either open against a tomato can or schedule at least one during the season, the notion that thirteen games is somehow a standard to be followed just melted away.

For today, Irish fans should enjoy the moment. Leave for tomorrow the questions of where do we go from here.

The post Magic Malik: The Irish Impress, 38-3 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

You can listen right now below, download in iTunes, or even load an mp3 on our BlogTalkRadio site. Enjoy!

Tommy Rees joined our show for the first time this week and was extraordinary. Rees is a player that has every right to be somewhat defensive and guarded when it comes to his time in South Bend. From media and fan frustrations to QB controversies with multiple higher rated teammates to last second thrills and late game heartbreak  – Tommy Rees saw it all over four years in South Bend. For all he endured, Tommy came off as extremely personable and open during our first interview.

Yes … he possibly dropped an F-Bomb when asked about his first game experience and interception against Michigan in 2010, but that only makes the interview better!

Tommy also shared his thoughts on Everett Golson’s continued development as a quarterback and if coaching football is the next step for him. Great stuff all around!

Thanks to all our loyal listeners and we’re hoping to build more each and every week!

Contact me:

Twitter: @ManCaveQB

Email: herringbonesports@gmail.com

The post Tommy Rees Podcast! appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

via South Bend Tribune

Saturday saw The Fighting Irish put practice number eight in the books and a new name, Jarrett Grace, on the operating table. With the Blue-Gold Spring Game on April 12 and at the half-way point of the Spring season, I’m excited to see what develops over the next seven practices. I’m also pleased to see that Kelly’s staff picked up two solid commitments over the weekend, both out of talent-rich Texas. So let’s get to it.

But first, I had the pleasure of meeting Tex, our fearless co-leader and Editor-in-Chief, last weekend at the (absolutely beautiful) wedding of a (-n absolutely beautiful) mutual friend of ours here in New Orleans. My two Hot Tex Takes: 1.) the man is marrying way above the rim (I also met his fiancée) ; and 2.) his eyebrows do, in fact, look like that in person.

Back to the football, though. With eight practices under their belts, all of which have been indoors, The Irish seem to be adjusting nicely to having Everett Golson back at the reins and under center. His likely backup, Malik Zaire, though, is, by all accounts, making terrific progress of his own and looks ready to provide Notre Dame another offensive weapon instead of a serviceable play-caller to get them off the field and into the locker-room. As one example, pay attention to the zip on the ball and in the step of Number Eight at 2:07 in the video from Saturday’s session:

In fact, if you listen to Malik, he’s not backing anyone up. And, if you read the previous link all the way through, Coach Kelly isn’t exactly pooh-poohing the idea of a two quarterback system come August.

In personnel news, the most significant is Jarrett Grace’s surgery on the right leg he has been recouping since breaking it in four places last season. Over the weekend, he underwent a successful rod placement to further encourage the fusing of the JESUS CHRIST IT JUST SOUNDS PAINFUL. According to Coach and Dr. Ratigan, the orthopedic surgeon who performed the operation, Jarrett should be back to compete for his starting position at “Nerf” (middle) linebacker. In the mix for his spot are (former) walk-on Joe Schmidt and two others, one of whom is a true walk-on.

Staying with the D, Coach VanGorder gave a thirty minute press conference last Wednesday. For all the hype about The Irish turning away from Diaco’s 3-4 system, it seems that VanGorder’s philosophy is to move in-and-out of fronts depending on the package, play, and position. His watch-word is “multiple” and he’s been pinging Jaylon Smith inside and outside. KeiVarae Russell is apparently turning out one heck of a solid Spring and Ishaq Williams has done a “good job so far.” Though “struggling” in coverage, converted wide receiver James Onwalu is “a good learner.”

In recruiting news, it was two steps forwards and one step back this weekend. The gets were Prentice McKinney (DB) out of Dallas, and Jaylen Guyton (WR) from Allen, also a city in Texas, evidently. Both a solid three-stars at their positions and both represent a widening of the pipeline between The Lone Star State and South Bend. The loss was four-star LB Josh Barajas to Penn State, who verbally committed to Happy Valley on Sunday. Whatever. They’re just verbals. They’ll all wind up playing for Tulane, or something.

Here’s how Coach Kelly felt after Saturday’s session. Monday will be outside and it sounds like they’re leaving the Jugs inside. Should be fun:

To get a flavor for where Brian’s Boys are in their development, you can watch NDFIDM’s terrific video-shorts in sequence here.

The post Out Like a Lamb? March Ends Mixed for The Irish appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.