Man Cave Quarterback: Reviewing Notre Dame’s 59-33 Win over Air Force
Posted by Steve Herring on October 10, 2011
(Pictured: Herring Bone loves Roby Toma and enjoyed this moment as much as any on Saturday. Hard work has paid off for a guy many wrote off before even stepping foot on campus.)
Immediately following each game I jot down a quick response before delving into more stats.
Here is Saturday’s Rapid Reaction to the game.
BYE WEEK NOTICE: If you are yet unaware – I am a native Southern Californian. I have loved the Irish since childhood and luckily spent my years in Orange County, CA while ND mostly dominated the Trojans. I haven’t lived there since 2002, so I have avoided living in the heart of USC country during their recent run of dominance (thank god). I am planning to supply a few new aspects to the blog for “SC Week” due to the “close to my heart” nature of the rivalry so stay tuned.
Man Cave Quarterback: Air Force
1st Half Offense = Whoa, Whoa, WHOA!: Most Irish fans have been privy to multiple articles and Tweets that started “most points since, most yards since, most passing TDs since” etc. so I’ll try to dig a little deeper when I go through the stats. Any way you looked at it there were 6 possessions and 6 touchdowns. The efficiency was off the charts and resembled what we “expect” versus a service academy but rarely see on the field or scoreboard. I worried they would get OUT of their base scheme to exploit match-ups and instead they expanded the spread to something that resembles more of what this offense can look like.
1st Half Defense = Yes, No, Yes, NO!: I detailed the feeling in my Rapid Reaction, but I felt almost guilty to watch a half where another team marched up and down the field only to settle for field goals or succumb to turnovers. Air Force’s offense took it to the highly touted Irish defense and more shockingly it was through the run AND the pass. The Falcons totaled over 300 Yards, and 200 on the ground, but had little to show for it. Safe to say Irish fans know the feeling. Not sure if it mattered with how much ND scored early on, but Manti Te’o and company need to give the offense first shot at the training table this week and maybe need to get used to it.
Michael Floyd Touchdown: Can you imagine that call coming in the 2nd half of a close game versus Michigan, USC, Stanford or in a BCS bowl? There wasn’t a clear explanation as to how that constituted a touchdown. Because his foot hit the pylon before the sideline? Because he was controlling the ball past the goal line? I’ve watched a lot of football and his foot came down ON the sideline - I’ve been taught since I was in diapers that such a fact would indicate an incompletion. We’ll take it, but if they had overturned the call not a single Notre Dame fan could have provided a legitimate argument.
Jamoris Slaughter: Unlike the other two safeties (Harrison Smith and Zeke Motta), Slaughter’s brief playing career had included few noticeable breakdowns, but also few “big plays”. He made up for the latter rather quickly with three fantastic (dare we say “game-changing”) snaps during the first half (don’t forget the pass break-up on perfect downfield coverage). I look forward to the highlight reel of his beautiful interception that cuts every angle of that play into slow-motion art.
Guess who was right around the football for the fumble Slaughter caused - on this defense the first response should always be Robert Blanton.
Bob Diaco and the Option: The “spread” has been prevalent for a little over a decade and we’ve all seen many other offenses come and go and come and go again (Run & Shoot, Wildcat, etc.). That said, does there exist a single offensive scheme that has more videotape on it than the option? Notre Dame’s archives surely house millions of hours that show the option being run to perfection and games where it was contained and ultimately shut down. Those tapes probably showcase match-ups that were on more of an equal playing field than exists in 2011 between Notre Dame and any service academy. Maybe Diaco can’t get them on his iPad (RIP to another great Steve).
So this begs the question- why can’t Notre Dame seem to shut down the most basic offensive principles run by an inferior opponent?
I post reviews on Monday (in the effort to digest the game, review Saturday Night Live, and catch some NFL) so I assume my readers have perused popular ND articles with loads of information but I’ll rehash anyways - Diaco’s plan placed starting OLB Prince Shembo on the bench in a modified nickel package with three safeties on the field. This was designed with Free Safety Jamoris Slaughter near the line of scrimmage and seemingly responsible for the quarterback AND the pitch back on numerous occasions. This look is rather appealing to experienced option QBs and Jefferson made Notre Dame pay on multiple occasions. The results were mostly poor as the Falcons routinely did whatever they wanted offensively, but it put Slaughter in position for the most dramatic moments of his career -a bit of a give and take if there ever was one.
Air Force never really threatened to win this game, but the overall performance by the defense left much to be desired. Praise be to Manti Te’o who made some phenomenal reads on gadget plays and was all-around solid on the afternoon. All’s well that ends well? I guess…
Freshman Chase Hounshell: I thought Lynch and Tuitt were impressive on camera until this beast trotted out and took his spot at defensive tackle in the 3rd quarter. On the current roster he’s listed as shorter and a lot lighter than Tuitt but he certainly fills out the uniform unlike any freshman I can remember. He’s interestingly listed at OLB while looking like the newest villain of the WWE.
(Irish fans are already envisioning Kirk Herbstreit during a Game Day 2012 Pre-Season Preview saying “I can’t believe I’m saying this about a non-SEC defensive line, but the unit in South Bend might be the biggest and nastiest in America. My track record of bashing the Irish should tell you that when I say this I mean it.”)
@HB_Sports Note: One of the cooler things on Twitter in the modern age is commenting on something prior to anyone else following the game. When #50 stepped on the field I tweeted his entry before any other prominent ND media did so stick that imaginary feather in my cap. #FootballNerd
Stats
0 & 2 - The number of ”terrible” and “bad” throws by Tommy Rees by my count. “Terrible” throw being one that could have easily been intercepted and “bad” meaning he drilled a ball into double coverage while a man ran free. After eleven career games where these were typically 4 & 8, Rees turned an official corner in his development versus Air Force. He was very smart with the football and executed a very good game plan perfectly. I have no problem when he’s missing receivers long and high on the sideline.
8.46 - Jonas Gray’s Yards Per Carry in 2011. This number is most likely all over the internet and deserves to be. If I’m reading this page of the 2011 Notre Dame Media Guide correctly, then he’s on pace to break George Gipp’s all-time record of 8.11 YPC in a season. That would require 100 attempts so we can dream of his continued success over the next 53 carries. (Somewhere an old-timer is flipping on Knute Rockne: All American and grumbling.)
9 & 7 - 9 is the number of touches on Saturday for WR Theo Riddick (8 receptions, 1 rush). 7 is his total touches the previous three weeks combined (0 vs. Purdue, 1 vs. Michigan State). I labeled Riddick, Darius Fleming, and Louis Nix III as my “All Hype Team” during the pre-season and he was the only one who hadn’t started living up to the press. Kelly finally designed a game plan that included force-feeding Riddick and he responded swimmingly. I’m sure Kelly told him all week “if you don’t get going with this plan, we’re going to have a problem.” Worth getting excited about – the way he finished a few of the runs and his grand touchdown with some of that running back power we’ve all heard about from practice.
Moving forward
If this offensive line continues to perform at this elite level (zero sacks in each of the last two games) then anything remains possible for this Irish offense. It’s noteworthy that the week I post a column attempting to prove Brady Quinn should be given another shot in the NFL based off the belief that an NFL quarterback needs time to develop that Tommy Rees hits the “10 Games Started” plateau and has transformed into a strikingly capable spread quarterback.
Herring Bone Official Redaction: I am going to issue a redaction on earlier statements: I was of the opinion that playing Hendrix or Golson in any package with the game still in doubt was a poor decision and would leave Kelly open to much criticism. Hendrix’s strong play is not the primary reason for the redaction, but rather the realization that USC, who’s struggling to stop everyone, now has to officially diversify all their preparations. Hendrix’s immediate success certainly contributed to the excitement level in post-game. Here’s an official apology from yours truly:
Brian Kelly, I apologize. You were right, I was wrong. Every second spent by the Trojans preparing for Hendrix’s option is a second not spent on defending Rees to Floyd and Eifert up the middle. You may be getting the hang of the whole “confusing your opponents” thing I hear is valuable in coaching circles. Also, the fact that you showed it and it worked is much more reassuring to ND Nation and your coaching staff I’m sure. Great job and I reserve the right to blast you into the next millennium if you don’t beat my hometown Trojans like red-headed step-children. Sincerely, Steve Herring (aka Herring Bone) Editor-in-ChiefFinish
Well it’s a full 12 days until the ball is teed up against USC. I’ve got a few interesting things in the cooker for this game on the site, so we’ll see how they pan out. I despise the Trojans and all their bandwagon phonies. You’d be amazed at the people I grew up with that jumped on the Pete Carroll Bandwagon of Lies in the past 10 years and suddenly started popping up on Facebook pages in maroon and gold with their stupid V’s in the air as if they’d been cheering on during the terrible decade of the 1990′s that they pretend never happened.
The worst for me was last season when the program predictably fell off and all these fake fans started bitching and moaning like winning is owed to them as USC fans.
I’ll stop there and will be posting a little blurb I wrote on my own Facebook page following last year’s win in Los Angeles.
Great Win!
Go.Irish.
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Herring Bone Game Reviews:
Purdue: Rapid Reaction ι Man Cave Quarterback
Pittsburgh: Rapid Reaction ι Man Cave Quarterback
Michigan State: Rapid Reaction ι Man Cave Quarterback
Michigan: Rapid Reaction ι Man Cave Quarterback
South Florida: Rapid Reaction ι Man Cave Quarterback
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BK’s Offseason & The 2011 Schedule ♣ The Offense ♣ The Defense Part 1 ι Part 2
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My comments, questions, annoying suggestions:
1. English note of the week: It’s “pylon”, not “pile-on”. Just trying to help for when ESPN comes knocking, Dogg.
2. Unless I missed it, you did not address the Harrison Smith coverage issue I mentioned. It seems I can recall 3-4 times against USAF he rushed into the picture after his man had picked up substantial ydg. And I have absolutely no recollection of him breaking up a pass. In fact I’m not sure he’s broken one up ALL YEAR. Virtually certain he has no INTs. I don’t think he has any anticipation skills.
3. For us old-timers, you gotta’ make the USC cheerleaders a prominent part of USC Week. Perhaps some old video or still photo retrospectives. Back in the 60s and 70s when I was approaching – then crashing through – puberty, they made the onset of another Chicago winter tolerable. As I said on another of your posts, in the pre-cable days, and before the world discovered SEC women, there was nothing that would get the blood flowing like USC babes in the pretty white pleated skirts. (I was always hoping one would forget her underpanties, but alas … ) Viagra before there was Viagra, and before Viagra was needed. Sort of an embarrassment of riches. If I had one wish, it would be to be transported back to the 1973 game in South Bend. Tom Clements, Eric Penick, Luther Bradley, USC Cheerleaders, a win and a National Championship that concluded in the Sugar Bowl vs Alabama. I was there at old Tulane Stadium; 22 yard line upper deck.
4. Back to football: I love the insertion of Hendrix too. But don’t go overboard on how this “complicates” USC’s preparation. It’s not like they’ve never seen a dual threat QB before.
5. One more thought: If Kelly REALLY wanted to make them squirm, he’d have let Andrew take a couple shots downfield. But … I’m cool where we are.
6. I didn’t get the Hounshell woodie you did. Not saying your observations are unwarranted or off base; just saying I must have been focused on something else when he came in. Glad he looked so impressive. You can’t have enough weapons upfront on either side of the ball.
7. I guess we’re at the halfway point, so here are my mid year awards and grades:
“D” Player of the year: Manti, hands down. No one else is even close. Thanks Charlie for getting this guy
“O” Player of The Year: Floyd. Can you imagine if he hadn’t come back? Still not sure he has the speed to be an NFL #1. But that’s another issue. Reminds me of Keyshawn, without the narcissism.
Most Improved: Rees, without question. 4 games ago I was ready to fill out his transfer papers. Now … not so much.
Most Disappointing: Harrison Smith. Must be a great guy or have some Polaroids, because he can’t cover.
Best Frosh: Hmmm, so far I guess you’d have to rank them this way: Lynch, Tuitt, Ishaq. Nice to see Atkinson III getting some time too.
Guy I Most Want To Touch The Ball More: TJ Jones. How about a reverse or two? (I also wouldn’t mind it if Harrison Smith actually touched the ball once. Just sayin’ )
Guy I’d Most Like To Have A Moment In The Sun: Dayne Crist. Maybe it’s a minor injury to Tommy, and Dayne comes off the bench, goes 14-18 for 233 yards and leads them to a win in a close one. Still feel bad for the guy, as I’ve written many times.
Overall Team Grade, Mid Term Variety: B (Get rid of those first two games and we’re talking “A”)
Grade for Overall Trajectory of Program: A+ After years of bad offense, mediocre recruiting, losing to teams like Navy, Syracuse and Connecticut, going to 3rd tier Bowl Games, coaches like Davie, Ty and Charlie and QBs like Holiday, LoVecchio and Powlus, it’s clear things have changed in South Bend. Kelly is THE MAN and it’s great to be an ND fan again.
Good catch on pylon. If I make it to ESPN I’ll surely have my articles proofread by 6-8 editors before release. Thanks for the heads up and keep em coming.
I saw what you were saying about Harrison Smith, but this article was topping out at 2000 words and his poor play was far from my most glaring defensive observation. What really bothered me more were some plays that involved the front seven being pushed back in straight ahead rushes. The line play overall was an issue and Aaron Lynch played like a freshman- penalties, missed assignments.
I agree that Smith didn’t have his best game, but his play wasn’t as troublesome as others. Also, in the glow of a game the Irish were winning 59-19 in the 4th quarter I try and save my critical analysis of players for the next preview. I enjoyed the win.
I’ll look into some cheerleader stuff for you. I was briefly recruited by USC and once stood on the sidelines no more than 5 feet from them.
I will also be reviewing all my pre-season predictions/theories this week so we’ll see how my improved/surprised/disappointed lists break out.
LOFL
I just ran across this quote from Will Muschamp, Florida Head Coach.
Why is it this stuff follows Charlie Weis around?
I still have night sweats of losing and being outconditioned in the 4th qtr to Navy, Syracuse and Connecticut.
“We’ve got to get better on the line of scrimmage,” said Muschamp. “We wore out as the game went on.”
Charlie … burger and fries? It’s already 10am.
Was at both of those games. Penick sweeps for the score…..Robin Weber catching TD pass at Sugar Bowl. First trip to NO…….I hope for the current students that the team gets back to a consistent top 10 squad. I think I saw 2 losses in ND stadium while a sudent.
I too would like to see Crist take the reigns and show relaxed poise and confidence. It’s over for him as the guy. Too bad but as we all know talent is only one of the variables for success.
I am still smiling with thoughts of the USC golden girls…….ND admitted women in 72 and the USC cheerleaders might as well have been Charlies Angles.
I think the D will carry the game. The front 7 is deep (I cant believe I wrote those 5 words). I am not worred about the secondary because MB will be pressured to throw.
Gray and Wood will be extra motivated…..should be fun and best of all I will be in the stands……………
Don2u
A couple points:
1. I don’t think Robin Weber caight a TD pass. He caught the pass at the end of the game from Clements for a crucial 1st down that allowed them to run out the clock. I can still see it like it was yesterday. A very risky call too. It was either 3rd and short or even 4th and short. If it was 3rd, the safe call would have been a run. 4th. it would have been a punt. Al Hunter returned a kickoff for a TD. I think Bullock ran for one. Final was 24-23, right?
2. The ND pass rush from the front 3 or 4 has been just OK in my opinion. I wouldn’t call it monstrous though. Lynch has had terrific flashes, particularly against MSU. They pressured the USAF QB at times and had some sacks. I don’t want to say that doesn’t count; but they outweighed those guys by about 30 lbs/man. Hopefully they’re all over Barkley’s ass.
Just looked at a YouTube of the ’73 game. TD’s by Bullock, Penick and Hunter.
And the Robin Weber play was a 3rd down pass from the end zone. Very ballsy call by Ara
You can find this, but I couldn’t find a picture of Jarious Jackson blowing out his knee vs. LSU in 1999? I wanted to write a little blurb with it, but couldn’t find this.
Correct….I think Hunter ran a kick off in for a TD. Weber made a critical catch. Casper was #1 tight end. Weber was in for blocking. Memory faded and I thought Weber made the TD catch……funny story. Was flying last year and sat next to a guy that was a back up linebacker on the team. He was heading to meet ex team mate Weber…..he mentioned a TD catch and it stuck in my head. Must have been a different game.
Important thing is this year’s SC game. I think it’s going to be an Irish night…….Havent been this excited in years.
Fun stuff on the SC cheerleaders. The ones I’ve met in person were just as lovely as they seem on TV, if not more so.
There is something to be said about the scoreboard when ND has played an athletic QB and when they’ve played a traditional one like Matt Barkley. I hope the trends from Michigan State and Purdue continue next weekend vs. SC.
Your blog is one of the more refreshing ones out here. There are some major jerks on the other sites who go there to vent their anger at life and turn it into a personal insult circus. Don’t let this site get that way.
the man without clothes,
I read a lot of sites and have seen and read your posts…..dont let the clowns get to you. I may not always agree but as long as it’s not personal, mean spirited or foul, I am ok with anything. Your posts are not in any of the categories mentioned. The Rees thing has bugged me, even though he is playing well. for me it’s not a Rees/Crist thing. Kelly sees or knows something and he is not saying. I respect Kelly for protecting Crist but I would like ot know….only because I think I am “entitled” to have the scoop. In the end I know what I just wrote is nonsense and I either trust the coach or I dont. Since he knows more about football, coaching football, recruiting, handling 18-22 year olds, dealing with sportwriters, dealing with alums, fans, boosters and the adminsitration of a university than I do plus he’s a proven winner, I’ve decided to go along for the ride and see where it takes us. I am hoping it’s the Fiesta Bowl as I live in Phoenix but if it’s any of the others I’m ok with that too.
You’re in PHX? I’m in Scottsdale. I’ll be damned. Small world.
Hey, thanks for the comments. I try to write intelligently and have no problem with someone telling me I’m off base or even dead wrong.
I just don’t need it taken to the personal level. No reason for that.
On the QB thing, I agree. There’s a story there that hasn’t been told. I am a big Crist supporter, and was shocked when he got pulled. Having said that, Rees’ recent play has sort of vindicated BK and his decision.
I’m still of the mind Rees had a big role in their two losses, but that’s water over the dam now. He’s playing at a very high level, and at a perfect time. USC.
Thank you for the kind words again. One thing my friends in fantasy leagues can tell you about me is that I’m heavy handed with vetoes and blocking commentary where I see fit.
If this site continues to gain in popularity it’s definitely something I have to monitor.
I’m curious if this is a response to me adding Facebook comments to articles? I’ve anticipated that moving forward Facebook is a better place for my Saturday Night Live stuff and my Notre Dame content will most likely continue within the blogs normal message board. As of now I’m unsure of how to have one without the other, but this technology thing works at a frenetic pace. I’ve considered purchasing another domain to seperate sports from entertainment, but that is probably a bit down the road for me.
I do reserve full veto and removal power and am not afraid to do so for people acting afool.
I can only hope though that this site grows in poularity among smart ND fans looking to voice opinions. Let me know whenever you think something needs my attention. I’m new to this “running your own site” game so we’ll see how it grows together.
I am a supporter of your site, 100%. Your game observations and analysis are as good as any other blog I’ve seen. But unlike the other board I frequent, there’s no one running anyone down personally. I’m just an ordinary guy without any influence, but any way I can help get traffic here I will.
In answer to your question, this a.m. I posted on the other blog and some Alum (of course) jumped me and leveled some unprovoked insults of a personal nature. No reason; just disagreed with me.
At the end of the day it’s a damn football blog and so there’s no real damage. But we’re all at different points in our lives. I’m not thin skinned; I just don’t need the crap. I’m married and have kids so if I want to get insulted I’ll just go into the kitchen and open my mouth.
I visit ND blogs to learn something I wouldn’t otherwise have known; then debate, disagree, argue; and I have no problem with someone saying to me “are you nuts?”; or “You’re high”, etc. I just don’t need the personal insults.
Haven’t seen those here. Hope it stays that way.
Well, it’s annoying to be attacked in any way online. I’ll definitely promote quality decorum in here. We all analyze and overanalyze each game and should be welcome to our opinions on the team.
Nudeman:
“I’m married and have kids so if I want to get insulted I’ll just go into the kitchen and open my mouth.”
Definitely up there with my favorite one-liners of the site so far. I told my baby craving significant other this and she got a good laugh as well. Keep em coming on my site.
I’ve tried to see if I could create a message board but none of the formats look quite right. I’ve only got so many hours in my free time and too many ideas in my head, but it might be on it’s way.
Interesting article on the ChiTrib this a.m. about Kelly and Dayne Crist.
BK says he’s had no conversations with Dayne about a 5th year. Apparently he graduates in December and has another year of eligibility; so if he transfers he won’t have to sit out a year.
I’d be shocked if he came back to ND. Whatever he does I hope he does well.