An inefficient Notre Dame offense reliant on explosive plays through the air met up with an elite passing defense, and Cincinnati's early turnovers and passing attack late held off the Irish for a massive win. While the game was full of self-inflicted errors at home for ND, Cincinnati wasn't perfect either, squandering many scoring chances [...]
Notre Dame averaged 3.6 yards per play on offense, was stuffed on more than a third of its runs, and had the same number of offensive scoring chances as Wisconsin. Jack Coan was injured and Tyler Buchner unavailable, and the Irish averaged 4.2 yards per pass attempt to trail Graham Mertz who threw for 5.7. [...]
The Irish still haven't looked dominant this season, but Notre Dame destroyed Purdue in the explosiveness battle to cement a third straight awkward win. The offense survived ghastly efficiency numbers against a bad Boilermaker defense, including many self-inflicted wounds in the passing game. Defensively, Marcus Freeman and company finally limited big plays and made Jeff [...]
Two straight weeks, two straight heart attacks, 2-0. Notre Dame nearly suffered a massive upset against Toledo despite dominating the efficiency battle, as several concerning storylines from Tallahassee followed the Irish home. For a second straight week, the defense dominated long stretches of the game and wreaked tons of havoc, yet surrendered huge plays to [...]
It wasn't the cleanest performance, but a sparkling performance from Ian Book and timely stops by the Notre Dame defense prevented Boston College from posing a real threat. While the Eagles surprisingly created seven scoring chances, they settled for early field goals while the Irish offense piled up touchdowns early (when not fumbling for dramatic [...]
The advanced stats match the eye-test in that there was nothing cheap about this victory. The Irish went toe-to-toe with Clemson, outgaining the Tigers in yards per play overall, in the 3rd & 4th quarters, and overtime. Both teams were decently explosive, not reeling off a ton of chunk plays but each hitting two of [...]
Breaking down a business-like win in Atlanta with an eye towards the showdown with Clemson - can the Irish expect some positive regression creating explosive plays and gaining turnovers? How does the efficiency of rushing and passing this year compare so far? And what else should Brian Kelly, Clark Lea, and Tommy Rees be thinking [...]
Notre Dame dominated Pitt behind an explosive passing game, grinding out an efficient run game, and defensively abusing poor Joey Yellen and an abysmal Pitt rushing game. The Irish were due for some interceptions and came through with three, with a special teams touchdown added for good measure. A look at how Tommy Rees and [...]
An anticipated shootout turned into a slow, grinding affair thanks to a low possession game, red zone struggles, long fields, and a lack of explosive plays from both teams. The advanced stats liked the Irish offensive performance more than most fans, and the defense impressed by creating havoc while simultaneously limiting big plays from a [...]
The Irish nearly matched their offensive efficiency against USF versus a far more talented opponent and threw in more explosive plays for good measure. Defensively, the effects of a two-week lull were far more visible as Clark Lea's typically steady unit was boom (with havoc and three-and-outs) and bust (giving up chunk plays). Confused? Check [...]
The dominant win over USF featured an efficiency massacre, defensive disruption from unlikely sources, and a nearly 30-yard per possession field position advantage for Notre Dame. This game reached garbage time at the half, and the Bulls failed to convert a single successful play through the air or on a passing down. Confused? Check out [...]
The past several seasons have provided Irish fans with exposure to every ACC team, but for 2020 that gets to be taken to an entirely new level. Advanced stat projections agree with the ironic storyline that Notre Dame joining a conference for a season has actually eased their strength of schedule. Would that have been [...]
As COVID-19 cases continue to climb again, athletes are tested, and schools declare intentions for students to return to campus (or not), plans for the college football season change by the day. But for a second, let's live in a world where football will be played this fall and indulge in some analysis. The most [...]
Ian Book had a strange season in his second year as a starter, winning 11 games yet struggling with consistency and seeing a decline in all major passing stats. The Notre Dame passing offense as a whole was less productive and efficient compared to 2018 but finished the year on a strong note. What led [...]
Let's begin breaking down Notre Dame's 2019 advanced stats starting with the unit that enters the fall under the most scrutiny, the Irish running game. Since 2017's record-setting efforts on the ground, the Irish have struggled to run efficiently, especially in big games, and been plagued by high stuff rates. What improved last season, and [...]
Recent Comments