Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1047749
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 12, 2018 23 NORTHWESTERN RUNNING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME RUN DEFENSE A lot of credit must be given to the Wildcats for attempting to establish the run despite coming into the game ranking 126th nationally in rushing yards per game at 91.1. They recognized they would have no chance against this Fighting Irish defense with the play action or deep shots from a one-dimensional look, and they were committed to keep Notre Dame at least wary of the run. Freshman Isaiah Bowser (6-1, 216) was not going to dazzle anyone with breakaway capabilities, but his physical, downhill running (23 carries for 93 yards) gave Northwestern a fighting chance right up to the final five minutes. The 108 rushing yards by Northwestern did surpass its average. The spirit was willing, but it wasn't enough. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame NORTHWESTERN PASSING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME PASS DEFENSE Ranked No. 8 in pass efficiency defense nationally, the Irish likely will upgrade that rating after allowing Northwestern only 141 yards on 29 attempts (a min- iscule 4.9 yards per attempt). The lone completion longer than 15 yards was a 27-yard touchdown to sophomore wide receiver Riley Lees in which the small- est of windows was found on freshman nickel Houston Griffith. Northwestern lacked overall speed to beat the Irish deep, and Notre Dame's coverage did not feel imperiled by the Wildcats going over the top and were able to squeeze tightly underneath. Northwestern's main success came with crossing routes, but on other occasions senior quarterback Clayton Thorson — who was sacked five times and harried numerous other occasions — was under consistent duress. The combination of needing only four pass rushers, while more bodies dropped into intermediate and deep coverage, was too much for the Wildcats to overcome. They had averaged 280.1 yards passing per game. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME RUNNING GAME VS. NORTHWESTERN RUN DEFENSE With Northwestern's safeties playing close to the box and Notre Dame seem- ingly not in as many multiple tight end alignments in this game, the operating room inside was minimal, with senior Dexter Williams' 19 carries averaging only 2.9 yards. Northwestern also did excellent work on not breaking containment other than on two plays on Notre Dame's game-clinching drive: a 19-yard outside sweep by Williams and junior quarterback Ian Book's 23-yard score in which he sold the defense on Williams taking the zone-read hand-off before keeping the ball himself for an easy tally. Limiting the Irish to 121 yards and 3.0 yards per carry gave the nod to the Wildcats, but it came with a price. ADVANTAGE: Northwestern NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. NORTHWESTERN PASS DEFENSE To gain something you also often have to give up something. With the North- western safeties rolled up close to the line and Northwestern's defensive ends dropping into coverage, especially on the boundary side of the field where senior wideout Miles Boykin lines up, Book completed only 7 of 15 passes in the first half (1 of 4 in the second quarter). In the second half, with consistently strong pass protection, including leav- ing the running backs in to block, the Irish adjusted by going more to the wide side of the field, where junior wide receiver Chase Claypool easily had his best outing of the year (eight catches for 130 yards), including running physically after the catch. The Irish utilized more horizontal tosses and run-pass options (RPO) in the final 30 minutes to help compensate for the lack of a power rushing attack against the aggressive interior alignment, thereby attacking the perimeter. Book com- pleted 15 of 19 passes for 236 yards, highlighted by third-quarter touchdowns strikes of 20 yards to Boykin and 47 to sophomore wideout Michael Young, plus a crucial 31-yard strike to Claypool on second-and-10 from the Irish 2-yard line. All the passes traveled beyond 20 yards, a previous shortcoming in Book's arsenal. He ended the third quarter with a 26-yard toss to senior Chris Finke. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame SPECIAL TEAMS Both teams missed field goal attempts in the first quarter. Northwestern pinned Notre Dame at its 2-yard line on a third quarter punt, but to no avail with the Irish putting together a 98-yard march that extended their lead to 21-7. A blocked punt by the Wildcats was nearly a game changer, setting up a 17- yard touchdown drive for them to cut the deficit to 24-21 — and then a Notre Dame penalty on the following kickoff return forced it to start from its 11-yard line. The Irish responded, however, with another long touchdown drive. An out-of-bounds kickoff by Notre Dame was yet another demerit. ADVANTAGE: Northwestern THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS Notre Dame was only 5 of 14 (35.7 percent), but that was offset by going 3 of 3 on fourth down. More significant was the three TD drives in the second half featured a 20-yard score to Boykin on third-and-five, converting a third-and- four the play prior to the 47-yard touchdown toss to Young, and Book's 23-yard tally on third-and-four. Northwestern was 5 of 15 (33.3 percent) on third down and 2 of 4 on fourth down, but also scored twice on third and fourth down, and had a third touch- down made possible by a third-and-seven pass interference on the Irish. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame TURNOVERS For the second straight week, Notre Dame turned it over deep in its territory on the game's opening possession — yet allowed no points off the miscue. It was the lone turnover in the contest. ADVANTAGE: Northwestern ANALYSIS Notre Dame's defense kept Northwestern at bay for the most part, while the Irish offense was trying to find its rhythm. In the second half, Notre Dame's staff on offense opted to throw "balance" out the window by letting Book and Co., "hit it where they ain't." The RPO plays served as the running game. They spotted the vulnerable areas of coverage, and the vertical passing game that had been deemed a question mark for the Irish responded repeatedly, augmented by the run-pass options. The blocked punt by Northwestern almost turned the game around, but the late 89-yard clutch drive by Notre Dame is the stuff of champions. ON PAPER REVISITED BY LOU SOMOGYI Senior running back Dexter Williams managed just 56 yards in 19 carries (2.9 yards per rush), but did score an early touchdown and then broke loose for a 19-yard run on the game-clinching drive. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA