Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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28 NOV. 16, 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED H ere are several observa‑ tions from Notre Dame's 38‑7 rout of Duke. DEFENSE: IRISH SHUT DOWN THE BLUE DEVILS IN IMPRESSIVE FASHION The defense turned in an‑ other top‑level performance against Duke. I wasn't neces‑ sarily expecting coordinator Clark Lea's group to dominate this game, but nothing coming in said to me that the Duke of‑ fense was going to do much in this matchup. With that said, the defense played above my expectations. Duke did not even have the ball in Notre Dame territory until about three minutes to go in the second quarter. Hold‑ ing the Blue Devils to 197 total yards and forcing seven three‑ and‑outs is a full day of work for the defense. We were wondering if Duke would have a 100‑yard rusher and as it turns out the entire team didn't even rush for 100 yards, finishing with only 95. The defensive brilliance started up front. For the second week in a row the defensive ends played very well in the run game. Senior Khalid Kareem held the edge well all night long and drew a key holding call to help stall a drive. That hold was 100 percent due to his speed around the edge against a freshman offensive tackle who was clearly overmatched. Kareem also po‑ sitioned himself well to bat down a pass at the line of scrimmage. Senior Julian Okwara was also having a fine game before he left late in the first half with an ankle injury. Both junior Drew White and fifth‑ year senior Asmar Bilal excelled at linebacker. They were able to flow over the top and make plays in the backfield as well as sideline to side‑ line. Their athleticism and knowledge of the game was on display all night. They were not over‑running plays like they did against Michigan and at times against Virginia Tech. Bilal also had a nice downfield coverage on a wheel route by Duke that showcased his speed. They were solid and decisive on their way to the ball and it showed. OFFENSE: BOOK AND FINKE LEAD THE WAY The offense started out slowly with the first of five three‑and‑outs on the night with some questionable deci‑ sions by senior quarterback Ian Book. That all went by the wayside on the second drive of the night when Book led the offense on a 10‑play, 85‑yard march that was capped off with a touchdown pass to the sometimes maligned fifth‑year senior wide re‑ ceiver Chris Finke. Book had a strong night in great part because of his improving com‑ posure. He was calm in the pocket and allowed his receivers to get open down the field. He took chances with senior wideout Chase Claypool in one‑on‑one situations. He was clearly going through his progressions and coming down to the open man. Book was especially effective in the zone‑read game. He made very good reads, and Duke was daring him to run with the way they were defending the play. He took full ad‑ vantage and rushed for a career‑high 139 yards on 12 carries. No one is going to be flawless in the course of 60‑70 plays — like run‑ ning out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage instead of throwing the ball away or waiting too long to throw the out‑cut on a third down that should have been an easy completion for a first down. The bottom line, though, is that Book showed an explo‑ siveness in the run game and was throwing with a confi‑ dence we really haven't seen since last year when he set the school record for completion percentage. This is the Book that head coach Brian Kelly and offensive coordinator Chip Long need to take this offense to the next level. Speaking of playing with a confidence we haven't seen since last year, Finke had a heck of a game catching five passes for 49 yards and two touchdowns. Granted he was on the receiving end of Book staying in the pocket and go‑ ing through his reads, but he was able to capitalize on those opportunities. He also had a 46‑yard punt return and a 78‑yard recep‑ tion that was called back on a tough holding call on fifth‑year senior right guard Trevor Ruhland. This is the Finke that Irish fans have been wait‑ ing for the whole season. Better late than never. SPECIAL TEAMS: STEADY BUT NOT SPECTACULAR Special teams did not have a great day against the Blue Devils but they did not have a stinker of a day like they did against Virginia and Vir‑ ginia Tech. Junior kicker Jonathan Doerer hit his lone field goal attempt from 34 yards early in the fourth quarter. Freshman punter Jay Bramblett only averaged 35.8 yards per kick and a long of just 44 yards. The coverage units held tight for a majority of the game, permitting only one kick re‑ turn of more than 35 yards. The highlight was Finke's weav‑ ing 46‑yard punt return to the 13‑ yard line that set up Notre Dame's final touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. ✦ Dissecting Notre Dame's Dominating Win At Duke THOUGHTS FROM THE PRESS BOX VINCE DEDARIO Vince DeDario has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since August 2019. He can be reached at vdedario@blueandgold.com The Fighting Irish defense put together a dominant performance, recording seven three-and-outs while limiting the Blue Devils to 197 total yards and just seven points. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN