Blue and Gold Illustrated

Sept. 26, 2020

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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26 SEPT. 26, 2020 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED Immediate observations and musings from Notre Dame's win over South Florida 1. Kiser Can Claim The Buck Job Sophomore Jack Kiser started at Buck linebacker because junior Shayne Si- mon and sophomore Marist Liufau, the week one co-starters, were unavailable. He made a strong early case for why he should stay there. Despite a redshirt last year and only four snaps played against Duke, Kiser was instinctive, disciplined and decisive. He was an effective spy on some quarterback runs and stayed in on third downs as part of sub packages. He had a team-high eight tackles and 2.0 stops for loss. 2. Play-Action Passing Back The six play-action passes Notre Dame called against Duke were fewer than all but one of fifth-year quarterback Ian Book's starts in 2019. Offensive coor- dinator Tommy Rees ensured that trend didn't repeat itself. He called four of them on the opening drive, including the first play of the game, which resulted in a 24-yard completion to junior tight end Tommy Tremble. Play action was Book's most comfortable setting. Rees didn't call many straight-drop-back passes with him, but when he did quarterback-receiver comfort still appeared to be an issue. 3. Tremble's Versatility On Display Tremble allows Notre Dame's offense to take on several different shapes and formations without substituting. In the first half alone, he was in-line, in the slot and in the backfield as a lead blocker. No other tight end was deployed in such a way. He can turn a de facto 21 per- sonnel look with him at fullback into essentially 11 personnel by lining up in the slot the next play. His blocking ability mixed with his receiving skill makes it work. He might not be as eye opening physically as freshman Michael Mayer, but he's Notre Dame's most complete tight end right now. 4. Tight End Usage Up Head coach Brian Kelly oozed about his tight ends' collective upside in camp and said he wouldn't be afraid to use three of them in non-goal-line situations. Against Duke, Notre Dame used 13 personnel only in a goal-line package. Against USF, though, he used it on the first play of the game and only three fewer times on the first drive (five) than the entire game versus Duke (seven). Every play of the first drive had at least two tight ends, lined up in various ways. The increase in their usage came mainly at the expense of the slot re- ceiver position, which was without junior Lawrence Keys III. 5. Clarence Lewis Impresses The freshman cornerback started in place of junior TaRiq Bracy, who was unavailable. Lewis played every snap until he was removed in the second half with the game out of hand. He wasn't really challenged by USF's downfield attack, but he still produced a strong stat line, with five tackles, three passes broken up and five individual defensive wins. More importantly, he didn't appear to miss any assignments. 6. Still Want More From Passing Offense Notre Dame's plan was clear, and that was to run the ball right at USF and make the Bulls stop it. Sure enough, the Irish averaged 6.2 yards per rush on 45 carries. When they did throw — and it was only 21 times — something still looked off. Book's improved calmness in the pocket was evident, but he still had a few instances of inaccurate throws to open receivers. It didn't hurt against USF, but Notre Dame needs to trust that he can move the ball in games when chunk running plays won't come so easily. 7. Wide Receivers Still Quiet Notre Dame had junior Braden Lenzy and his run-after-catch ability back, and he caught a pass on the second drive of the game. He ended with three grabs for 34 yards. The rest of the receivers caught just one pass. Book had junior Joe Wilkins Jr. open for a touchdown in the third quarter in the corner of the end zone, but he threw behind him and hit the defender's head. He and fifth-year senior Javon McKinley still appear to be off-kilter. The position remains a work in progress. 8. Jordan Johnson Still Buried The receiver situation made it even more puzzling why freshman Jordan Johnson didn't see any time with the first-team offense. The former five-star recruit entered with the backups in the second half. The playing time suggests he's not ready for even a complementary role, but surely there are a handful of plays to create a small package for him. 9. Lots Of Running Backs Even before garbage time, the running back carry distribution was more even than it was against Duke, when sophomore Kyren Williams had 21 touches. Williams, freshman Chris Tyree and junior C'Bo Flemister had from five to eight carries in the first half. Each brings something unique. Tyree's speed and make-you-miss skills were on display. Flemister's tough-guy, up-field running style should be useful. With Williams, the well-roundedness and all-purpose skill is invaluable. 10. Freshman Defenders Earn Another Look Notre Dame played a seventh interior defender when freshman Rylie Mills made his college debut in the first half, while the starters were still out there. He saw some action on third downs, where he can bring some pass-rush abil- ity from the inside. Defensive end Jordan Botelho also debuted on special teams and created some havoc, with a near-block on a punt and scooping up a blocked one for a touchdown. The defensive line was 11 deep again, but those two earned the right to a few snaps in upcoming games. 10 INITIAL THOUGHTS BY PATRICK ENGEL Junior tight end Tommy Tremble (No. 24) lined up all over the formation, caught three passes for a career-best 61 yards and was essential as a blocker in the running game. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS

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