Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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38 OCT. 31, 2020 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED provement after moving through early season injuries and COVID-19 quarantines in its secondary. Limiting long-yardage downfield plays has kept Notre Dame's pass defense high in efficiency rating (eighth nationally entering the Pittsburgh game), but moderate turnover (61st among 76 teams, with three through the first four games) and sack production (40th with an average of 2.25 a con- test) remain areas to improve. Advantage: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME RUNNING GAME VS. GEORGIA TECH RUN DEFENSE Segments of Irish followers were skeptical when Tommy Rees — a former Notre Dame quarterback turned offensive coordinator — vowed to show- case a run-first offense in his first season as a play caller. Proof of Rees' conviction shows in this unit's production. Notre Dame had at least one 100-yard rusher in each of the first four games, and it traveled to Pittsburgh ranked seventh nationally in rushing of- fense at 261.0 yards per game, keeping it on pace to reach the team's second-best rushing mark dur- ing the 11 seasons under head coach Brian Kelly. Led in 2017 by tailback Josh Adams, the Irish set the Kelly-era standard and tied the best rushing average since 1996 at 269.5 yards per contest. With three 100-yard rushing games in his first four outings this season, Irish sophomore Kyren Williams is planting a grassroots Heisman Trophy candidacy in the same way Adams did three sea- sons ago. Through four games, he had 73 carries for 486 yards (6.7 yards per attempt) and four touchdowns. Freshman Chris Tyree and junior C'Bo Flemis- ter — who have both recorded 100-yard rushing games this season — provide reliable reinforce- ment behind Williams. A couple of Georgia Tech linebackers — senior David Curry and junior Quez Jackson — highlight a Yellow Jackets run defense that listed 57th na- tionally through Tech's first five contests, allowing 185.6 yards per game. Advantage: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. GEORGIA TECH PASS DEFENSE Criticism ruled for fifth-year senior Irish quarter- back Ian Book after a rough performance Sept. 17 when the third-year starter completed only 11 passes and failed to throw for a touchdown in an uninspiring 12-7 win over Louisville. Despite early season passing-game deficiencies, the dominating Irish running game has kept the Notre Dame coaches steadfast in their support of Book and the hopeful evolution of their aerial attack — though Kelly admitted that an improved pass/run balance must be reached to survive a schedule that strengthens in November. Inconsistent production from the Irish wide re- ceivers also remains a concern. Through games played Oct. 17, the Irish passing unit was 64th out of 77 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in yards per outing with an average of 179.8. Two Irish tight ends, junior Tommy Tremble and freshman Michael Mayer — a Freshman All- America candidate — provide Book security in the passing game while the Irish wide receivers find their way. After surrendering 500 passing yards to Clemson in a 73-7 rout by the Tigers Oct. 17, Georgia Tech became the lone team in the ACC allowing 300- plus yards per game (307.6). Yellow Jackets sophomore defensive back Zamari Walton was off to a solid start through five games, with 19 tackles plus a team-high two interceptions and three passes broken up. Advantage: Notre Dame SPECIAL TEAMS These units were a comedy of errors for Georgia Tech, which allowed six blocked kicks (four on field goals) through its first five games, easily the most in the country. With no time to execute the operation, two Yel- low Jackets kickers made only one of their first five field goals, and also failed to convert two of their 13 extra point attempts. On the bright side: with already more than a dozen punts of at least 50 yards and a long of 70 yards, Georgia Tech senior punter Pressley Har- vin III ranks among the best in the country in net yardage. Notre Dame remains solid but not spectacular within these units, somewhat surprising based on the matchups and level of competition so far this season. Advantage: Notre Dame COACHING Asked as the new head coach last season to bring Georgia Tech out of its triple-option identity and back to competitiveness in the ACC using a traditional offensive approach, now second-year skipper Geoff Collins suspected his restoration GAME PREVIEW: GEORGIA TECH Offense Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. WR 0 Braden Lenzy 5-11½ 181 Jr. 11 Ben Skowronek 6-3 220 5th-Sr. WR 3 Avery Davis 5-11 202 Sr. 18 Joe Wilkins Jr. 6-1½ 190 Jr. LT 74 Liam Eichenberg 6-6 302 5th-Sr. 73 Andrew Kristofic 6-5 292 So. LG 69 Aaron Banks 6-6 330 Sr. 76 Dillan Gibbons 6-4 309 Sr. C 55 Jarrett Patterson 6-4½ 305 Jr. 52 Zeke Correll 6-3 295 So. RG 78 Tommy Kraemer 6-6 317 5th-Sr. 56 John Dirksen 6-5 306 Jr. RT 72 Robert Hainsey 6-5 290 Sr. 75 Josh Lugg 6-7 310 Sr. TE 89 Brock Wright 6-4½ 255 Sr. 24 Tommy Tremble 6-3 242 Jr. or 85 George Takacs 6-6 245 Jr. or 87 Michael Mayer 6-5 235 Fr. WR 88 Javon McKinley 6-2 215 5th-Sr. or 4 Kevin Austin Jr. 6-2 215 Jr. QB 12 Ian Book 6-0 206 5th-Sr. 7 Brendon Clark 6-2 212 So. RB 23 Kyren Williams 5-9 194 So. 25 Chris Tyree 5-9½ 188 Fr. 20 C'Bo Flemister 5-11 195 Jr. or 8 Jafar Armstrong 6-1 220 Sr. Defense Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. Vyper 9 Daelin Hayes 6-4 270 5th-Sr. 29 Ovie Oghoufo 6-3 240 Jr. or 7 Isaiah Foskey 6-5 257 So. DT 95 M. Tagovailoa-Amosa 6-2½ 282 Sr. 57 Jayson Ademilola 6-3 279 Jr. NT 41 Kurt Hinish 6-2 296 Sr. 54 Jacob Lacey 6-2 293 So. SDE 91 Ade Ogundeji 6-4 268 5th-Sr. 19 Justin Ademilola 6-2 248 Jr. or 7 Isaiah Foskey 6-5 257 So. Buck 33 Shayne Simon 6-3 228 Jr. or 35 Marist Liufau 6-2 226 So. or 24 Jack Kiser 6-1½ 227 So. Mike 40 Drew White 6-0 227 Sr. 52 Bo Bauer 6-3 230 Jr. Rover 6 J. Owusu-Koramoah 6-1½ 215 Sr. 10 Isaiah Pryor 6-1½ 204 Sr. CB 4 Nick McCloud 6-0½ 192 5th-Sr. 5 Cam Hart 6-2½ 207 So. CB 28 TaRiq Bracy 5-10 180 Jr. or 26 Clarence Lewis 5-11½ 192 Fr. SS 20 Shaun Crawford 5-9 180 6th-Sr. 3 Houston Griffith 6-0 204 Jr. FS 14 Kyle Hamilton 6-4 219 So. 12 DJ Brown 6-0 194 Jr. or 10 Isaiah Pryor 6-1½ 204 Sr. NOTRE DAME DEPTH CHART Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. KO 39 Jonathan Doerer 6-3 197 Sr. 38 Dawson Goepferich 6-2 200 5th-Sr. K 39 Jonathan Doerer 6-3 197 Sr. 38 Dawson Goepferich 6-2 200 5th-Sr. P 19 Jay Bramblett 6-1½ 193 So. 38 Dawson Goepferich 6-2 200 5th-Sr. LS 65 Michael Vinson 6-2 226 Jr. 44 Alex Peitsch 6-1 208 Fr. Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. H 19 Jay Bramblett 6-1½ 193 So. 14 J.D. Carney 5-10 180 Sr. PR 4 Kevin Austin Jr. 6-2 215 Jr. 32 Matt Salerno 6-0½ 196 Jr. KR 25 Chris Tyree 5-9½ 188 Fr. or 8 Jafar Armstrong 6-1 220 Sr. Special Teams