Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 13, 2021 7 UNDER THE DOME before the season, a practice injury or a fourth quarter with a starter running on fumes are worst-case scenarios for the linebacker unit. A trio of injuries during the final week of fall camp and the Week 1 game at Florida State wiped out its depth. Junior Marist Liufau, a seemingly inevitable breakout star after a strong camp, broke his lower leg in late Au- gust. Seniors Shayne Simon (labrum) and Paul Moala (Achilles) were lost for the season at Florida State. All of a sudden, Notre Dame had just three middle linebackers left. Liufau's injury ushered junior JD Bertrand into the starting lineup and an every-down role at Will linebacker. Graduate stu- dent Drew White remains the Mike line- backer, with senior Bo Bauer spelling him in sub packages. Notre Dame moved freshman Prince Kollie from rover to inside linebacker, but he has not played on defense outside of two mop-up snaps in the Wisconsin game. No linebacker has more weight on his shoulders than Bertrand, who played 513 defensive snaps through eight games. Only sophomore cornerback Clarence Lewis (557 snaps) has seen more action in that span. The Irish don't have a de- pendable No. 2 behind Bertrand. The workload is taking its toll, even as he remains among Notre Dame's top tack- lers each week and still led the team with 71 stops heading into the game versus Navy. A fourth-quarter drive in the 24-13 loss to Cincinnati Oct. 2 raised eye- brows. Bertrand missed a tackle, al- lowed a 36-yard catch in coverage and lost contain on Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder's touchdown run that put the game out of reach. It was something to monitor then. It has become a bit more concerning now. Pro Football Focus tagged Bertrand with three missed tackles in the ensu- ing three games. Two of them came in the win over North Carolina. He has committed a personal foul penalty in two straight games. There have been too many moments where he has trailed in coverage. Furthermore, his production outside of tackles has gone down of late. Ber- trand made 10 "splash plays" (sacks, tackles for loss, passes broken up, interceptions, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries, third- and fourth-down stops, and goal-line tackles) in Notre Dame's first four games. He only has one in the last four. It's hard not to wonder if that work- load has taken a toll or if the sudden elevation after Liufau's injury has been more of a challenge than it initially seemed. Bertrand said he's banged up, but that "it's nothing extreme. Just little injuries you expect — ankle, wrist — typical things for linebackers. Nothing too big." In response, Notre Dame has scaled back his snap count. He played 47 and 49 snaps against USC and North Caro- lina, respectively. Bauer often replaced him in the dime defense. Junior rover Jack Kiser, who didn't start either game because Notre Dame played a nickel base, played a series in his stead both weeks. Keeping Bertrand's snaps in the high 40s or low 50s might be the ideal usage if Notre Dame wants to get him back to his early season and fall-camp peak form. It would be easier to accomplish if Kollie earned some work, but with each passing week, his involvement this year feels less likely. "Each freshman, each young player has a journey that is unique to them- selves," Kelly said. "His one has taken some time. It does not mean in any way we're down on him or he hasn't lived up to expectations, all those crazy narra- tives about, 'Why isn't he starting?' "He has done well, but it has been smaller steps because there has been a transition for him." White and Bauer are an effective tan- dem and keep the other fresh. White played the ninth-most snaps among Notre Dame defenders (355, or 44 per game) though eight games because he cedes work to Bauer in nickel and dime packages. A shoulder injury that nearly forced White to miss the North Car- olina game, then, can't be pinned on too heavy a game-day workload. It also doesn't sound like a long-term concern. But it can reinforce the need for and importance of handling the linebackers with care over the final month of the regular season. ✦ YOU DON'T WAIT FOR MAIL DELIVERY! HAVE TO The digital edition of Blue & Gold Illustrated is available Sundays at BlueGoldOnline.com The Blue & Gold Illustrated digital edition includes all the great content you find in your print edition, plus: ✦ Searchable archive ✦ Downloadable PDFs ✦ Available on computers and tablets Visit BlueGoldOnline.com for the latest issue every Sunday! It's already part of your subscription! PLUS: The Blue Gold Report Midweek Update! • Emailed Every Pre-Game Wednesday • Depth Charts And Rosters For Both Teams • Updated Statistics • Columns and Much More! • Can be viewed on your computer, phone or tablet, or printed out to read later. To receive notifications, please send your email address to: newsletter@blueandgold.com. Customer Service: 1-800-421-7751