Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1428488
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 20, 2021 7 UNDER THE DOME Coan never mailed it in mentally or re- treated to a lonely corner on the sideline. "The key to that game was he's never out of the game," said Rob Hoss, Coan's coach at Sayville (N.Y.) High. "Even when they take him out, he's engaged." The competitive side that never wants to come off the field takes a backseat to his desire for Notre Dame's success. This is who Coan has always been, as Hoss can attest. "Jack could have broken every record in the history of New York state football, but I would take him out at halftime," Hoss said. "Like, 'Listen Jack, I know you could break records today and you threw seven touchdowns in the game.' It was, 'Coach, whatever's best for the team.'" Of course, it's easier to swallow a removal when your team leads by four touchdowns at halftime than one prompted by the offense running in mud. But it was still useful training for years later. Coan was ready for that mo- ment in Blacksburg because, in a way, he never left the game. His teammates couldn't help but notice. "When I saw Jack warm up before the second-to-last drive, I looked him in the eye and I knew we were going to win that game," senior center Jarrett Patterson said. "He had that killer instinct in his eye. I'm like, 'Jack's going to get this done for us. We better protect our asses off.'" In that win, Notre Dame found a path forward on offense and a moment its quarterback could use a spark. "I think it has helped," Coan said. Whenever you have success in whatever drives you get in, it helps give you confi- dence. It helped me for the next week." FINDING SOMETHING SUSTAINABLE The shift to a hurry-up, quick-release offense was unforeseen in the context of Notre Dame's season opener at Florida State Sept. 5, when Coan threw for 366 yards and four touchdowns in a verti- cal-based attack. He threw eight passes that traveled 20 yards downfield. He was, though, sacked four times that night. In the games that followed, the downfield completions dried up while the sacks only increased. Through Week 5, no Football Bowl Subdivision quarterback had been sacked more times than Coan (21). Folks back on Long Island in Coan's hometown won- dered if Notre Dame's offensive ap- proach was the right one given the turn- over on the offensive line and Coan's limited mobility. Something had to give. At first, that was Coan when Kelly pulled him. Then, it was the identity. One reason going up-tempo worked versus Virginia Tech and beyond was because Coan had done it before. "In the four years Jack started for me, he never took a snap under center," Hoss said. "Everything was in the shotgun. We ran regular tempo, we ran hurry-up and what we call warp-speed — we're repeating the play and going right now." Starting with Virginia Tech, Coan's average release time was 2.5 seconds or fewer in three straight games before a 3.02-second blip against Navy. He had zero 2.5-second or faster games in the Irish's first five outings and just one less than 2.65 seconds. His average depth of target in the first three games post-Virginia Tech was 6.9 yards, but despite the shorter throws, he averaged 8.3 yards per attempt in that span. He has taken just four sacks. All the while, Buchner remains en- trenched in the offense because he opens up the run-game playbook in a way Coan can't. Coan was on board with Buchner's initial involvement, which began in Week 2 versus Toledo. He didn't have a choice, of course, but he could help by being a sounding board for Buchner. He's good with it now, just like he was with the identify shift. "None of this happens unless it's with the student-athlete," Kelly said. "It's the player who has to be able to make some significant changes. Some of the things he had been doing had been suc- cessful for him. He was a successful Big Ten quarterback who had a lot of wins. Extremely coachable. "It was then finding what he brought to the table." Now that Notre Dame discovered it, the discussion around Coan has a refreshed tenor. No one is propping him up as an All-American, but the narrative is less about what he can't do and more about how he has fit into the Irish's success. Without constant mention of an unpro- ductive run game when he plays and his lack of mobility, his quick decision-mak- ing and sound timing are easier to spot. "I love what they're doing," Hoss said, "and there's no doubt he's comfortable in that." ✦ 2023 Notre Dame-Navy Game Moved To Dublin Notre Dame and Navy will play in Ireland again after all. The two schools announced their respective football programs will go head-to-head on Aug. 26, 2023, at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Notre Dame and Navy were supposed to play there in 2020 but the game was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We're thrilled to be able to provide another opportunity for our team and fans to experience the culture and hospitality of Ireland," Notre Dame director of athletics Jack Swarbrick said. "This trip overseas continues to strengthen our academic and athletic presence around the globe. "Bringing a Notre Dame football home game atmosphere to Ireland has been a goal of ours and we couldn't be more excited to partner with the Naval Academy to make it happen." Notre Dame has not played on foreign soil since beating Navy 50-10 in Dublin in the 2012 season opener. Swarbrick said the process of putting the game together "pretty much immediately" after the 2020 game was axed. He pushed for it to happen as soon as possible, even if it meant giving up a Notre Dame home game. The prior two Navy-Notre Dame games in Ireland were Midshipmen home years. The 2023 game, though, was originally set for November in South Bend. In the context of the next three seasons, 2023 made the most sense for Notre Dame to play overseas. Next year, Notre Dame is on the road at Ohio State in Week 1. In 2025, the Fighting Irish play at Texas A&M in Week 1. They open the 2026 season against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field. Those being marquee matchups against big-name brands, Swarbrick wasn't going to try to move them out of their season-opening slots. And Swarbrick wasn't going to schedule a "Week Zero" game prior to either of them. Notre Dame did not have a Week 1 game in 2023 scheduled prior to announcing the Ireland trip. When Notre Dame played in Ireland in 2012, the Irish turned around and played Purdue seven days later in South Bend. The Boilermakers nearly upended the eventual 12-0 Irish in a tightly contested 20-17 final. Notre Dame will have a much-needed week off between the 2023 game in Ireland and its first game in the United States. Notre Dame and Navy have met on the football field 94 times. The Irish have an 80-13-1 advantage in the series. The 2022 game between the schools will be played in Baltimore. — Tyler Horka