Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1481361
8 OCT. 15, 2022 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Clemson Is Still That Team By Tyler Horka I won't lie. USC is scary. The turnaround taking place with Lincoln Riley at the helm is transpiring more quickly than many imagined. But Clemson says hello. The Tigers never really went anywhere. OK, they failed to make the College Football Playoff for the first time since the first year of its existence (2014) last season. Big whoop. They still won 10 games. And they still have one of the most talented rosters in the country, especially defensively. USC's 15 turnovers forced through five games isn't sustain- able. I have more faith in Clemson figuring it out defensively and improving before heading to South Bend Nov. 5 than I do in the Trojans continuing to take the ball away from teams three times per game by Thanksgiving weekend. The scariest part about Clemson? The offense is far better than anyone thought it would be with D.J. Uiagalelei at quarterback. In five games, he passed for 248.4 yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also ran 55 times for 73 yards and 3 scores. Clemson showed it can beat ranked teams in two different ways in downing No. 21 Wake Forest 51-45 Sept. 24 and shutting down No. 10 North Carolina State 30-20 Oct. 1. Want to get into a shootout? Clemson can do it. Want to slow it down and rely more on defense? Clemson can do that, too. Offensive-minded USC showed some of that versatility in hanging on to beat Oregon State 17-14 Sept. 24. But Wake Forest and NC State are both better than the Beavers. Clemson is tested. Clemson is good. Clemson is the best team left on Notre Dame's schedule. Home-Field And An Explosive Roster Make It USC By Todd D. Burlage Sports Reference announced after Week 5 that Notre Dame had the tough- est strength of schedule ranking in the country to that point in the season. And given everything the Irish will be asked to overcome out in Los Angeles over Thanksgiving weekend, there's no debate that USC is the toughest op- ponent remaining on this treacherous Notre Dame schedule. The Trojans feature a dangerous blend of great offense and opportunistic defense. Offensively, USC ranked 10th in the country last week in scoring with 42.2 points per game. Defensively, the Trojans headed into last weekend with 15 takeaways, which tied for the most in the country, and with only 1 turnover, which tied for fewest in the country. Needless to say, USC's +2.80 turnover margin led the nation, by a mile. And it's that turnover differential that makes this game the most difficult one remaining for Notre Dame. Through four games, the Irish forced 1 turnover, the lowest takeaway mark in the country, and they ranked 117th nationally with a -1.00 turnover margin. Notre Dame has won four straight in this series, but much has changed out in Hollywood since this time last year. USC has a proven new head coach in Lincoln Riley, a Heisman hopeful quarterback in Caleb Williams, an upgraded and uber-talented roster, and a renewed program enthusiasm that's been missing for about the last decade. Overcoming those intangibles and beating the Trojans on the road in the regular-season finale, that's clearly the toughest challenge Notre Dame faces the rest of this regular season, and maybe even all season. Point ✦ Counterpoint: WHICH TEAM ON NOTRE DAME'S REMAINING SCHEDULE IS THE TOUGHEST? During his four seasons at Notre Dame, senior linebacker Jack Kiser has done and seen about all there is to do and see. He's played multiple positions, been to the College Football Playoff, and quietly become a rock on the Irish defense as both a versatile player and a vocal leader. Last year, Kiser — a native of Royal Center, Ind., and an undervalued three-star recruit — became the first Irish player since defensive back Julian Love in 2017 to score 2 defensive touchdowns in the same season, tallying a 66-yard interception return against Wisconsin and a 43-yard pick-six against Georgia Tech. Blue & Gold Illustrated and other local media recently caught up with Kiser to discuss necessary defensive improvements, unexpectedly playing multiple positions and his time at Notre Dame. BGI: The Irish defense this season has been steady, but not yet spectacular. What's the im- provement mission? Kiser: "We're making adjustments every week to try to get better. What can we fix? What's something that we can tie up? It's just challenging each guy on the defense to do their job a little bit better the next week. "Can we be a little bit more disciplined this week? Can we master our task? … There is really no option to take a step back at this point. And that is what we've been telling ourselves." BGI: What are the specific areas of improve- ment you're still working toward? Kiser: "Tackling and turnovers, those are the two biggest things on the defense. We've been pretty good at keeping the offense in front of us, and getting stops when we need to, but we haven't forced those turnovers. "… Great defenses have ways to impact the game, and turnovers certainly do that." BGI: Middle linebacker requires more on-field leadership than rover. How did you adjust to playing that position while filling in for JD Ber- trand? Kiser: "Just being a vocal guy on the field, mak- ing sure everybody is in the right spot, and knows what they're doing. Just taking command. That comes with the linebacker position naturally." BGI: Only four games in, you had an early bye week this season. What are your thoughts on that? Kiser: "I kinda liked it, because the start of the sea- son didn't go the way we wanted it to. Everybody knows that, so we got things back on track. And now is good time to take a second, evaluate what we've done bad, what we've done good, so far. "How can we improve? And then, make sure the rest of the season we're climbing to our full potential." BGI: What stands out about your time at Notre Dame? Kiser: "Just to see a program gel together as a family. From talking to other people, it's not like that in other schools. "So, we're very blessed and fortunate to be at Notre Dame and have the opportunity to have the football side of things that are so special. And also, go on campus, go out in the community and be able to impact other people's lives." — Todd D. Burlage Five Questions With … SENIOR LINEBACKER JACK KISER Through four games this season, Kiser led the Irish with 26 tackles. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER