Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM OCT. 29, 2022 29 ENGEL'S ANGLE PATRICK ENGEL Patrick Engel has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since March 2020. He can be reached at pengel@blueandgold.com T hose hoping Notre Dame fresh- man quarterback Steve Angeli could make his college debut vs. UNLV were rewarded, technically. But not in the desired manner. Ideally, Angeli would play a se- ries or two in the fourth quarter because Notre Dame had long buried the shorthanded Rebels. That's how this was supposed to go, even for a flawed Irish squad that had already lost once at home to a Group of Five team. Instead? Angeli played two first- half snaps in relief of starter Drew Pyne, who left briefly after taking a hit to the helmet on a scramble. That was it. Notre Dame didn't build a fourth-quarter cushion that crossed head coach Marcus Free- man's threshold for playing backups. Angeli's lack of fourth-quarter mop-up duty was just one aspect of a comfortable win that still left you wanting more. It was better than the alternative — as Notre Dame can attest firsthand — and that's not to be discounted when discussing a team playing for week-to-week improve- ment hoping to reach a bowl game. But Notre Dame 44, UNLV 21 could have been a total laugher. Instead, it was a 'took-care-of-business' snoozer that highlighted the Irish's problems almost as often as it did strengths. Fan enthusi- asm for it matched that of a man hearing his number called at the DMV. "We are a good football team that doesn't always play that way," Freeman said. Notre Dame was good enough vs. a UNLV team playing without its start- ing quarterback and leading rusher. The Irish ran for 223 yards on 47 carries, leaning into the ground game for much of the second half. They averaged 5.7 yards per play, did not allow a tackle for loss and were 9 of 17 on third downs. They had 9 tackles for loss, surrendered zero third-down conversions and finally recovered a fumble they forced. More than enough to win, all told. "At the end of the day, we're evalu- ated off the result," Freeman said. Special teams helped swing the game early. Senior defensive end Isaiah Fos- key became the first Notre Dame player to block two punts in a game since the school began keeping records in 1937. He did it on consecutive first-quarter Rebels punts, setting the Irish up in the red zone both times. Notre Dame's average starting field position was its own 46-yard line. Start- ing on second base ensured points were consistent on a day where the offense oscillated between effective and choppy. Pyne has followed up two great games with two shaky ones. He was 14-of-28 passing for 205 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. It was his second straight game with a 50 percent or lower completion rate, a rut that can largely be attributed to scattershot accuracy. If Notre Dame wants to be serious about knocking off either of the two top- 10 teams left on its schedule, it needs Pyne to look more like the player who completed 74 percent of his passes with 1 interception over his first three starts. Heck, that's necessary if Notre Dame just wants to be bowl eligible. That's on Pyne to throw the ball better, but also on the Irish's coaching staff to put him in the right position and keep his morale high. "The big thing with Drew is just con- tinue to be confident," Freeman said. "I kept telling him, the ebbs and flows of a season happen within a game. You have to get your mind right, get back to the side- line, and make sure you understand, the next opportunity you get, let's go. "There's a reason why you're our starting quarterback. We all be- lieve in you." Pyne's teammates are responsi- ble for backing up Freeman's words, which is second nature for junior tight end Michael Mayer. In the win over California Sept. 17, NBC's cameras captured him patting Pyne on the back after Pyne sailed a throw over his head and earned an over-the-phone upbraiding from offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. It looked like a natural reaction, a captain being a captain. "I know when he needs a slap on the butt to say, 'Let's go, we're still in this thing,'" Mayer said. "Let's drive down the field. Let's go score. I think it's important because he does get down sometimes, and I think he does need some people to lift him up sometimes. That's why I'm there." As much ire as the passing offense drew, one reason mop-up duty never came was a defense that has cracks in a strong foundation. The Irish allowed touchdowns on all three of UNLV's red-zone possessions and have surrendered them on 14 of 17 op- ponent trips inside the 20. That's an 82.3 percent red-zone touchdown percent- age, which trails only Rutgers and Arkan- sas State nationally. They gave up their longest run play of the year, a 74-yarder by UNLV running back Courtney Reese. They have still forced just three turnovers this year and are second-to-last in the FBS with 13 passes defended. That's why allowing only 299 yards feels hollower than it should. Just like the hit-and-miss passing offense makes a 44-point output get the side eye. "There was work to do on all three phases, but there were really big highs today on all three phases," Freeman said. The more highs Notre Dame's start- ing quarterback creates, the better the chances his backup can finish a game before year's end. ✦ Junior quarterback Drew Pyne and the Fighting Irish still have work to do after beating UNLV 44-21. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER Three-Score Win Still Left A Desire For More