Blue and Gold Illustrated

February 2023

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com FEBRUARY 2023 21 NOTRE DAME PASSING OFFENSE: C+ Where do we begin — with the 3 passing touch- downs or with the 3 interceptions, 2 of which were returned for South Carolina touchdowns? Playing in his first game since injuring his shoul- der Sept. 10, sophomore quarterback Tyler Bu- chner admitted he did not play to the standard he sets out for himself. But he still threw for the game-winning score with less than two minutes left and made good on a variety of throws through- out the game. His 44-yard touchdown to graduate student wide receiver Braden Lenzy was dropped in a bucket. He showed a solid rapport with sophomore wideout Jayden Thomas in connecting 5 times on 8 targets for 67 yards. Four of Thomas' catches moved the chains. The pass protection could have been better and Buchner needed to do a better job of taking care of the ball, but overall there were plenty of positives. NOTRE DAME RUSHING OFFENSE: A- When the game was up for grabs in the second half, Notre Dame went to the ground. It was a deciding factor in the result. South Carolina could not stop the Irish's rushing attack. Notre Dame ended up with 46 team carries for 264 yards and 3 touchdowns. Buchner had two of those scores, including the Irish's first end zone entrance of the afternoon. He also had 61 of the yards on 12 carries. He had 82 yards excluding sacks. He didn't miss a beat in the rushing game after such a long layoff. Sophomores Audric Estime and Logan Diggs were their usual selves in combining for 27 attempts and 184 yards. Diggs scored on a 39-yard rush. The physicality of that duo was too much for South Carolina to handle in the second half. NOTRE DAME PASSING DEFENSE: B South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler threw for 246 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 in- terception. He was 29-of-46 passing for an average of 5.3 yards per attempt. Outside of a miraculous 42-yard touchdown connection with wide receiver Xavier Legette, Rattler didn't do much to threaten the Notre Dame defense with his arm. The Irish also sacked him three times for a loss of 16 yards. South Carolina was missing a plethora of play- makers, and it showed. Still, nine different players reeled in at least one reception. Legette led the way with 7 catches for 78 yards and 2 touchdowns. Outside of his production and 5 catches for 78 yards from tight end Nate Adkins, Notre Dame held the Gamecocks in check through the air. NOTRE DAME RUSHING DEFENSE: A South Carolina didn't have a semblance of a rushing attack. The Gamecocks finished with 22 team carries for 75 yards. They did not score on the ground. Linebacker JD Bertrand and corner- back TaRiq Bracy paced the Irish with 8 tackles apiece. Fifteen Notre Dame players had at least 2 tackles. South Carolina running back Juju McDowell's first carry went for 13 yards. He didn't have a rush go for more than 4 yards on any of his five attempts thereafter. Even without defensive tackle Jayson Ademilola, the Irish were able to completely shut the Gamecocks down on the ground. NOTRE DAME SPECIAL TEAMS: B There were two defining special teams plays in the game. South Carolina faked a field goal and cashed in on it with a 23-yard touchdown pass. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said his special teams unit was prepared for the fake. There was miscom- munication in coverage once it actually transpired. The Irish countered with a fake punt at a crucial juncture. The score was tied 31-31 early in the fourth quarter. Notre Dame was set to give the ball back to South Carolina. Instead, Lenzy's number was dialed on a short touch pass off the hand of tight end Davis Sherwood, who got the ball on a direct snap with Lenzy sent in motion to the right. The play gained 20 yards, and Notre Dame took its first lead of the game on Diggs' touchdown three plays later. NOTRE DAME COACHING: B+ It first appeared Notre Dame was going to get run off the field early on. South Carolina built a two-touchdown lead at two different points in the game. Freeman and his assistants showed poise and resolve to get their guys settled down and within striking distance at halftime. In the second half, the Irish went to what works well for them. The game-winning touchdown to sophomore tight end Mitchell Evans was a heck of a call from offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. The defense only gave up 352 total yards. Hat tip to de- fensive coordinator Al Golden. The Irish might have only won by a touchdown, but it was a total team effort that looked better in person than on paper. REPORT CARD BY TYLER HORKA Senior linebacker JD Bertrand — who finished tied for the team lead with 8 tackles — led the way for an Irish defense that limited the Gamecocks to 75 yards on 22 rushing attempts (2.9 yards per carry). PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER

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