Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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26 OCT. 28, 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 1. Containing Caleb Williams Started Up Front Notre Dame's secondary was outstanding, and we'll get to that shortly. But containing USC ju- nior quarterback Caleb Williams started up front with an outstanding performance from the Irish defensive line. While compiling 6 sacks against Williams was impressive, that number doesn't come close to telling the full story of what the Notre Dame pass rush did against the Trojans. Pressure forced each of Williams' interceptions. The Irish made him make off-platform throws into double coverage, with predictable results. Not only did the rushers break into the backfield, but they stayed in their rush lanes and didn't over-pursue. In that sense, they trusted each other, and it paid off. "That was a big emphasis," graduate student linebacker JD Bertrand said. "I think you could see that we tried to contain him as much as we could in that pocket." Beyond the technical stuff, the Irish were just relentless. "We have to have relentless rushers against Ca- leb Williams, and we were able to do that," Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said. "And it was a whole group of guys that were able to really get pressure on him." 2. Give Al Golden His Flowers (And Maybe A Car) Graduate student quarterback Sam Hartman, for the second time in three weeks, said he needed to buy defensive coordinator Al Golden a Ferrari. The impulse is justified. Golden had a great plan for Williams and the Trojans. Essentially, Notre Dame rushed five, or rushed four with a quarterback spy, and tried to clog every lane Williams could have run through to extend the play. Because Williams saw a blue jersey every- where he turned, he couldn't do his favorite thing: keep his eyes downfield and find open receivers for massive gains. "You have to attack," Freeman said. "You cannot play passive. You cannot play a three-man rush and let him go out there and be the Heisman Trophy winner he is." Notre Dame trusted its secondary and brought disciplined, calculated heat on Williams. It worked beautifully. 3. Secondary 'Plastered' To Perfection Obviously, that plan doesn't work for every team. Very few secondaries can be trusted to match up with USC's receivers like the Irish did. Watts himself talked earlier this week about "plastering" to the Trojans' pass catchers for as long as possible. Notre Dame only allowed 5.38 yards per attempt to Williams, which is unheard of. Graduate student nickel back Thomas Harper was terrific, as were the safeties and senior nickel corner Clarence Lewis. And it might be time to crown graduate student Cam Hart and sophomore Benjamin Morrison as the best cornerback duo in the country. 4. Offense Wasn't Great, But Made Key Improvements Specifically, the offensive line played a much better game than it did against Louisville. Hartman was not sacked. Estimé did not break a big gain, but he was efficient with 95 yards on 22 carries. He was also very effective at the goal line, as Notre Dame scored touchdowns on 3 of its 4 trips inside the 10. USC totaled zero quarterback hits. Hartman never really seemed to be in much trouble in the pocket. And yes, the Trojans' secondary has shown Swiss cheese-like tendencies this season, but hit- ting big plays to senior wide receiver Chris Tyree (a 46-yard touchdown) and freshman wideout Rico Flores Jr. (24 yards) was encouraging. Offensive coordinator Gerad Parker has work to do, but this game provided something to build off of. 5. Don't Cry Because Louisville Happened, Smile Because Notre Dame Bounced Back One week ago, fans on the Lou Somogyi Board were mapping out timelines for the next two years that involved Freeman's firing. Saturday night, fans outside the media room chanted, "We love Mar-cus!" I understand watching Notre Dame boat-race USC and thinking, "This makes the loss to Louisville hurt even more." I get it. If they won that game, the Irish would be entering their bye week with a clear path to the College Football Playoff. But they didn't. And they didn't lose a close game, decided by one play. They got beat from start to finish. No college football team, not even 2021 and 2022 Georgia, will play its "A" game 12 times in a season. Sometimes, losses like that hap- pen. All the Irish could do was respond, and they responded with one heck of a statement. Notre Dame fans learned a lot about what this team is made of in this win. And this season can still end happily for the Irish. FIVE THOUGHTS BY JACK SOBLE Notre Dame's defensive line —including senior tackle Rylie Mills — did an outstanding job pressuring and containing USC quarterback Caleb Williams. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER