Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1526412
24 SEPT. 14, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED TURNING POINT In a tough task to find one defining moment in a forgettable 16-14 Irish loss to Northern Illinois, the turning point in this upset came in the first quarter after Notre Dame completed an efficient touch- down drive and seemed poised for an easy win. The Irish took the opening possession of the game and methodically moved 75 yards on 13 plays to take a 7-0 lead over the Huskies. But instead of folding, NIU survived that first punch and started the ensuing drive at its own 2-yard line. The Huskies moved the ball out to the 17-yard line on its first four plays, before junior quarterback Ethan Hampton connected with senior tailback Antario Brown on a short seem pass in traffic that went 83 yards for a game-tying touchdown. The play served as a momentum-changing moment that stood up the rest of the way. STATS OF THE GAME In a one-score game that featured three lead changes, two in the second half, the statistical numbers suggest that NIU could've won this one by a bigger margin than it did. The Huskies won the rushing yardage battle (190-123) and the total yardage battle (388-286), and they held a significant advantage in time of possession (34:38 to 25:22). NIU actually pulled this epic upset while com- pleting only 10 passes in the game. Perhaps more importantly, NIU won the turn- over battle 2-0 after snaring 2 interceptions from Irish senior quarterback Riley Leonard. The Hus- kies scored six points off of those two takeaways in the two-point win. The NIU defense also sacked Leonard twice while the Irish defense never sacked Hampton and rarely pressured him. RILEY OR WRONGLY? After a mundane but good enough statistical performance for Leonard in the upset win over Texas A&M — 18-of-30 passing, 158 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions — the Irish quarterback struggled badly in the loss to NIU. Against the Huskies, Leonard completed 20 of 32 throws for 163 yards with 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, with one of those pickoffs particu- larly damaging in the upset loss. With Notre Dame clinging to a 14-13 lead in the fourth quarter, Riley threw an ill-advised pass second-and-1 that was intercepted by NIU sophomore cornerback Amariyun Knighten and returned 33 yards to midfield. From there, the Huskies used 11 plays to go 31 yards in 5:24, to set up a game-winning 35-yard field goal leaving just 31 seconds in the fourth quarter. THREE OBSERVATIONS BY TODD D. BURLAGE LINEBACKER JAIDEN AUSBERRY The Notre Dame sophomore was all over the field against NIU, often making plays in critical times and in crucial situations. He finished the game with 6 tackles (3 solo) and added 1 pass broken up. His best work came in the fourth quarter when he recorded 2 tackles behind or near the line of scrimmage, and then broke up a pass on a fourth-and-2 play for NIU that flipped possession, protecting a precarious 14-13 Irish lead that didn't hold up in the end. Ausberry provided Notre Dame a needed lift and proved he can be a reliable rotational regular moving forward. TAILBACK JEREMIYAH LOVE With not much to choose from offensively for Notre Dame as far as game balls, the Irish sophomore gets the nod for doing his part. Love finished the game with a team-high 79 yards on 11 carries, a stat line that included a 34-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that gave the Irish a 14-13 lead that seemed to change momentum and put Notre Dame on track for a hard-fought comeback win. A dual-threat player, Love also added 2 receptions for 10 yards in the game, but none of it was enough in the devastating defeat. SAFETY XAVIER WATTS The Irish graduate student and reigning national defen- sive player of the year didn't enjoy his best game against NIU, but he still led the Irish with 8 tackles, 6 solo. The heartbeat of the Irish defense, Watts also earned a game ball in the 10-point win over Texas A&M, when he recorded 3 tackles and a clutch interception that squashed an important Aggies drive and kept upset hopes intact. Watts' standout performance in the season opener — and his game ball selection against NIU — felt plenty hol- low after the biggest win during the Marcus Freeman era was followed a week later by one of the worst defeats the Irish head coach has suffered during his three-plus years on the job. GAME BALLS BY TODD D. BURLAGE Sophomore linebacker Jaiden Ausberry finished with 6 tackles and 1 pass broken up against the Huskies. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER