Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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38 OCT. 19, 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED GAME PREVIEW: GEORGIA TECH are Nos. 2 and 11 in Pro Football Focus' elusive- ness rating, an advanced stat designed to mea- sure the impact of the ball carrier independent of scheme and blocking. Given this dynamic, the Irish should be able to create a big play or two in the run game. Advantage: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. GEORGIA TECH PASS DEFENSE Georgia Tech's pass efficiency defense was the 109th-best in college football through Week 6, and it's the primary reason the Yellow Jackets have two losses. Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord had his best game of the 2024 season against Georgia Tech in the Orange's 31-28 win, completing 32 of 46 passes for 381 yards with 4 touchdowns. Old friend Tyler Shough, Louisville's seventh-year signal-caller, connected on 13 of 19 throws for 269 yards with 2 scores in the Cardinals' 31-19 victory. Even Florida State's DJ Uiagalelei managed to put together a semi-respectable 19-of-27 passing for 193 yards showing in Florida State's 24-21 loss in Week 0. None of those quarterbacks threw an intercep- tion, and Georgia Tech's first pick of the season came in a 24-14 win over Duke Oct. 5. Looking for soft spots in the Yellow Jackets' de- fense, the linebackers seem to be a problem area. PFF credits Efford and senior Trenilyas Tatum with a combined 24 receptions allowed on 29 targets for 310 yards (10.7 yards per attempt). Redshirt junior cornerback Ahmari Harvey — who has the pick — is prone to getting targeted, allowing 19 catches on 30 attempts for 254 yards (8.4 yards per attempt). Up front, Height led the way with 10 pressures, but the pass rush has been lacking this year, too. Georgia Tech has produced only 6 sacks, which was tied with Wake Forest for dead last in the ACC. However you look at it — yardage allowed, com- pletion percentage, impact defensive plays, etc. — the Yellow Jackets have a subpar pass defense. Is Notre Dame in position to take advantage? That depends on a few factors, and I suspect we'll know more after the Irish face another poor pass defense in Stanford in Week 6. One factor, given the linebackers' shoddy coverage ability, is the health of senior tight end Mitchell Evans. If Evans is at full strength and in 2023 form, Leonard could cook with throws up the seam and over the middle to big No. 88. For now, though, this is another stoppable force versus movable object situation. Advantage: Even SPECIAL TEAMS Notre Dame special teams coordinator Marty Biagi has come under fire for miscues in the third phase, the latest being a fumble from graduate student running back Devyn Ford on the opening kickoff against Louisville. The Irish have been middle of the road on their kickoff return, punt return, and punt and field goal units, although that last one isn't the fault of their kicker. Graduate student Mitch Jeter has made 5 of 7 tries, but the two misses were both blocked. "I'm really pleased at the overall picture of our special teams," Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said Oct. 10. "We just have to continue to make sure that we're eliminating those det- rimental mistakes because they can cost you a game." On the Georgia Tech side, redshirt sophomore kicker Aidan Birr has made only 4 of 8 field goal attempts, though he did hit the game-winner against Florida State in the season opener. Six different players have attempted a kickoff return, with the most successful being Singleton, who has a 40-yard runback. The advantage goes to Notre Dame on punt return average, albeit in a small sample size, with walk-on Colgate graduate transfer Max Hurleman. It goes to Georgia Tech in punting, with senior Da- vid Shanahan — a native of Castleisland, Ireland — Offense Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. WR 5 Beaux Collins 6-2 206 Gr. or 83 Jayden Thomas 6-2 218 Sr. WR 1 Jaden Greathouse 6-1 215 So. or 2 Jayden Harrison 5-10 198 Gr. LT 54 Anthonie Knapp 6-4 294 Fr. 79 Tosh Baker 6-8 325 Gr. LG 72 Sam Pendleton 6-4 310 So. 75 Sullivan Absher 6-7 321 So. C 78 Pat Coogan 6-5 310 Sr. 72 Sam Pendleton 6-4 310 So. RG 50 Rocco Spindler 6-5 325 Sr. 55 Chris Terek 6-5 330 So. RT 59 Aamil Wagner 6-6 291 Jr. 76 Guerby Lambert 6-7 323 Fr. TE 88 Mitchell Evans 6-5 260 Sr. 9 Eli Raridon 6-7 250 Jr. WR 6 Jordan Faison 5-10 184 So. or 10 Kris Mitchell 6-0 186 Gr. or 11 KK Smith 6-0 178 So. QB 13 Riley Leonard 6-4 216 Sr. 18 Steve Angeli 6-2 208 Jr. RB 4 Jeremiyah Love 6-0 210 So. or 24 Jadarian Price 5-10 206 Jr. Defense Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. VYP 44 Junior Tuihalamaka 6-2 246 Jr. 40 Joshua Burnham 6-4 251 Jr. DT 99 Rylie Mills 6-5 295 Gr. 47 Jason Onye 6-5 291 Sr. NT 56 Howard Cross III 6-1 288 Gr. 41 Donovan Hinish 6-2 278 Jr. DE 9 RJ Oben 6-3 265 Gr. 40 Joshua Burnham 6-4 251 Jr. or 30 Bryce Young 6-7 238 Fr. WILL 24 Jack Kiser 6-2 231 Gr. 4 Jaiden Ausberry 6-2 216 So. or 27 Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa 6-3 240 Fr. MIKE 34 Drayk Bowen 6-2 239 So. 27 Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa 6-3 240 Fr. ROV 3 Jaylen Sneed 6-1 224 Jr. 4 Jaiden Ausberry 6-2 216 So. CB 20 Benjamin Morrison 6-0 190 Jr. 15 Leonard Moore 6-2 191 Fr. SS 8 Adon Shuler 6-0 200 So. 28 Luke Talich 6-4 211 So. or 23 Kennedy Urlacher 5-11 196 Fr. FS 0 Xavier Watts 6-0 203 Gr. 2 Rod Heard II 5-11 195 Gr. CB 29 Christian Gray 6-0 189 So. 21 Karson Hobbs 6-1 192 Fr. NIC 1 Jordan Clark 5-10 182 Gr. 21 Karson Hobbs 6-1 192 Fr. Special Teams Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. KO 98 Mitch Jeter 5-11 195 Gr. K 98 Mitch Jeter 5-11 195 Gr. P 16 James Rendell 6-6 224 Gr. 90 Eric Goins 6-2 209 Gr. LS 49 Andrew Kros 6-3 220 So. 39 Rino Monteforte 5-7 200 Jr. SS 39 Rino Monteforte 5-7 200 Jr. 49 Andrew Kros 6-3 220 So. H 26 Chris Salerno 5-11 208 Sr. 81 Jack Polian 6-0 183 Sr. PR 6 Jordan Faison 5-10 184 So. or 1 Jaden Greathouse 6-1 215 So. KR 2 Jayden Harrison 5-10 198 Gr. or 4 Jeremiyah Love 6-0 210 So. or 24 Jadarian Price 5-10 206 Jr. NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART