Blue and Gold Illustrated

Oct. 21, 2013 Issue

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

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on paper revisited solid auxiliary complement on occasion. Advantage: Arizona State Notre Dame Passing Game Vs. Arizona State Pass Defense The offensive line had several motion penalties, but its assignment consciousness and blitz pick-up against Arizona State's constant pressure from the edge were stellar. Senior quarterback Tommy Rees wasn't sacked once, and he also displayed good pocket presence on when to move away from the rush. Rees completed less than 50 percent of his throws (17 of 38, 44.7 percent) for the third straight week, and there were numerous miscommunications on routes that saw the Irish receiving corps leave a lot of yards on the field. But the big plays to senior wide receiver TJ Jones (eight catches for 135 yards and a touchdown), especially vertically, and tight ends junior Troy Niklas and Ben Koyack, who both caught scoring passes, outweighed the errors. Averaging 16.4 yards per completion can't be overlooked. Advantage: Notre Dame Special Teams Although junior Kyle Brindza missed a 38-yard field goal attempt on Notre Dame's opening possession, he converted his other three tries, highlighted by a school-record-tying 53-yarder to help make the difference. Seven of his eight kickoffs resulted in touchbacks. Especially crucial was his punt from the ASU 49 with the Irish clinging to a 30-27 lead in the closing minutes. Arizona State's Robert Nelson could have caught it at the 19 but let it bounce — and the Irish downed the ball at the 1-yard line. Psychologically that had to be a setback for ASU, and an interception return for a score on the next play by fifth-year senior linebacker Dan Fox pretty much sealed the verdict. A 34-yard kickoff return by Atkinson III and a 27yard punt return by Jones into Sun Devils territory helped the Irish maintain the field position edge most of the game. Fifth-year senior walk-on punter By lou somogyi Alex Wulfeck's three "pooch" punts pinned ASU inside its 20 each time. Advantage: Notre Dame Third-Down Conversions Neither team excelled here, with Arizona State going 4 of 13 (plus 1 of 2 on fourth down) and Notre Dame 4 of 15 (plus 1 of 1 on fourth down, on the first series). The Irish missed all seven conversion attempts in the second half, but a crucial 10-yard completion on third-and-10 to DaVaris Daniels right before halftime helped set up the touchdown to give Notre Dame a 14-13 lead. ASU scored on a 36-yard pass on fourth-and-four late in the first half. In the second half, Arizona State's Kevin Ozier grabbed a 31-yard pass on thirdand-20 from the ASU 38 that helped set up the touchdown that tied the game at 27. Had the Sun Devils won, that probably would have been pointed to as the game's turning point. Advantage: Arizona State Turnovers Both teams scored on interception returns for touchdowns, but Notre Dame won the overall turnover battle 3-1. A forced fumble by senior cornerback Bennett Jackson led to Fox's recovery of the loose ball at the Sun Devils 21, setting up a touchdown pass to Niklas. Advantage: Notre Dame Summary Notre Dame was able to dictate and control tempo (34:38 time of possession to Arizona State's 25:22), although we were surprised that it wasn't as effective with the run. The Irish defensive pressure, discipline and tackling were the best this season considering the caliber of offense faced, although the point total might not reflect it. Special teams were the unsung hero in this victory. Notre Dame also had a plus-two advantage in turnovers for the first time this season, always a crucial tipping point. ✦

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