Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/195693
Taking A Closer Look What Worked • Not yielding the big play. Replete with playmakers, USC had only two snaps among its 65 from scrimmage gain more than 17 yards, with the longest being a 32-yard pass to Nelson Agholor. This was a vintage version of the 2012 Irish defense, especially in the second half when the line of scrimmage was neutralized, tackles were rarely missed and the secondary had almost no miscommunication. This was best manifested by USC finishing 0 of 11 on third downs after its first series, and 0 of 2 on fourth downs. • Defensive line domination. The top Irish strength entering 2013 was expected to be the defensive line with projected first-round picks Louis Nix III and Stephon Tuitt augmented by sophomore Sheldon Day, the finest technician among the three. But offseason hernia surgery slowed Tuitt in the first half of the season, and Day basically missed the past three and a half games with a high ankle sprain. The second half versus USC was the first time this season the collective group asserted its dominance, including forcing four holding calls late in the second half (and many others that probably could have been called). • Tight end success. Junior tight end Troy Niklas was used on a little of everything, including a 30yard catch down the sideline from the slot, and a seven-yard scoring pass in which he effectively used his 6-6½, 270-pound frame as a shield versus the defender. His four catches in the first half totaled a team-high 58 yards. What Didn't Work • Punt coverage. USC sophomore wide receiver Nelson Agholor had clear sailing to his left on 48-, 34- and 16-yard punt returns. His 100 yards in punt returns were more than what Notre Dame had in the entire 2011 (48 yards) and 2012 (46 yards) seasons combined. His returns repeatedly flipped the field position dramatically and put the Irish defense in precarious positions, though it responded. • Third-and-short. On Notre Dame's opening possession, a third-and-goal at the 2-yard line gained one yard into the middle, and then on fourth-and-goal from the 1, with a receiver in motion in front of the quarterback right before the snap, junior running back Cam McDaniel was thrown for a three-yard loss while trying a run into the middle. On third-and-two late in the fourth quarter, the identical play and motion was "stoned" for just one yard, providing USC's offense a last chance. • Quarterback preparation. Notre Dame's offense looked alarmingly disjointed and unconfident minus quarterback Tommy Rees, even though Andrew Hendrix has been in the system four seasons. The Irish totaled 47 yards total offense in the second half. It might be able to weather that against Air Force and Navy, but not thereafter. Unless some major progress is made, the QB depth seems precarious again. — Tom Loy by the numbers 3 By lou somogyi Victories by Notre Dame in its last four meetings against USC. The 2014 Notre Dame graduating class is the first since 2003 to post a winning record against the Trojans in its four undergraduate years. This also marked the first Irish back-to-back victories against USC since three in a row from 1999-2001. Dame. Michigan and Purdue both built 10-0 advantages, Oklahoma was up 14-0 within three minutes, Arizona State had a 6-0 edge and USC held a 7-0 lead. The Irish struck first blood against Michigan State Sept. 15, but fell behind 7-3 in the second quarter. 5 9 Times in the last six games the opposition jumped out to a first-quarter lead against Notre Consecutive victories under head coach Brian Kelly in which the game was decided by seven