Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/208902
Game Preview: BYU 40-21 romp versus Texas Sept. 7, when Hill completed only 9 of 26 pass attempts for 126 yards with an interception — but rushed 17 times for 259 yards, highlighted by 68-, 26- and 20yard touchdown runs. Much has changed since the 1-2 start: • In the first three games, Hill completed an alarmingly low 35.1 percent of his passes (40 of 114). During the 5-0 run entering the Nov. 9 game at Wisconsin, he completed 65.4 percent (106 of 162). • During Brigham Young's 6-2 start, Hill and Northern Illinois' Jordan Lynch were the only two quarterbacks in the country to average at least 200 yards passing and 100 yards rushing per contest. Through those first eight games, Hill was at 252.4 yards passing and 105.1 yards rushing per game. • After BYU's first eight games, Hill ranked No. 2 nationally in rushing attempts that gained at least 10 yards with 38. He also was No. 4 in the country with four rushing plays that picked up at least 40 yards. Hill did not play at Notre Dame last season because of a season-ending injury, but the Cougars with Riley Nelson (177 yards passing and minusseven rushing yards) at the throttle still led 14-10 entering the fourth quarter before losing 17-14. With Hill, they could be even more dangerous. Notre Dame has held its own with quarterbacks that are mainly passers such as USC's Cody Kessler and Michigan State's Connor Cook. It also survived Navy's Keenan Reynolds, who generally passes less than 10 times a game. The primary challenge has been the dual-threat figures. It will have to climb that Hill against BYU. Keep 'Em On The Run Last year, the top two defenses against the run were national champion Alabama, which allowed 76.36 yards per game, and Brigham Young at 86.92 yards surrendered per contest. Notre Dame managed a meager 32 rushing yards against Alabama in its BCS National Championship Game defeat — but it did amass 270 yards on the ground and 6.3 yards per carry versus the Cougars while rallying to a 17-14 victory. Theo Riddick carried 15 times for 143 yards, while Cierre Wood contributed 114 yards on 18 carries, or 7.8 yards per carry between them. Headlined by BYU pass-rushing terror Kyle Van Noy, Irish quarterback Tommy Rees — starting in place of an injured Everett Golson — completed only 7 of 16 passes for 117 yards with an interception. Notre Dame's bread-and-butter this season has leaned more on the pass than the run, which may or may not play into BYU's hands. Its run defense is not quite as statistically proficient this year (145.2 yards allowed per game), but envisioning another 270yard rushing effort by Notre Dame isn't easy. If the Irish can come to 200 yards on the ground again, that should take a lot of the onus off of Rees.