Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/234294
ON PAPER REVISITED attempts netted 58 yards. Junior running back Cam McDaniel rushed seven times for 24 yards in the first half and followed with 10 attempts for 56 yards in the second. The Irish have now won 21 consecutive games when they have 30 or more rushing attempts, finishing with 43 carries for 175 yards against the Scarlet Knights. They also have lost their last six games when rushing the ball less than 30 times. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. RUTGERS PASS DEFENSE Because Rutgers ranked 120th in pass defense (311.4 yards given up per game), the Irish were eager to take advantage of the soft coverage but were inconsistent. Rees completed 15 of 29 attempts for 172 yards in the first half, but numerous deep balls were ill advised and several dropped passes in the end zone kept the offense bogged down. Once the Irish ran the ball more effectively in the second half, Rees was more efficient (12-of-18 passing for 147 yards) and play action was productive, although the red-zone woes persisted. Rees spread the wealth well, including three receptions apiece by running backs Folston and McDaniel, four for 76 yards by junior tight end Troy Niklas and a careerhigh five grabs by sophomore wide receiver Chris Brown. Eight different Irish players caught a pass. Advantage: Notre Dame SPECIAL TEAMS Both kickers performed well, with Notre Dame junior Kyle Brindza nailing 5 of 6 field goal attempts and Rutgers sophomore Kyle Federico converting all three of his tries, most notably 47 yards into the wind. However, a fumbled punt by senior wide receiver TJ Jones set up the Scarlet Knights' first score, and the consistently poor Irish kickoff coverage yielded a 51-yard return by freshman wide receiver Janarian Grant to start the second half at the Irish 47, and a fourth-quarter 44-yard return by Grant set up BY LOU SOMOGYI Rutgers at the Notre Dame 45 with the Irish leading only 19-13. ADVANTAGE: Rutgers THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS Notre Dame was 7 of 16 (43.8 percent), while Rutgers was 3 of 12 (25.0 percent). The Irish converted third-and-five and third-and-12 on their opening drive, which resulted in a field goal. On Notre Dame's two touchdown drives that covered 62 and 78 yards, it never faced a third down. Two of Rutgers' three third-down conversions occurred on the same field goal drive, a 19-yard scramble by Dodd on third-and-10 and then a personal foul penalty on sophomore nose guard Jarron Jones on another third-and-10. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame TURNOVERS Both teams tallied field goals off turnovers in the first half, Rutgers on Jones' fumbled punt and Notre Dame off a diving interception by senior linebacker Kendall Moore. With the score tied at 13 late in the first half, a pivotal moment occurred when Russell intercepted a halfback pass on first down from the Irish 20. Two late interceptions by the Irish, one on the game's final play, gave it a 4-1 advantage. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame SUMMARY Notre Dame dominated time of possession (38:1621:44) and more than doubled Rutgers' yardage total (494-236), but red-zone inefficiency kept this game relatively close and in doubt through the first 55 minutes. Once the Irish defense took control on the opening series of the second half and the Notre Dame offense became more effective running the ball, it was able to assert tempo. Equally vital was it didn't commit any potential game-changing turnovers after Jones' dropped punt early in the first quarter. Rutgers needed a lot of help to win the game, and the Irish didn't give it that assist.