Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/388723
TURNING POINT The first possession of the second half can often set a vital tone, and it did. Trailing only 14-3, Syracuse took the second-half kickoff and drove from its 21 to Notre Dame's 29 while threatening to make it a one-possession game. On third-and-eight, though, Or- ange quarterback Terrel Hunt was forced to release the ball quickly because of a blitz from senior line- backer Joe Schmidt. Senior nickel Matthias Farley, who faked his blitz, cut across the receiver on a crossing route to make an interception at the Irish 25 and return it 15 yards. Notre Dame took advantage of the lone turnover produced by the defense and drove 60 yards, capped by an eight-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Corey Robinson on a fade. That extended the Irish lead to 21-3 and pretty much extinguished Syracuse's hopes of pulling the up- set. STAT OF THE GAME Notre Dame senior quarterback Everett Golson shattered the Notre Dame school record of 14 consecu- tive completions set by three dif- ferent players by connecting on 25 in a row — one short of the NCAA record 26 set by East Carolina's Dominique Davis during a 38-35 victory versus Navy on Oct. 22, 2011. Golson's 25 straight comple- tions came on a steady diet of re- ceiver screens that rarely required him to throw downfield more than five or 10 yards. Ron Powlus first set the previous Notre Dame standard of 14 dur- ing a 23-7 loss to Michigan State in 1997. Brady Quinn had 14 in a row during a 34-20 loss to Ohio State in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl, and finally Tommy Rees matched that 14 standard during a 45-21 win ver- sus Maryland in the 2011 Shamrock Series contest. STANFORD PROVIDES RED ALERT With Notre Dame's 31-0 white- washing of Michigan somewhat mitigated by the wheels coming off for the Wolverines, Stanford is con- sidered the first "true" test for the 2014 Fighting Irish. In head coach Brian Kelly's four meetings against the Cardinal, Notre Dame has to- taled 14, 14, 13 and 20 points in four-quarter regulation time versus Stanford. Despite huge graduation losses, the Cardinal defense remains a force. It shut out both of its lesser opponents (UC Davis and Army), but also held conference rivals USC and Washington to 13 points apiece. Stanford is ultra physical and skilled on a defense. Similar to 2012, when Notre Dame won 20-13 in overtime, the first team to get to 20 might be the victor again. The revamped Irish offensive line needs to come into its own. THREE OBSERVATIONS BY LOU SOMOGYI