Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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TURNING POINT Notre Dame answered 34 consecu- tive points by Arizona State that made the score 34-3 by scoring 28 straight of its own to cut its deficit to 34-31 with 6:37 remaining in the contest. The Sun Devils were reeling and seemed to be playing not to lose, while the parti- san crowd had been taken out of the game and the momentum on the Irish side was palpable. Arizona State was backed up its 25- yard line but calmly drove 75 yards in five plays for a touchdown, high- lighted by 14- and 15-yard rushes by running back D.J. Foster and a 40-yard wheel route from quarter- back Taylor Kelly to running back Demario Richard to take the ball to the Irish 4-yard line. Notre Dame was still in it at 41-31, but this sequence changed the tone of the game and allowed the Sun Devils to recover from some huge jolts. STAT OF THE GAME For the second time this season, Notre Dame had five turnovers, while the opponent committed only one. Amazingly, the Irish won the first time, 31-15 versus Syracuse Sept. 27. This time, though, the far more explosive Sun Devils tallied 28 points off of the Irish turnovers, two of them interceptions returned for touchdowns. A minus-four ratio in turnovers will beat you almost every time. Ear- lier this year, ESPN.com researched that prior to the Notre Dame-Syr- acuse game, teams from a "Power Five" conference were 1-28 in 2012-13 when it had a minus-four turnover ratio. Junior holder Hunter Smith also dropped a snap when Notre Dame was lining up for a 32-yard field goal when trailing 34-17. The missed op- portunity could almost be credited as a sixth turnover. RAISED EXPECTATIONS TAKE A FALL Prior to the season, a 9-3 record by Notre Dame seemed to be the popu- lar projection, with anything better a bonus. A 7-1 start with a controversial 31-27 loss at Florida State suddenly created "Playoff Fever," with con- versation outside the football team's locker room centering more on po- tential scenarios to make the four- team College Football Playoff than the games themselves. Because virtually the entire two deep on offense and defense returns in 2015, the feeling on the outside was Notre Dame is a "year away." It must demonstrate over the final three games and in the bowl game that it is worthy of such championship con- sideration. It begins with senior quarterback Everett Golson demonstrating much better protection of the football while recognizing that lost yardage or an incomplete pass can be a good play. THREE OBSERVATIONS BY LOU SOMOGYI