Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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2 Notre Dame losses in a row at home on back- to-back Saturdays for the first time since 2007, when it fell 46-44 in triple overtime to Navy Nov. 3 and then 41-24 to Air Force Nov. 10. The Irish also lost two straight at home in 2010 to Michigan and Stanford, but not in back-to-back weeks. This was also the first time Notre Dame lost its last two home games of the season since 2009, Charlie Weis' final year as head coach, versus Navy (23-21) and UConn (33-30 in two overtimes). It also occurred in 2008 and in 2004, the latter Tyrone Willingham's final season as head coach. BY THE NUMBERS BY LOU SOMOGYI What Worked • Many happen returns. Eureka! A dormant re- turn game over the past eight games (or five years, depending how you look at it) provided a "kick start." The game began with senior slot receiver Amir Carlisle returning the kickoff to the 34 — with a 15-yard face masking penalty on Louisville put- ting the Irish at their 49 en route to a drive that produced a field goal. Later, Carlisle also had a 36-yard return. Sophomore running back Greg Bryant's 61-yard punt return to the Louisville 3-yard line in the third quarter was the longest at Notre Dame in six seasons and set up a temporary lead for the Irish. • Pressure points. Unlike the previous two weeks against teams with either savvy, veteran quarter- backs or a heavy menu of three-step drops that require quick release of the ball, the Irish were able to generate a pass rush against the Cardinals and green freshman quarterback Reggie Bonnafon, mainly with blitz packages. Although Louisville ran 50 times and passed on only 21 occasions, Bonnafon was still sacked four times, forced to hurry a pass away six times and did a remarkable job several times of avoiding the rush to finish with 35 net rushing yards. • A Tarean tear. Sophomore running back Tarean Folston eclipsed 100 yards rushing for the fourth time in the past five games, plus he had 98 yards on 18 carries in the 50-43 win over North Carolina Oct. 11. His 99 yards rushing in the second half versus the Cardinals were instrumental to the Irish scoring three touchdowns compared to none in the first half. What Didn't Work • Red flags in red zone. In last week's overtime loss to Northwestern, Notre Dame did not score on two of its four trips to the Wildcats' 20-yard line, or inside it. Versus Louisville, five red-zone trips by Notre Dame needed at last three touchdowns, and the Irish ended up with only two (plus no score on their final possession). On the final series, a second-and-goal from the 9-yard line saw Everett Golson's quarterback draw get blown up … and the missed field goal later ensued. • Filling the holes (and gaps). Following Navy and its triple option, the last three Irish opponents, all victors, have rushed for 188, 263 and now 229 yards. The Irish front seven has been decimated by injuries, this time with junior nose guard Jarron Jones early in the game joining classmate and de- fensive tackle Sheldon Day on the sidelines. Sometimes "next man in" can go only so far. • Seizing the moment(um). Back-to-back touch- downs to open the second half seemed to have the Irish humming and put them ahead … but Louisville answered right back with 81- (eight plays) and 80- yard (six plays) drives to move ahead 31-20. It was similar to Arizona State's five-play, 75-yard TD march Nov. 8 after the Irish had cut their deficit to 34-31, or Northwestern rallying from 11 points behind in the fourth quarter to win Nov. 15. — Lou Somogyi TAKING A CLOSER LOOK