Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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TOP PLAYERS OF THE GAME OFFENSE: MICHAEL FLOYD The senior is the type of wide receiver that can have an impact on a play regard- less of whether the ball is thrown to him or not. In addition to his effectiveness blocking in the running game, opposing defenses have to show his receiving game such a high level of respect that it opens up other opportunities on the field. Floyd reeled in eight catches for 92 yards, including a six-yard touchdown. In addition, five of his grabs were good for a fresh set of downs. He was the game's leading receiver and had twice as many receptions as any of the pass catchers on Notre Dame's depth chart in the contest. DEFENSE: AARON LYNCH Senior wide receiver Michael Floyd hauled in a game-high eight recep- tions for 92 yards, including a six- yard touchdown grab. PHOTO BY AARON SUOZZI There were strong performances among the Irish defenders, including ju- nior linebacker Manti Te'o pacing the unit with eight tackles and senior linebacker Darius Fleming making plays in the flats, THREE OBSERVATIONS TURNING POINT With 12:02 left in the first half and Stanford leading 7-0, Notre Dame fifth-year senior safety Har- rison Smith blitzed off the edge and forced a hurried Andrew Luck pass that senior outside linebacker Dar- ius Fleming intercepted to set up the Irish at the Cardinal 11. After junior running back Cierre Wood rushed for seven yards on first down, the next three plays saw a) left guard Chris Watt commit a false start pen- alty, b) quarterback Tommy Rees appear headed to the end zone on a scramble before getting pulled down at the 3 and c) an open Theo Riddick in the flat having the ball thrown behind him. The coup de grace was kicker Da- vid Ruffer's 20-yard field goal from the right hash missing. Those four deflating plays were a microcosm of the season, and Stanford ended up going into the halftime locker room with a 21-0 cushion. One might argue that had Notre Dame scored, sophomore quarter- back Andrew Hendrix might not have been inserted in the second half. We still would have liked Notre Dame's chances better at 7-7 with Hendrix still in the rotation. 24 DECEMBER 2011 BY JASON SAPP but the standout in the contest was the freshman defensive end. Lynch notched a total of six tackles, including five solo hits and one stop be- hind the line of scrimmage, putting him in a four-way tie for second on the team. He was able to cause consistent pressure against a touted offensive line, and he stretched the edge of the defense to allow the second level to fill the lanes. SPECIAL TEAMS: GEORGE ATKINSON III The freshman's near fumble-causing blow on the opening kickoff of the contest gained early momentum for the defense, which held Heisman candidate Andrew Luck and the Cardinal offense to a three- and-out in the first offensive series. Despite having the inability to make a quick cut in the less-than-stellar field con- ditions, Atkinson III also contributed as a kick returner, registering returns of 28, 16 and 27 yards that set the Irish up at the 34-, 29- and 35-yard lines, respectively. BY LOU SOMOGYI TOP STAT(S) OF GAME Stanford outrushed Notre Dame 196-57. Even if you don't include Notre Dame's 49 yards lost on five sacks, junior runners Cierre Wood (12 carries for 41 yards) and Theo Riddick (four carries for six yards) combined for only 47 yards and 3.0 yards per carry. With horrid and slippery field conditions on the torn sod, Stan- ford was the far more effective team running the power game be- tween the tackles. Cardinal running back Stepfan Taylor rushed for 118 yards on 20 carries while running mainly inside, whereas the forte for Wood and Riddick is running wide and/or cutting back, and the conditions were not conducive for such a strategy. The Irish sorely missed injured senior running back Jonas Gray and senior center Braxston Cave, whose ability to anchor the middle (or the crucial A gap) has been underrated. Senior Mike Golic Jr. has been solid but not nearly as powerful in the middle, which also affected the overall pass protection. WHO STARTS AT QB IN THE BOWL? In Brian Kelly's 25 games as Notre Dame's head coach (16-9 record), there was probably never a bet- ter sequencing of plays of what he wants his spread offense to generate then the third quarter touchdown drive propelled by sophomore quar- terback Andrew Hendrix. During that 77-yard touchdown march, Hendrix tossed 14- and 24- yard bullets to star tight end Ty- ler Eifert, made an option pitch to Cierre Wood for a 12-yard gain, kept it himself off the zone option for 14 more yards and found wideout Michael Floyd for a six-yard touch- down. It was a true version of the spread that had the aggressive Stan- ford defense on its heels. There is a ceiling with what gutty and often resourceful sophomore quarterback Tommy Rees can ex- ecute overall. Classmate Hendrix's arm is much stronger, and his run- ning skills far more evident. For the bowl game, Kelly's decision on who to go with will speak a lot about the direction of the program and whether it will play it safe for the present or start to prepare for the future. BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED