Blue and Gold Illustrated

IN THE TRENCHES ANDREW OWENS pulse of the team and its leadership core, and then how these younger players fit into that group. They re- ally like each other, and they enjoy playing." Even with a team that returned so much veteran talent, questions remain that will determine which direction the 2015 Irish head these final two months. Sophomore quarterback DeShone Kizer possesses poise and maturity beyond his years, but he has yet to face a road environment — or defense — as daunting as what Clemson will offer. Even with Kizer's physical mechan- ics sometimes out of whack, Kelly praised the sophomore for his ability to adjust. "DeShone missed some throws to- day," Kelly said. "He got a little off-bal- ance on some of his throws, especially to his left, where he has a tendency to over-stride a little bit and lock out his front leg. But he knows what to do and how to do it. He made the corrections later in the drive. "[He] threw a great ball on a dig route and then came back with a great smash fade throw to Chris Brown. He can self-correct, which is the great thing about that young man, after making a couple of poor throws. "He shows great poise, great pres- ence out there, and throws for a high completion percentage." Defensively, Notre Dame took a step back after dominating Georgia Tech's triple-option attack a week prior, al- lowing UMass to convert big plays similar to those that threatened the Irish on the road at Virginia in week two. UMass averaged 7.26 yards per play in the opening 30 minutes, but Notre Dame limited that figure to 4.46 in the second half. "We understand how good we can be," junior linebacker Jaylon Smith said. "We understand we haven't ar- rived, and we have a long way to go. We know that; the coaches know that. "Before you solve a problem, it's about identifying it, and that's some- thing we have done." The foundation has been laid, but cracks on any given week can trip up a team that otherwise seems destined for the College Football Playoff. A missed field goal or extra point — freshman Justin Yoon has missed two of each this season — a slow adjust- ment to an opponent's offensive game plan or a number of issues could all derail Notre Dame's hopes in any given week. For now, however, the positives far outweigh the negatives. The depth that Kelly has developed the past six years is paying off, with Notre Dame so far able to overcome injuries to its starting quarterback, running back, tight end, nose guard and nickel back, and a key third down contributor. So far, Notre Dame has limited the losses to the injury report and off its record. If the Irish can parlay a solid September into an undefeated Octo- ber, there's no limit to what they can achieve in 2015. ✦ Andrew Owens has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since August 2013. He can be reached at aowens@blueandgold.com

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