Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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What Worked • Moving The Ball. Notre Dame was able to move the ball well against Boston College, which entered the game ranked No. 1 nationally in total defense (236.5 yards allowed per game). The Irish racked up 447 yards, becoming only the second team to amass more than 365 yards against the Eagles (Clemson had 532 yards). The Irish got off to a very good start, get - ting into the red zone on the opening drive before sophomore quarterback DeShone Kizer threw an interception in the end zone. Notre Dame reached the red zone on two of its next three possessions, but came away with only 10 points. The Irish had a plan that was designed to keep the Eagles off balance defensively and put its playmakers in space. A quick pitch to senior running back C.J. Prosise resulted in a 31-yard gain on the opening drive, and Kizer hit his slot receivers four times for 53 yards on the first two series of the contest. A screen pass and several early deep shots were enough to get the Eagles out of sync. Notre Dame attacked the middle of the field early and often, which got BC out of its game plan. Once that happened, the Irish dialed up some deep throws that helped them move the ball well in the second half. • Defensive Pressure. Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder allowed his defenders to at - tack the BC backfield, and the plan worked well for the large majority of the game. With sophomore nose guard Daniel Cage out for the second straight game, Notre Dame moved junior defensive end Isaac Rochell inside and started sophomore Andrew Trumbetti at end. What the Irish lacked in girth with that lineup, it made up for with athleticism. Van - Gorder used that to his advantage, unleashing the defensive line on the backfield. The line was able to get penetration and production, but also opened up space for its second-level players. Junior linebacker Jaylon Smith was able to rack up a career-high nine solo tackles in the game, largely due to the Eagles line having to spend so much time trying to block the front. What Didn't Work • Turnovers. The primary reason the Irish fin - ished with only 19 points despite compiling 447 yards of total offense was their inability to take care of the football. Notre Dame coughed up the football a season-high five times, three of which short-circuited red zone opportunities. With the Eagles defenders making a con- certed effort to strip the football from ball car- riers, the Irish fumbled four times and lost two. In addition, Kizer was not sharp, tossing three interceptions, including one in the end zone and another inside the BC 5-yard line. • Blown Assignment. Notre Dame allowed an 80-yard touchdown run to BC freshman backup quarterback Jeff Smith. It was the third time this season the Irish have allowed a scoring run of at least 80 yards, and the play broke free due to a missed assignment. Smith entered the game with 237 rushing yards and tied for the team lead with five rush - ing scores. On the run, BC called a read zone play and senior defensive end Romeo Okwara closed down inside to defend the zone run to the backside, which was his responsibility. Smith pulled the ball and broke free to the inside, where junior safety Max Redfield was supposed to be filling the alley. Redfield bit on the zone fake, and Smith was able to get by him on his way to the end zone. — Bryan Driskell TAKING A CLOSER LOOK