UNDER THE DOME
It wasn't just turnovers that stopped the potentially potent Irish offense so often last season. Notre Dame took a step back — by turnover, penalty, sack or tackle for loss — on 129 of the 931 plays they attempted last fall. Sixty percent of the team's offensive drives had at least one negative play, and those cost the Irish dearly. "When we did not have a negative play within our drive, we scored at an incredible rate," Kelly said at the start of
CHARTING THE IRISH
spring practice. "It was in the 90s. When we had a negative play within our offense, whether it be a minus play relative to a penalty or sack — we know about turnovers — then obviously our effectiveness was decreased to a level that I couldn't even give you the numbers, they're so bad." We took the liberty of checking those numbers ourselves, and while Kelly was a little bit generous with his 90 percent
estimate, there was a big gap in what Notre Dame did on drives when momentum kept moving forward and drives when they had a hiccup.
1st Down: 66 2nd Down: 38 3rd Down: 25 4th Down: 0
Drives with Tackles for Loss: 44 Drives with Penalties: Drives with Turnovers: Drives with Sacks:
WHEN DID NEGATIVE PLAYS HAPPEN?
WHICH NEGATIVE PLAYS WERE MOST COMMON? 31
26 14
(51.2%) (29.5%) (19.3%) (0%)
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