Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 28, 2016 21 N o matter what happens in the final game of the campaign, the 2016 season will be viewed as a major disappointment. Even if the Irish are able to get into — and win — a bowl game, Notre Dame has clearly underachieved. How did a preseason top-10 team with playoff aspirations fall so hard? Below is the first installment of a three-piece series discussing about what I perceive to be the issues that caused Notre Dame's collapse and what it must do to get back on track. KEEPING BRIAN VANGORDER AS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR Despite two disappointing defen- sive years, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly decided to bring back Brian VanGorder for his third season as the unit's coordinator. That deci- sion proved to be a major problem. VanGorder did not adapt to the talent on his roster, instead choosing to develop game plans that might have made sense on paper, but did not work for the players on the field. Notre Dame lacked aggressiveness on that side of the ball, which com- bined with VanGorder 's admittedly complex defense made it difficult to execute at the level needed to be successful. VanGorder 's presence created a black cloud around the program. One does not need to read into the comments of defenders following his dismissal to realize they did not feel they could play loose under him. STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ISSUES One of the concerns surrounding Notre Dame now is the apparent regression in a number of veteran players. For example, senior offen- sive lineman Mike McGlinchey and senior defensive end Isaac Rochell are not as physically dominant as they were in previous seasons. Multiple sources have informed Blue & Gold Illustrated that early in the season several linemen were having a hard time keeping their weight on. Other sources brought up issues sur- rounding the strength program, not- ing that players were not adding and keeping strength like they should, and questioning whether the players were being pushed to the degree nec- essary to be successful at a high level. Without being around the strength program — and I haven't — it is dif- ficult to say with certainty whether or not these issues have validity or to what degree they do. What can be assessed is what hap- pens on the field — and Notre Dame did not play to its size and talent, and did not manhandle inferior op- ponents to the degree it should have. LACK OF ON-FIELD LEADERSHIP Despite its lack of success in the win- loss column, Kelly did not seem to lose the locker room. Each week, the Notre Dame players competed, even in de- feat. Many things about this team can be questioned, but the willingness to compete each week is not one of them. That does not happen without good leadership in the locker room. What Notre Dame lacked this sea- son were the necessary on-field lead- ership and the playmakers needed to turn close losses into wins. In 2015, when Notre Dame's collec- tive back was against the wall — like it was against Virginia, USC, Temple and Boston College — at least one player stepped up and made a game- winning play. Whether it was receiver Will Fuller making a touchdown grab, defen- sive tackle Sheldon Day making a key stop or sack, or cornerback KeiV- arae Russell making an interception, several players showed the ability to make plays when needed. Notre Dame has not had that during the 2016 season. It has lacked the lead- ership to motivate others to step up in the clutch or to make plays themselves. FOURTH-QUARTER STRUGGLES In 2015, Notre Dame outscored its opponents 120-93 in the fourth quarter. Through 10 games of the 2016 season, Notre Dame has been outscored in the fourth quarter by a 61-46 margin. Of all the issues, this one can most directly be pointed to as a primary reason for Notre Dame's struggles. In future articles, specific offensive and defensive issues that led to the fourth-quarter woes will be ad- dressed, but Notre Dame's inability to finish off games on both sides of the ball is obvious. The six losses in Notre Dame's first 10 games all came by eight points or less. In each defeat, the Irish offense had the ball late in the game with an opportunity to tie the contest or take the lead. It failed in each instance. The defense also did not come up with necessary late stops in losses to Texas, Michigan State, Duke and Navy. The inability to finish off games has cost Notre Dame dearly this season. ✦ Reasons Behind A Disappointing 2016 Season CHALK TALK BRYAN DRISKELL Bryan Driskell has been a football analyst for Blue & Gold Illustrated since April 2015. He can be reached at bdriskell@blueandgold.com. The Notre Dame defense immediately improved after the ouster of former coordinator Brian VanGorder. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND