Blue and Gold Illustrated

Oct. 2, 2017

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com OCT. 2, 2017 37 BY BRYAN DRISKELL MIAMI (OHIO) RUNNING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME RUN DEFENSE Miami (Ohio) started the 2016 sea- son with six straight losses before win- ning its final six contests of the regular season to qualify for a bowl game. The driving force behind its second-half surge was its ability to run the football. The RedHawks averaged a meager 99.2 rushing yards per game through the first six games. During the win streak and in their bowl game, they averaged 168.1 yards per contest. With the return of four starting linemen and its top four rushers from a season ago, the expectation was that Miami (Ohio) would be able to carry its strong rushing per- formance into this season. Through three games, that has not happened. Miami (Ohio) averaged 117.0 rush- ing yards per game and a paltry 2.83 yards per attempt in the first three contests, ranking its ground offense 103rd in the land in yards per game. The RedHawks were especially poor on the ground in the 21-17 loss to Cincinnati Sept. 16, rushing for a scant 70 yards (2.19 per attempt). Their inability to grind the clock out factored into the Bearcats outscoring them 18-3 in the final quarter. Junior running backs Alonzo Smith (144 yards) and Kenny Young (129 yards) are the team's top rushers in the first three games, but quarterback Gus Ragland (202 yards in his seven starts in 2016) had only 17 yards to start the season. The loss of standout sophomore center Danny Godlevske to a season- ending foot injury in the opener has sapped the Miami (Ohio) line of ar- guably its best run blocker. Notre Dame gave up 151.7 yards and 3.7 yards per attempt on the ground through three games, which is well below its best mark of 171.2 yards per game (2014) during the tenure of previ- ous coordinator Brian VanGorder. Yielding 185 yards in the 49-20 vic- tory over Boston College was a dis- appointing effort, but Georgia's 185 yards against the Irish defense was a season-low for the Bulldogs. Notre Dame's three-headed mon- ster at linebacker has been a key factor in the improvements of the ground game. Senior Nyles Morgan and junior Te'von Coney tied for the team lead with 25 tackles in the first three games, while senior Greer Mar- tini ranked third with 22 tackles. Advantage: Notre Dame MIAMI (OHIO) PASSING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME PASS DEFENSE With the ground game struggling in the early going, Miami (Ohio) has been forced to rely more heavily on its aerial attack. Redshirt junior quarter- back Gus Ragland has put up quality numbers, but overall the pass game hasn't been able to carry the offense. Ragland passed for 664 yards in three games, but he was picked off twice and lost a fumble. The Cincin- nati native threw for six touchdowns in the early going, but that is a far cry from the 17-to-1 touchdown-to- interception ratio he had in his seven starts during the 2016 season. When Ragland goes to the air his top target has been rangy junior James Gardner. The 6-4, 216-pounder led the team with 45 receptions, 750 receiving yards and six touchdowns a season ago. In the opener against Marshall, Gardner hauled in eight passes for 117 yards, and he added another five catches for 117 yards and two scores in the RedHawks' 31-10 win over Austin Peay Sept. 9. Gardner played limited snaps against Cincinnati due to an undis- closed injury, but he's expected to be full speed when the RedHawks take on Notre Dame. The RedHawks' offensive line gave up eight sacks in the first three games. Notre Dame's pass defense has been good in the early going, holding opponents to 200.3 yards per game. Irish foes averaged only 5.7 yards per attempt and 10.2 yards per comple- tion in the first three games, which ranked 30th and 25th nationally. The Irish surrendered five passing touchdowns in the early going — but they also picked off three passes, in- cluding two against Boston College. The squad's pass rush registered six sacks and 12 quarterback hurries in the first three games, which puts it on pace for 24 sacks and 48 hurries, far surpassing its 2016 totals of 14 sacks and 29 hurries. The Irish defensive line had four GAME PREVIEW: MIAMI (OHIO) On PaPer Junior wide receiver James Gardner led the RedHawks with 13 receptions for 228 yards and two touch- downs through three games. PHOTO COURTESY MIAMI ATHLETICS

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