Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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6 OCT. 2, 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FAN FORUM BEYOND THE STATS I would like to see a further sta- tistical breakdown of Notre Dame games. For instance, you list the number of running plays and the number of pass plays in a game. Several times during the game, however, a pass play will be called, but it will result in a running play if the quarterback is sacked or decides to scramble and run. I really want to keep track of the run game this year to see if Brian Kelly backslides and starts over-relying on the pass- ing game again. I propose that you print the num- ber of "Passes Called" and "Runs Called," or simply list the number of plays that started out as a pass and ended up as a run. In the Temple game, there were 44 running plays and 30 pass plays. A number of the running plays, how- ever, occurred when a pass play re- sulted in a run. I'd have to go back and re-watch the game with a note- pad and pencil for an exact count, but I am guessing that there were about five pass plays that were con- verted into a run. This would make the true breakdown 35 pass plays and 39 running plays. I'd also like to know how many plays were run to one side or the other and how successful the indi- vidual plays were. There are a cou- ple of examples of additional stats I would like to see, like missed tackles. I really enjoy Blue and Gold Illus- trated and look forward to it every week. Ed Szewczyk, '73 Belleville, Ill. Mr. Szewczyk, first thank you for your support for so many years. Right after a game, especially at night, we are under a tight deadline to have ev- erything done quickly so it can be printed Sunday morning, the online edition finished before noon and the magazine picked up by the post office around 3:00 that afternoon. That rushed schedule is not going to allow us to go in-depth as we would want with every play (there is a reason coaches often say, "I would have to watch the tape" after games). However, if you subscribe to Blueand- Gold.com, our online service, our expert football analyst and former college coach Bryan Driskell does the most thorough, elaborate breakdown of a game you will find anywhere of a college team (an ex- ample is the sidebar on page 53). On Sunday and Monday, he reviews on tape every assignment on every play to give his grades, collectively and in- dividually, on offense and defense. The snap counts we publish in each edition come from that. He also will expand on his "what worked and what didn't work" column for the edition, and embed video to explain a play or strategy. TERRIFIC TYLER Gentlemen, a personal note about Tyler Newsome's extraordinary act of kindness to my young (fifth grade) granddaughter, Bridie, and her dad, my son Liam. The night before the Temple game, Liam and Bridie stayed at the same hotel as the Notre Dame team. When they saw the team busses arrive they hurried to the lobby to greet them. All the players in some fashion ac- knowledged them. However, Tyler Newsome made the event unforgettable: he stopped, shook Bridie's hand, asked her name, year in school, favorite subject and in parting said, "Let's say hello again tomorrow before the game." After Tyler completed his pre- game routine he came to the sidelines looking for Bridie. They exchanged waves. What makes Tyler 's kindness to a little girl so remarkable, perhaps providential, is that her entire family has been devastated by her moth- er 's second battle with cancer in three years. Mia and Liam have four daughters, third grade to high school senior. He has set aside time to sepa- rately spend with each child. Tyler Newsome made Bridie's spe- cial weekend truly unforgettable. He played like a champion that day. God bless him. All this was told to me by Liam. I now have a new name for Bridie — Tippy, as in "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too." Matt Hart Trenton, Mich. BE HEARD! Send your letters to: Letters Blue & Gold Illustrated P. O. Box 1007, Notre Dame, IN 46556 or e-mail to: lsomogyi@blueandgold.com Senior Tyler Newsome ranked seventh nationally with a 47.3-yard punting average after three games, but his work off the field has been even more impressive. œ PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL