Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 6, 2017 23 NC STATE RUNNING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME RUN DEFENSE Top rusher and speedster Nyheim Hines (two carries for six yards) was knocked out of the game in the first quarter, which likely hindered some of the Wolfpack plans. Still, not one of the 21 designed running plays was an "explosive" (15 or more yards) and the tandem of Reggie Gallaspy and Jaylen Samuels managed less than 4.0 yards per carry, finishing with 73 yards on 19 attempts against an Irish front seven that might have been overshadowed a little by North Carolina State's, but proved every bit as aggressive and physical. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame NC STATE PASSING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME PASS DEFENSE Quarterback Ryan Finley came into the game completing 69.4 percent of his passes and averaging 7.9 yards per pass attempt. The Irish limited him to only 45.9-percent passing (17 of 37) and 5.8 yards per attempt. The 69-yard interception return for a touchdown by sophomore cornerback Julian Love — who also had three of the seven passes broken up — was a back- breaker. Because the Wolfpack lack a true vertical threat, the Irish were able to sit on their coverage and reacted with strong aggression to the three-step, short passing game. It was the best on-body coverage of the year by the Irish defensive backs with minimal fear of getting beat deep. Despite the quick re- lease of Finley, Notre Dame still recorded six hurries and a sack. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME RUNNING GAME VS. NC STATE RUN DEFENSE This is the "unconscious competence" head coach Brian Kelly references as the marker to achieve championship level football. The 318 rushing yards — 202 by junior Josh Adams, highlighted by a 77-yard tally — was right on the 317.9 average entering the game, and much of it came between the tackles with few frills, while junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush mostly had the zone read taken away. More significantly, NC State entered the game sixth nationally in run defense with a 91.3-yard average, allowing only 639 yards through seven games. It had not allowed more than 133 yards all year, but by halftime the Irish were at 136. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. NC STATE PASS DEFENSE This was almost a carbon copy of the USC game in which Wimbush was 9-of-19 passing for 120 yards with no interceptions and two touchdowns on the first two Irish scoring drives. Against the Wolfpack he completed 10 of 19 throws for 104 yards with no interceptions and touchdown passes for two of Notre Dame's first three scores to again help open up the running game. Fifth-year senior tight end Durham Smythe (three catches for 52 yards and one touchdown) was utilized well, but a lot of yards and potential points were left on the field with some missed deep balls. ADVANTAGE: Even SPECIAL TEAMS Two major demerits for the Irish came on the first-quarter blocked punt for a touchdown by the Wolfpack to take a quick 7-0 lead, and then Samuels' 58-yard kickoff return after Notre Dame moved ahead 28-14. A.J. Cole also punted well for NC State with a 44.5-yard average on eight attempts, no touchbacks and three placed or downed at the Irish 6-, 10- and 12-yard lines, and two others at the 21 and 23 with good coverage. ADVANTAGE: NC State THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS On its second-quarter touchdown march to move ahead 14-7, NC State converted a third-and-14 with an 18-yard pass completion and scored on third- and-10 with some pinpoint passing from Finley against tight coverage. The Irish followed suit the next series when Wimbush scrambled for 20 yards on third-and-10, Adams scampered for 14 on third-and-two and then Wimbush scored from the 3-yard line on third-and-goal. On the go-ahead TD, Wimbush on third-and-six completed an 11-yard toss to Smythe, who made a nifty catch in-bounds the play before the score. Overall, Notre Dame was 9 of 16 (56.3 percent), while NC State was of 5 of 16 (31.3 percent) — and it also failed on fourth-and-one at the Irish 6-yard line when the score was still 28-14. Love's interception return for a score came off a third-and-10 play. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame TURNOVERS NC State entered the game with the fewest turnovers in the country (three) through seven games. The Wolfpack committed the game's lone turnover, and it was a doozy — Love's pick-six in the third quarter to expand the lead to 28-14. The Irish have now outscored their opposition 101-10 off turnovers this season. ADVANTAGE: Notre Dame ANALYSIS For the first time in five games, Notre Dame found itself trailing and had a little bit of game pressure with 7-0 and 14-7 first-half deficits. The Irish then finished the final 44 minutes with a 28-0 run, zero points by the Wolfpack on its final nine possessions — five of them three-and-outs and a fourth only lasting four plays — and a measly 89 yards of total offense in the second half. The Irish formula has remained consistent: physicality and dominance along the line of scrimmage, limiting mistakes (no turnovers in four of the last five games), crucial stops on defense, and an eventual back-breaking run by Adams, while gradually breaking the will of the opposition on both sides of the ball. ON PAPER REVISITED BY LOU SOMOGYI Junior Shaun Crawford and the Fighting Irish secondary broke up seven passes, while limiting NC State to a 45.9 completion percentage and only 5.8 yards per attempt. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA