Blue and Gold Illustrated

December 2017

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

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12 DECEMBER 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Next In (Offensive) Line Along the 2017 Notre Dame offensive line, the lone starter among the six — including the tag team of sophomore Tommy Kraemer and freshman Robert Hainsey at right tackle — who will have exhausted his collegiate eligibility at the end of this season is fifth-year senior left tackle Mike McGlinchey. Outland Trophy finalist Quenton Nelson at right guard is eligible for a fifth season in 2018, but Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly noted that his sales pitch to Nelson probably hasn't made a strong enough impression. "I offered my parking spot to Quenton Nelson to try to get him to come back," Kelly quipped. "He didn't bite. … If we could get him back, then that would change some things." The four "starters" projected to return are Kraemer, Hainsey, and current seniors Sam Mustipher at center and Alex Bars at right guard, who are both eligible for fifth seasons. Because Hainsey has been lauded for his advanced pass sets, it would seem likely he stays on the perimeter of the defense while the more powerful Krae- mer downshifts to the inside. Who fills the fifth spot will be of prime interest next spring, but at least two players who have toiled in the background this fall have been singled out by Kelly as top candidates: sophomore left tackle Liam Eichenberg and freshman guard Josh Lugg. Whoever wins that fifth slot could lead to other shifts up front, or the line could remain status quo with the current lineup. Or there could be a rotation, if necessary, which benefitted the development of Kraemer and Hainsey this season without having too many snaps put on their plates. "They both have played solid football for us to good football at times," Kelly said of the right tackle tandem. "There's been some learning curves, but … play- ing two first-time starters, I'm pleased with their performance. "Moving forward, it has a lot to do with other players now that are going to get a chance, and Liam Eichenberg and Josh Lugg, that's going to be a very competitive situation." Defensively, Kelly noted that freshman rover Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah pos- sesses "interesting traits" the staff will be eager to work with come the spring. Sophomore offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg is expected to compete for a starting spot along the Irish offensive line in 2018. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL Special Teams: Not Enough Net Gains Through the first 11 games in 2017, Notre Dame's special teams have been mostly below average among 129 Football Bowl Subdivision teams when looking at the overall data in both returns and coverage. The Irish ranked 76th nationally in net punting (37.39 yards), 75th in kickoff returns (20.66) and 113th in punt returns (4.32). In the coverage aspect they ranked 99th in kick return defense (23.22 yards allowed) and 91st in punt return defense (9.25). The positive is most of the major snafus from 2016 have been avoided, with the exception of a blocked punt for a touchdown by North Carolina State and a muffed punt versus Navy that set up a touchdown and 10-3 lead for the Midshipmen. "It's been a mixed bag," head coach Brian Kelly said. "I don't think it's been a negative for us. I would have liked a little bit more maybe from our kicking game, but we're trying to get a true freshman kicker [kickoff specialist Jonathan Doerer] involved. I thought he had a pretty good game kicking into the wind against Navy. "The punting has been okay. It's probably fair to say that we've been fair to middling. We haven't been bad and we haven't been great." Junior C.J. Sanders had returned three kickoffs and one punt for a score entering this season, two short of the school record, and junior Chris Finke arrived as a dynamic punt return man, but little headway was made in the return game, and part of it has been attributable to the blocking. "Sometimes to be great [on special teams] you've got to have one great game breaker," Kelly said. "You've got to have somebody that changes the game, and I don't know that we have that guy right now. Then it's up to guys doing their jobs, and I think for the most part … we've had guys doing their job." A fair catch on a punt is often underrated, and only appreciated after a mishandle occurs, like it did for Finke against the Midshipmen. Just catching the ball and getting possession near midfield is a plus. "He knows how to fair catch. That's pretty easy," Kelly said of Finke, who he has utmost confidence in on returns. "That's just a poor job on his part. We did a poor job with the gunners as well. Those guys have to help out in that, situation and protect him a little bit better." Junior C.J. Sanders entered the season having returned three kickoffs and one punt for a score, but had yet to break loose in 2017 heading into the regular-season finale. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA

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