Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com JANUARY 2018 35 earned consensus All-American notice, with Nelson also one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy. LSU ranked 23rd in the country in rushing de- fense, allowing just 126.4 yards per game. In ad- dition, its 3.8 yards allowed per attempt ranked 38th in the land. After yielding 190 yards on the ground per con- test during a five-game stretch from Sept. 16 to Oct. 14, LSU's defense buckled down and held its final five opponents to just 100.8 yards per game. The unit is led by sophomore linebacker Devin White, who compiled a team-best 127 total stops and 12.5 tackles for loss. White's 10.6 tackles per game ranked him seventh in the nation. One concern for LSU has been its ability to de- fend the run against spread or tempo offenses. In five games against such teams, LSU allowed 177.6 rushing yards per game. Notre Dame fits that style of offense. Advantage: Notre Dame NOTRE DAME PASSING GAME VS. LSU PASS DEFENSE On paper, this is a matchup that LSU should dominate. Notre Dame has enough talent at wide receiver and tight end to present some physical matchup issues, but for much of the 2017 season the Irish pass offense just hasn't been effective with any consistency. Notre Dame finished the regular season ranked 103rd in passing offense (175.8), 104th in yards per attempt (6.5), 104th in pass efficiency (118.4) and 117th in completion percentage (50.9). Its lone top-50 passing rank was 12.8 yards per completion average, which was 50th in the country. Most pivotal is taking care of the football. In the seven games this season when junior quarter- back Brandon Wimbush threw more touchdowns than interceptions, the Irish offense averaged 42.1 points, 488.6 yards per game, and 7.3 yards per play. Notre Dame won all seven of those contests by an average score of 42.1-19.0. LSU has a stout secondary, ranking 20th in the country in passing yards allowed per game (185.2) and 24th in passing yards allowed per attempt (6.4). Opponents have thrown just nine touchdown passes all season against LSU, while also tossing 11 interceptions. The Tigers ranked ninth in the country in pass efficiency defense (108.4 rating) and 17th in sacks (35). Junior defensive end Arden Key is LSU's top pass rusher, at least when he is healthy. He played just eight games this season, but registered four sacks and eight hurries in those appearances. In 2016, a healthy Key led the Tigers with 12 sacks and 11 quarterback hurries. Advantage: LSU SPECIAL TEAMS Neither team has been particularly effective this year on special teams. For Notre Dame, senior punter Tyler Newsome ranked 30th nationally in punt average (43.5 yards per attempt), while LSU's Chark ranked 11th nationally in punt return aver- age (11.7 yards per attempt) and tallied a pair of touchdown returns. Overall, though, both teams struggled in most areas of the game's third phase. LSU ranked 73rd nationally in special teams efficiency and Notre Dame was 77th according to Football Outsiders' FEI ratings. The unit that can outperform its sea- son-long deficiencies will give its team the best shot at winning a tight contest. The kicking game is one area where Notre Dame could hold an advantage. Junior kicker Justin Yoon has converted 12 of 16 field goal attempts, and has made six of his last seven. LSU's kickers made just 15 of 24 field goal attempts this season, including just four of their last nine kicks. Advantage: Even COACHING Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly is without question the more experienced and more proven coach. Kelly has led Notre Dame to the BCS Na- tional Championship Game and the Fiesta Bowl after a 10-win season, plus guided Cincinnati to its best three-year stretch in program history (34-6). Ed Orgeron did well in two stints as an interim coach, leading USC to a 6-2 record in 2013 and LSU to a 6-2 mark in 2016 after replacing fired coaches. LSU's 9-3 record this season is his first winning record as a full-time coach. He was 10-25 in three seasons as the head coach at Ole Miss (2005-07). Orgeron was USC's interim head coach in 2013 when the Trojans traveled to Notre Dame, a game the Irish won 14-10. Advantage: Notre Dame INTANGIBLES There are different intangibles working in favor of both teams, which makes this category even. Notre Dame will enter with the confidence that it can beat LSU. Three current starters — McGlinchey, senior linebacker Nyles Morgan and senior defensive end Andrew Trumbetti — started against LSU in the 2014 Music City Bowl, and four other players competed in the game. LSU enters the game the more confident team, having won six of its last seven games, while Notre Dame has dropped two of its last three contests. Advantage: Even Offense Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. WR 6 E. St. Brown 6-5 203 Jr. 81 Miles Boykin 6-4 225 Jr. WR 83 Chase Claypool 6-4½ 228 So. 10 Chris Finke 5-9½ 181 Jr. or 15 Cameron Smith 5-10½ 202 5th-Sr. LT 68 Mike McGlinchey 6-8 315 5th-Sr. 74 Liam Eichenberg 6-6 300 So. LG 56 Quenton Nelson 6-5 330 Sr. 75 Joshua Lugg 6-7 300 Fr. C 53 Sam Mustipher 6-2½ 305 Jr. 57 Trevor Ruhland 6-3½ 302 Jr. RG 71 Alex Bars 6-6 312 Sr. 70 Hunter Bivin 6-6 315 5th-Sr. RT 78 Tommy Kraemer 6-5½ 314 So. 72 Robert Hainsey 6-4½ 292 Fr. TE 80 Durham Smythe 6-5½ 257 5th-Sr. 86 Alizé Mack 6-5 251 Jr. WR 29 Kevin Stepherson 6-0 185 So. 15 Cameron Smith 5-10½ 202 5th-Sr. QB 7 Brandon Wimbush 6-2 228 Jr. 12 Ian Book 6-0 208 So. RB 33 Josh Adams 6-2 225 Jr. 2 Dexter Williams 5-11 215 Jr. or 34 Tony Jones Jr. 5-11 225 So. Defense Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. Drop 9 Daelin Hayes 6-4 258 So. 42 Julian Okwara 6-4½ 240 So. DT 55 Jonathan Bonner 6-4 291 Sr. 95 M. Tagovailoa-Amosa 6-2½ 293 Fr. NG 99 Jerry Tillery 6-7 306 Jr. 41 Kurt Hinish 6-2 298 Fr. DE 93 Jay Hayes 6-3½ 290 Sr. 98 Andrew Trumbetti 6-4 263 Sr. Buck 4 Te'von Coney 6-1 240 Jr. 48 Greer Martini 6-3½ 236 Sr. Mike 5 Nyles Morgan 6-1 235 Sr. 44 Jamir Jones 6-3 240 So. Rover 23 Drue Tranquill 6-2 231 Sr. 22 Asmar Bilal 6-2 230 Jr. CB 27 Julian Love 5-11 193 So. 20 Shaun Crawford 5-9 176 Jr. Stud 24 Nick Coleman 6-0 192 Jr. 17 Isaiah Robertson 6-1½ 195 Fr. Whip 21 Jalen Elliott 6-0½ 205 So. 14 Devin Studstill 6-0 195 So. CB 18 Troy Pride Jr. 5-11½ 187 So. 7 Nick Watkins 6-1 207 Sr. NOTRE DAME DEPTH CHART Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. KO 39 Jonathan Doerer 6-3 193 Fr. 19 Justin Yoon 5-10 192 Jr. PK 19 Justin Yoon 5-10 192 Jr. 39 Jonathan Doerer 6-3 193 Fr. P 85 Tyler Newsome 6-2½ 210 Sr. 42 Jeff Riney 5-10 180 Jr. H 4 M. VanGorder 6-1 222 Sr. 85 Tyler Newsome 6-2½ 210 Sr. Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. LS 54 John Shannon 6-2 230 So. 82 Nic Weishar 6-5 243 Sr. PR 10 Chris Finke 5-9½ 181 Jr. 3 C.J. Sanders 5-8 181 Jr. KR 3 C.J. Sanders 5-8 181 Jr. 34 Tony Jones Jr. 5-11 225 So. Special Teams GAME PREVIEW: LSU