Scouting next weeks opponent
A little more than half way through the 3rd, Everett Gholson looks to have shaken the rust from his vacation. He's picked up a couple of TD's on the ground and seems to be distributing to a number of recievers without any int's so far. The rain will make this game hard to do an apples to apples comparison to the boys in Blue. Hopefully our more aggressive defensive strategy pays off and we get to Gholson early but are able to contain him. Looks like Rice is able to get penetration often enough but their secondary is giving too much cushion. ND's RB McDaniel seems to be a gamer. I'd love to see Kelly go grape ape again next week!
August 30th, 2014 at 6:11 PM ^
but I don't think they have anyone who can matchup with Funchess. Especially with their depleted secondary. I will say 31-21 Michigan
August 30th, 2014 at 6:20 PM ^
August 30th, 2014 at 6:21 PM ^
August 30th, 2014 at 6:55 PM ^
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August 30th, 2014 at 7:25 PM ^
Or three TDs, one FG and a safety.
August 30th, 2014 at 6:29 PM ^
Granted, it's Rice so qualifiers and the standard "it's one data point in the season" disclaimer all apply, but here are the current stats on Golson:
14 completions on 22 attempts for 295 yards and 2 receiving TDs, good for 13.41 yards per attempt and 21.07 yards per completion.
Notre Dame as a whole has, as of the latest update, 487 yards of offense across 55 plays, which 8.85 YPP on offense. They've held rice to 275 yards across 49 plays, or 5.61 YPP allowed.
August 30th, 2014 at 6:32 PM ^
This game usually does the opposite of what I think. I would expect an offensive shootout between these teams. So expect a defensive game instead.
The average margin of victory lately has been 3 or 4 points so I expect it close either way regardless of it's a shootout or a defensive struggle.
August 30th, 2014 at 6:40 PM ^
has a winning record by a pretty wide margin in this series. One of the many reasons I'm sad to see the series end.
August 30th, 2014 at 6:59 PM ^
at all.
August 30th, 2014 at 6:39 PM ^
to me but I don't know much about football and didn't watch for very long.
August 30th, 2014 at 7:37 PM ^
Each and every fan's observations are valued here, so thank you.
August 30th, 2014 at 7:45 PM ^
Po 210 reference about?
August 30th, 2014 at 6:40 PM ^
August 30th, 2014 at 6:40 PM ^
August 30th, 2014 at 6:56 PM ^
August 30th, 2014 at 7:08 PM ^
Did Nuss catfish Manti?
August 30th, 2014 at 9:57 PM ^
August 30th, 2014 at 6:43 PM ^
Yep on paper this looks like a high scoring affair. Expecting a lot of 3rd and 5 that Golson scrambles to get 9 and make me bang head on wall. RIce was pretty solid (not great but solid last year) but dont know enough about them this year to know if they fell off or had major graduations. Better than App State with a lot of Texas athletes out there I am sure, so a good performance by ND.
I expect a last drive type of game - whoever executes at the end. Avoid turnovers and we should have a solid chance. I think we have better skill players and probably their trench play will be better, at least on the offense - they took some serious DL losses to the draft. Hoke needs 1 of these big road games.
August 30th, 2014 at 6:43 PM ^
August 30th, 2014 at 7:11 PM ^
This! I'm not seeing them move the ball efficiently and this is Rice. I don't see them scoring alot of points on us, just don't see it.
August 31st, 2014 at 10:19 AM ^
2013 results
Appy State 4-8
Rice 10-3
Don't know what will happen.
August 30th, 2014 at 8:40 PM ^
August 30th, 2014 at 6:48 PM ^
to hell with Notre Dame
August 30th, 2014 at 6:55 PM ^
I just hope Frank Clark, Willie Henry and the rest of the DL go to South Bend with bad intentions. If Gholson wants to leave the pocket, we need to lay his ass out. Everyone on the D needs to be in kill mode next Saturday night.
August 30th, 2014 at 7:04 PM ^
Need the DTs to plug up the middle and then the DEs need to contain. Rather than sack him, contain him in a pocket. If he gets outside of the DEs those are the type of runs that kill you.
Of course collapsing the pocket works well too. But one step at a time.
August 30th, 2014 at 6:56 PM ^
August 30th, 2014 at 6:56 PM ^
Golson looks really good, and their running game is explosive. I think that they will probably beat us deep a few times given how aggressively Mattison called this game. Their secondary was not very good, so I think that Nuss can attack them.
August 30th, 2014 at 6:58 PM ^
Their field is artificial now? I have to say that is a home advantage they no longer have. I bet some Notre Dame faithful are really upset with this turf!
August 30th, 2014 at 7:29 PM ^
The ND at midfield looks really weird. I was so used to them having a plain field. I don't know why they bother with the diagonal lines in the end zones at this point.
August 30th, 2014 at 11:04 PM ^
The diagonal lines in the end zones total 18, are slanted at 42 degrees and all point to the Golden Dome & Basilica. 1842 was the year ND was founded.
August 30th, 2014 at 11:10 PM ^
That's actually a pretty cool fact, thanks for sharing that.
August 30th, 2014 at 7:00 PM ^
August 30th, 2014 at 7:01 PM ^
Anybody know what conference the officials for next weeks game are from?
August 30th, 2014 at 7:04 PM ^
it will be B10 refs
August 30th, 2014 at 7:52 PM ^
August 30th, 2014 at 7:08 PM ^
Kelly has done a good job with their OL - here is a quick scout report on them. Sound solid as usual.
Offensive tackle
Starters: Ronnie Stanley (left), Steve Elmer (right)
No. 2s: Mike McGinchey, Hunter Bivin
In Stanley and Elmer, Notre Dame has two stalwarts at tackle. Stanley is the team's best offensive lineman, while Elmer -- only a sophomore -- is the most promising member of the unit. If either player gets banged up, McGlinchey will slide in on either the right or left side. Bivin is cross-training at guard and tackle.
Guard
Starters: Matt Hegarty (left), Christian Lombard (right)
No. 2s: Conor Hanratty, Mark Harrell, Hunter Bivin
Hegarty beat out Hanratty at left guard during preseason practice, but if center Nick Martin gets hurt Hegarty would slide there and Hanratty would play left guard. Just as McGlinchey is the first man in at tackle, Hanratty is the first man in at guard. Harrell or Bivin likely would be behind Hanratty if Notre Dame needed to dip deeper into its depth chart.
Center
Starter: Nick Martin
No. 2: Matt Hegarty
As mentioned above, Hegarty would slide to center if Martin missed time. A redshirt junior, Martin has a chance to follow in his brother Zack's footsteps and be a two-time team captain -- which, if that happens, would mean a Martin would be a captain on Notre Dame for four straight seasons.
August 30th, 2014 at 7:10 PM ^
And their DL - Sheldon Day is going to be the key. DEs seem young.
Defensive end
Starters: Isaac Rochell, Andrew Trumbetti
No. 2s: Grant Blankenship, Romeo Okwara
This is as green a group as Notre Dame has. Okwara is the elder statesman of the group, but is a young junior who played linebacker the last two years. Rochell is a sophomore, while Trumbetti and Blankenship are true freshmen. Jhonny Williams -- another freshman -- will get some third-down snaps as an edge rusher, too.
With underclassmen, the concern often is about playing consistently. Expect plenty of rotation with the guys in this unit -- especially with Trumbetti and Okwara -- and if Notre Dame can find the right formula for success out of these guys, it could go a long way toward the team's defensive success this fall.
Defensive tackle
Starters: Sheldon Day, Jarron Jones
No. 2s: Justin Utupo, Daniel Cage
Day is Notre Dame's best defensive lineman and a team captain as a junior, and his presence is instrumental for the overall success of the Irish D-line. Jarron Jones showed promise toward the end of 2013 but coaches want to see more consistency out of him as he takes on a starting role.
Utupo is a fifth-year senior who's been sparingly used over his time at Notre Dame but knows the program well, while Cage is the opposite -- the 325-pound true freshman will get his first taste of college football backing up Jones. And Cage could see a decent number of snaps, given Kelly said Tuesday another thing coaches want to see out of Jones is an increased ability to stay on the field for multiple plays at a time.
August 30th, 2014 at 7:13 PM ^
...it'll be interesting to see what happens.
August 30th, 2014 at 7:18 PM ^
I'm honestly not all that concerned with their previous leading WR out and their best member of their secondary out.
But weird things happen against Notre Dame seemingly every year.
August 30th, 2014 at 7:23 PM ^
should of just entitled this thread "guy watches ND game"
August 30th, 2014 at 7:31 PM ^
August 30th, 2014 at 7:39 PM ^
don't sell yourself short. Your threads are much better than mine.
I guess I just expected something more than an ND open thread where we refer to people as a "gamer". Also I hate it when people play school, but it is "next week's opponent".
August 30th, 2014 at 10:40 PM ^
Since you started playing school, please also note that it's "should have" NOT "should of"
August 30th, 2014 at 7:23 PM ^
August 30th, 2014 at 7:35 PM ^
August 30th, 2014 at 8:19 PM ^
Fig things happen at ND.
August 30th, 2014 at 7:55 PM ^
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August 30th, 2014 at 8:02 PM ^
It's also worth mentioning that one of their captains, starting S Austin Collinsworth, was held out of today's game with an MCL spain. He's expected to miss 2-4 weeks.
Shakes up what is already a shaky secondary.
August 30th, 2014 at 8:02 PM ^
Not really too concerned about this game honestly. I'd be kinda surprised if Michigan doesn't overwhelm this squad by the start of the fourth quarter.
August 30th, 2014 at 8:23 PM ^
My buddy that has no stake in the game said ND -4
I told him to go fuck himself and we aren't friends anymore
Go Blue!!