It is often said that for the visiting team, a trip to Notre Dame Stadium is equivalent to the Super Bowl, and it certainly seemed that way for Massachusetts on Saturday. The Minutemen hung with the Irish for the majority of the first half, running through the teeth of Notre Dame’s defense. The Minutemen moved within a point with under seven minutes left in the first half after a double-pass trick play set up a one-yard touchdown run. There was a feeling of panic in the stadium as the sell-out crowd of 80,795 sat stunned in silence. Flirting with disaster, the Irish answered as freshman C.J. Sanders returned a punt fifty yards for a touchdown. Quarterback DeShone Kizer then found receiver Chris Brown in the corner of the endzone with just six seconds remaining in the half, seizing the momentum for Notre Dame, who never gave it back. Notre Dame was able to give backups valuable reps in the second half, if nothing else to avoid any more injuries. Backup quarterback Brandon Wimbush made the most of his opportunity, breaking free for a fifty-eight yard touchdown run.
Notre Dame Prepares for Primetime Battle With Clemson
UMass may have come to South Bend ready to play the game of their lives, but they simply could not match the size and strength of number six-ranked Notre Dame for four quarters. The upper-classmen led Irish came out of the locker room in the second half and played like the twenty-eight point favorites they were. If the Irish are going to reach their goal of making the playoff, leadership from experienced veterans must continue to be shown, especially next Saturday as Notre Dame travels to Death Valley to take on Clemson.
After Georgia Tech lost to Duke on Saturday, Clemson now appears to be Notre Dame’s toughest test not only so far, but of the year. College Gameday will be on Campus for the 8 p.m. kickoff featuring the two playoff contenders, adding to the atmosphere and importance of the matchup. The Irish defense will be tasked with stopping Heisman hopeful quarterback Deshaun Watson, and will need to play much better than they did in the first half on Saturday to do so. Notre Dame’s defensive line had been dominant in the team’s first three games, but was shut down for the most part on Saturday. Clemson’s offensive line now has a few games of experience, but only returns one lineman from last season. Notre Dame’s ability to put pressure on Watson could be the deciding factor on Saturday, which means the defensive line must take advantage of the inexperience on Clemson’s o-line, who is starting a true freshman at left tackle. Against Georgia Tech, the defensive line seemed to be in the backfield every play, hurrying quarterback Justin Thomas and forcing many inaccurate throws. Notre Dame’s defensive front will need to channel that same intensity if they plan to stop Watson, who is arguably the best dual threat quarterback in the nation.
For years, fans and experts have questioned whether power five schools should be allowed to schedule smaller schools such as UMass as often as they do. There is almost no upside to scheduling these types of teams in terms of playoff rankings. However, these games do help establish fluidity in an offense and give players time to get used to playing alongside each other. Saturday was one of these opportunities for Notre Dame, who continued to establish an identity on offense amongst a growing list of injured players. Coach Brian Kelly talked about this in his post game press conference, saying that the coaches are still in the process of finding Kizer’s strengths and weaknesses. Saturday gave Kelly confirmation that C.J. Prosise is indeed prepared to carry the load on offense. Prosise ran for over a hundred yards for the third week in a row, finishing with 149 and two touchdowns. Expect the Irish to feed Prosise more than the fifteen times he touched the ball against the Minutemen as Kelly tries to lighten the load for an inexperienced Kizer against a good Clemson defense.
Kizer has played exceptionally well since taking over the starting job, but like any freshman has a few areas to improve on. Kizer struggled Saturday in the same area that he did against both Virginia and Georgia Tech – throwing short passes such as hitch and curl routes, especially to the far side of the field. On the final drive of the first half Saturday, Kizer underthrew receivers on ten-yard routes three different times. “He got a little off balance on some of his throws, especially to his left… he has a tendency to over-stride a little bit and lock out his front leg” Kelly said when breaking down his quarterback’s mistakes. Kizer was able to regroup following his mistakes, leading the team down the field for a score just before halftime. “He knows what to do and how to do it, he made the corrections later in the drive… he can self correct” Kelly said while complimenting Kizer. The freshman shouldn’t need to worry about being the best player on the field Saturday, but instead focus on keeping drives alive and not turning the ball over. C.J. Prosise should carry the load for Notre Dame’s offense again, giving Kizer time to settle in and get comfortable as he enters one of the most hostile environments in the sport.
As the Irish gear up to take their first trip to the deep south since losing to Florida State last season, Kelly looks to prevent his seat from getting any warmer after there were some fans calling for him to be fired after last season’s collapse. A loss on Saturday will surely gain the attention of Kelly’s critics heading into two more tough games against Navy and USC. A win, however, would prove that Kelly’s system and recruiting techniques are working for Notre Dame, as it would be done with backups at quarterback and running back. Ultimately, Saturday’s matchup is not only a battle for a chance to make the playoff, but a chance for Notre Dame to show the country that they finally have the playmakers and depth to be considered an elite program once again.
