With the announcement last night that Notre Dame starting TE Durham Smythe would be lost for the season due to a knee injury -- the FIGHTING IRISH have lost FIVE STARTERS -- after only two games.
The Notre Dame alum was most recently head of the Baltimore Sun Media Group -- he's now heading west to lead the Los Angeles Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune...
Here's what a few in the national media had to say about Notre Dame's come from behind win over Virginia -- and the news that Malik Zaire is out for the season with a fractured ankle...
I've watched enough highlight tape of Georgia Tech's two "scrimmages" this year to devise a game plan for the Fighting Irish to win a game that no one in the media will give us a chance to win this week.
First the facts:
In Georgia Tech's two scrimmages -- they haven't faced a single player who will be drafted in the first five rounds of next May's NFL Draft -- or, the 2017 or 2018 NFL Draft. They will see MANY on Saturday.
In Georgia Tech's two scrimmages -- they haven't faced a single player who was rated higher than a three-star recruit coming out of high school -- MOST WERE 2 star, 1 star and UNRANKED. They will see MANY on Saturday.
In Georgia Tech's two scrimmages -- they haven't faced an offensive lineman or a defensive lineman with "big boy football" size and athletic ability. They will see MANY on Saturday.
In Georgia Tech's two scrimmages -- they haven't faced a team that they had to fear on defense. They haven't seen a Prosise, Fuller, Hunter, Smythe, Brown, or a Stanley, Nelson, Martin, Elmer or McGlinchey -- they haven't played a "big-boy" team yet -- like they will on Saturday.
And, in Georgia Tech's two scrimmages -- they haven't left the cozy confines of their field in downtown Atlanta -- where they averaged 50,000 fans... They will see 75,000 FIGHTING IRISH fans on Saturday!
Here's a look at the TALENT EVALUATION of the toughest team Georgia Tech has played in their two scrimmages this season. "IF WE SEE THIS" -- VICTORY LIST (need FIVE OF SEVEN to happen):
Do not turnover the football. Brian Kelly is 18-0 at Notre Dame when his team does not turn it over.
We must score TD's -- on at least 87% of our trips to the Red Zone -- field goals will not win this one. We will need to score at least 39 points to win this game -- the three teams that beat GT last year averaged this point production.
The Tight End position must become a target -- with five or more catches in this game.
We must turn over GT at least two times.
We must make at least five tackles for loss in this game.
We can't be forced to punt more than three times in this game. In GT's three losses last year -- their opponents were only forced to punt 3 or fewer times.
We must limit GT's big chunk plays -- of more than 20 yards -- to no more than 3 in this game.
Here's a look at Georgia Tech's last loss -- a game against Florida State in December...
The Notre Dame speedster (a three-star recruit) has moved up to the number 4 ranking in FBS for total receiving yards after yesterday's win over Virginia.
Fuller has caught 12 passes for 266 yards and 4 touchdowns -- he's tied for 2nd in the country in total TD catches!
Not bad for a student-athlete playing his first two games at running back since he was 12 years-old. C.J. (a three-star recruit) has rushed for 253 yards on 37 carries for a 6.8 yards average per attempt.
