Monday, October 19, 2020
Sunday, October 18, 2020
Saturday's Great Test: Can ND Run on Pitt?
The Pittsburgh Panthers know how to play run defense -- they are #1 in the country! Look at how they have held teams down so far this season:
- Austin Peay: 1 yard rushing / 22 attempts
- Syracuse: 51 yards rushing / 34 attempts
- Louisville: 116 yards rushing / 30 attempts
- NC State: 62 yards rushing / 30 attempts
- Boston College: 30 yards rushing / 41 attempts
- Miami: 109 yards rushing / 42 attempts
To give this some context -- here's how these teams rank in rushing on the season:
- #33 Miami: 179 yards rushing per game
- #43 Louisville: 161 yards rushing per game
- #46 NC State: 154 yards rushing per game
- #74 Syracuse: 81 yards rushing per game
- #75 Boston College: 66 yards rushing per game
Season stats for Pitt's run defense:
- 61.5 yards per game rushing -- #1 in the country
- 1.9 yards rushing per attempt -- #1 in the country
- 2 rushing TD's allowed this season -- #6 in the country
- 261 yards rushing per game -- #7 in the country
- 5.83 yards rushing per attempt -- #5 in the country
- 13 rushing TD's this season -- #7 in the country
This game will match up one of the top defensive lines in the country vs. one of the top offensive lines in the country -- a game that will be truly won in the trenches...
LINK: PITT'S DEFENSIVE LINE
Notre Dame Moves Up to #3 in Both Major Polls
Most Notre Dame fans were disappointed in the Fighting Irish's 12 - 7 win over the Louisville Cardinals yesterday...
Fortunately, the media and the coaches felt other wise.
Are the IRISH receiving some "favored nation" status for being a member of a conference -- from beat writers and coaches inside the Atlantic Coast Conference?
LINK: AP POLL & COACHES POLL
First Look at ACC Football Standings
As you can see, Clemson leads the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 4 - 0 record, followed by our Fighting Irish who are also undefeated at 3 - 0.
Never thought I'd be flashing "conference standings" with Notre Dame football...
ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE -- FOOTBALL STANDINGS:
- Clemson: 4 - 0
- NOTRE DAME: 3 - 0
- NC State: 4 - 1
- Virginia Tech: 4 - 1
- North Carolina: 3 - 1
- Miami: 3 - 1
- Georgia Tech: 2 - 2
- Boston College: 2 - 2
- Pittsburgh: 2 - 3
- Wake Forest: 1 - 2
- Florida State: 1 - 3
- Virginia: 1 - 3
- Syracuse: 1 - 3
- Duke: 1 - 5
- Louisville: 0 - 4
RED denotes on Notre Dame's schedule this season.
Saturday, October 17, 2020
Brian Kelly Talks 12 - 7 Win Over Louisville
Lowest Point Total In Home Win Since 1978
Back in 1978, Notre Dame beat Purdue 10 - 6 in a home game... Today was a WEIRD game in many ways -- it resembled games we've played against the Naval Academy over the years, in regards to offensive possessions.
Just The Facts:
- Notre Dame only had 7 offensive possessions in the game -- Clemson had 8 offensive possessions in the first half alone versus Georgia Tech today
- Louisville only ran 45 plays on offense --21 in the first half / 24 in the second half!
- Louisville came into the game averaging 75.8 plays (per game) on offense
- Louisville's offense came into the game with 9 fumbles and 5 interceptions -- a turnover machine. There were ZERO turnovers in today's game
- Louisville's defense had been giving up 34.25 points per game
- Louisville came into the game with just 3 sacks -- they sacked Book 4 times today...
- Both starting QB's threw 19 passes
- Louisville connected on 16 for 134 yards and a TD
- Notre Dame connected on 11 for 107 yards and no TD's
- Notre Dame held Louisville to 7 points
- Louisville scored 35 vs. Western Kentucky
- Louisville scored 34 vs. Miami
- Louisville scored 20 vs. Pittsburgh
- Louisville scored 27 vs. Georgia Tech
- Notre Dame held Louisville to only 233 yards of offense
- Louisville gained 487 vs. Western Kentucky
- Louisville gained 516 vs. Miami
- Louisville gained 223 vs. Pittsburgh
- Louisville gained 471 vs. Georgia Tech
- Notre Dame gained 339 yards of offense today
- Louisville held Western Kentucky to 248 yards of offense
- Louisville held Miami to 485 yards of offense
- Louisville held Pittsburgh to 376 yards of offense
- Louisville held Georgia Tech to 450 yards of offense
Here's what is concerning:
- Notre Dame's inability to consistently move the ball and score points through the air:
- Book has only 3 TD passes in our first four games
- 57 QB's have more TD passes than Ian this season -- only 76 teams are currently playing FBS
- Book's completing just 61.7% of his passes
- Ian completed 68.2% of his passes during the 2018 season
- Ian completed 60.2% of his passes during the 2019 season
Here's what is not concerning:
- 10 straight wins -- longest in college football!
- 22 straight wins at home
- Ian Book is 24 - 3 as a starting QB!
GO IRISH -- KEEP WINNING!
