ND preview (long analysis)

[whoopingcane]

Last 13 games...

Miami 13-0
ND 9-4 (Navy, VT, USC, UGA)

Not getting the rankings or ND confidence. In South Bend, maybe.

 

[MIA42178]

I dare say Miami has a better defense than Georgia. So, ND has not seen a defense like Miami this year.

Miami has a very solid D, but they are not better than Georgia.

LOL

 

[Hurricanemike32]

ND does more damage in the second half from a physical standpoint. You'll need to go in to the second half with a lead.

So does Miami. I would be more concerned about ND and there conditioning level with the heat and humidity. Miami has proven to be a second half team all year and that won’t change tomorrow night. If ND doesn’t have a lead at halftime they have no chance of winning. Miami is just a better conditioned and deeper team. Facts are facts...

Not sure who is better conditioned. ND has worn everyone down. Miami has too. That SHOULD mean we get a good game for 4 quarters. ND rotates a lot, and has played a lot of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th teamers (walk ons).


It was in the 70's in South Bend up until about 2 weeks ago. ND has been practicing indoors with the heat (and humidity as a secondary effect) cranked up for the last few weeks. I don't think it will be an issue. I mean all you can really do is stay hidrated as much as possible. Head and humidity can be dealt with. I think it's harder for a southern team to go play up north, than vice versa...

As far as facts are facts, I'd like to know what you base that on?

I watched a Syracuse team that runs more plays than anyone in the country come to Miami and 98 plays or something crazy like that in an attempt to wear Miami down. They were the ones who wore down. There is no replicating the humidity...just isn’t the same. Miami will be the better conditioned team.

98 plays will tire anyone. But Syracuse is not conditioned like ND either, nor can they rotate their players like ND or Miami. 98 plays? Thats insane

I would argue that Syracuse is conditioned better than ND to play the style they play. I guess we will find out tomorrow. The lack of depth on the ND defensive line will rear it's ugly head in the second half. It’s such an advantage for UM to have the depth on the DL that we have. Difference in the game in my opinion.

 

[cocanes]

Very good read, although, I couldn't understand anything from the second paragraph....

 

[Calinative]

Given how our D has played this year, I would not be surprised, despite the crowd, to see our D get gashed a bit early, giving up a couple scores, but then they clamp it down, esp in 2H, and our O gets it done.

Hopefully they dominate both sides from get go.

ND does more damage in the second half from a physical standpoint. You'll need to go in to the second half with a lead.

You literally could not have watched a game of UM for the last two years and make such an inane comment. Heck you couldn't even have watched our game vs you last year. Diaz and Richt have owned the second half since they've been here.

I watch every ND game, saw ND vs Miami last year, and Miami vs VT this year. The comment I made, I am making in reference to this year, not last. both teams are well conditioned, but as the game goes on the speed "advantage" will equal out. That's why I'm saying an early lead would be helpful for Miami. Otherwise I think ND has an advantage. If MIAMI can't pull ahead with a speed advantage, then it will be tough for them to win. I just trust what I've seen this year. ND's physicality has beaten everyone this year other than Georgia (and ND could have won that game if not for a last minute strip sack and fumble recovery by Georgia)

You could have won that game sure just like FSU or GTech could have won vs us.
But the fact is, and if you're unbiased you'll admit this, You guys should have lost by a lot more than 1 pt vs UGA. Fromm played like trash, which I guess is to be expected since he was a True Frosh with his first away start in a huge game. But If he didn't play like crap, that game was not as close as the score indicated. UGA dominated the game.

 

[Calinative]

So does Miami. I would be more concerned about ND and there conditioning level with the heat and humidity. Miami has proven to be a second half team all year and that won’t change tomorrow night. If ND doesn’t have a lead at halftime they have no chance of winning. Miami is just a better conditioned and deeper team. Facts are facts...

Not sure who is better conditioned. ND has worn everyone down. Miami has too. That SHOULD mean we get a good game for 4 quarters. ND rotates a lot, and has played a lot of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th teamers (walk ons).


It was in the 70's in South Bend up until about 2 weeks ago. ND has been practicing indoors with the heat (and humidity as a secondary effect) cranked up for the last few weeks. I don't think it will be an issue. I mean all you can really do is stay hidrated as much as possible. Head and humidity can be dealt with. I think it's harder for a southern team to go play up north, than vice versa...

As far as facts are facts, I'd like to know what you base that on?

I watched a Syracuse team that runs more plays than anyone in the country come to Miami and 98 plays or something crazy like that in an attempt to wear Miami down. They were the ones who wore down. There is no replicating the humidity...just isn’t the same. Miami will be the better conditioned team.

98 plays will tire anyone. But Syracuse is not conditioned like ND either, nor can they rotate their players like ND or Miami. 98 plays? Thats insane

I would argue that Syracuse is conditioned better than ND to play the style they play. I guess we will find out tomorrow. The lack of depth on the ND defensive line will rear it's ugly head in the second half. It’s such an advantage for UM to have the depth on the DL that we have. Difference in the game in my opinion.

Syracuse ran 93 offensive plays vs us and UNC ran 92 in back to back weeks against us.

And we didn't run out of gas either game, those offenses did. We are very well conditioned.

 

[Era66]

So does Miami. I would be more concerned about ND and there conditioning level with the heat and humidity. Miami has proven to be a second half team all year and that won’t change tomorrow night. If ND doesn’t have a lead at halftime they have no chance of winning. Miami is just a better conditioned and deeper team. Facts are facts...

Not sure who is better conditioned. ND has worn everyone down. Miami has too. That SHOULD mean we get a good game for 4 quarters. ND rotates a lot, and has played a lot of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th teamers (walk ons).


It was in the 70's in South Bend up until about 2 weeks ago. ND has been practicing indoors with the heat (and humidity as a secondary effect) cranked up for the last few weeks. I don't think it will be an issue. I mean all you can really do is stay hidrated as much as possible. Head and humidity can be dealt with. I think it's harder for a southern team to go play up north, than vice versa...

As far as facts are facts, I'd like to know what you base that on?

ND played 3 of their 4 big games at home. You are discounting the impact of important non-statistical factors. Miami playing at home, crowd noise, energy, and emotions Miami team will play with. Don't under estimate how Miami plays being the underdog, being disrespected by almost everybody including local sports talking heads like that self promoting Dan Le Batard.

ND has actually played better away than at home this year. They rush for more yards and average more points per game and less points against.

That is a misleading stat. Other than MSU, which teams you played on the road again?

Why bother brother, according to ND fans they have played the toughest schedule in the country. The U has played a bunch of scrub teams and we are lucky to be undefeated.

 

[Southcane]

ND fan was saying they play better on the road. When I reminded him that they didn't play anybody good on the road (other than maybe MSU) he disappeared lol.

 

[NonCents]

Again, ND played better on the road because most of their road games were against inferior teams. They have not played a tough, violent, opportunistic solid team on the road like Miami. The best team they played was UGA and it was at home. Oh, and they lost that one.

ND did play an MSU team that just beat Pedo University...and beat them pretty soundly. But you're correct. for the most part, they've played inferior teams. Although the BC team that beat Louisville and FSU lost by nearly 30 to ND.

 

[NonCents]

ND fan was saying they play better on the road. When I reminded him that they didn't play anybody good on the road (other than maybe MSU) he disappeared lol.

i was just busy posting a new thread about key matchups. still here

 

[NonCents]

Not sure who is better conditioned. ND has worn everyone down. Miami has too. That SHOULD mean we get a good game for 4 quarters. ND rotates a lot, and has played a lot of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th teamers (walk ons).


It was in the 70's in South Bend up until about 2 weeks ago. ND has been practicing indoors with the heat (and humidity as a secondary effect) cranked up for the last few weeks. I don't think it will be an issue. I mean all you can really do is stay hidrated as much as possible. Head and humidity can be dealt with. I think it's harder for a southern team to go play up north, than vice versa...

As far as facts are facts, I'd like to know what you base that on?

ND played 3 of their 4 big games at home. You are discounting the impact of important non-statistical factors. Miami playing at home, crowd noise, energy, and emotions Miami team will play with. Don't under estimate how Miami plays being the underdog, being disrespected by almost everybody including local sports talking heads like that self promoting Dan Le Batard.

ND has actually played better away than at home this year. They rush for more yards and average more points per game and less points against.

That is a misleading stat. Other than MSU, which teams you played on the road again?

Why bother brother, according to ND fans they have played the toughest schedule in the country. The U has played a bunch of scrub teams and we are lucky to be undefeated.

You wont hear that from me.

 

[Era66]

Again, ND played better on the road because most of their road games were against inferior teams. They have not played a tough, violent, opportunistic solid team on the road like Miami. The best team they played was UGA and it was at home. Oh, and they lost that one.

ND did play an MSU team that just beat Pedo University...and beat them pretty soundly. But you're correct. for the most part, they've played inferior teams. Although the BC team that beat Louisville and FSU lost by nearly 30 to ND.

That same BC team got beat by double digits by VT. Comparing scores means nothing.

 

[Era66]

ND played 3 of their 4 big games at home. You are discounting the impact of important non-statistical factors. Miami playing at home, crowd noise, energy, and emotions Miami team will play with. Don't under estimate how Miami plays being the underdog, being disrespected by almost everybody including local sports talking heads like that self promoting Dan Le Batard.

ND has actually played better away than at home this year. They rush for more yards and average more points per game and less points against.

That is a misleading stat. Other than MSU, which teams you played on the road again?

Why bother brother, according to ND fans they have played the toughest schedule in the country. The U has played a bunch of scrub teams and we are lucky to be undefeated.

You wont hear that from me.

These ND fans create accounts on our sight to basically say the U sucks and ND is the greatest team in collage football history.

 

[NonCents]

ND has actually played better away than at home this year. They rush for more yards and average more points per game and less points against.

That is a misleading stat. Other than MSU, which teams you played on the road again?

Why bother brother, according to ND fans they have played the toughest schedule in the country. The U has played a bunch of scrub teams and we are lucky to be undefeated.

You wont hear that from me.

These ND fans create accounts on our sight to basically say the U sucks and ND is the greatest team in collage football history.

again, you wont hear that from me. just bringing outside perspective. of course we will defend each others teams, but always with respect

 

[NonCents]

Again, ND played better on the road because most of their road games were against inferior teams. They have not played a tough, violent, opportunistic solid team on the road like Miami. The best team they played was UGA and it was at home. Oh, and they lost that one.

ND did play an MSU team that just beat Pedo University...and beat them pretty soundly. But you're correct. for the most part, they've played inferior teams. Although the BC team that beat Louisville and FSU lost by nearly 30 to ND.

That same BC team got beat by double digits by VT. Comparing scores means nothing.

right, and Miami needed some last seconds heroics to beat FSU. You're right you can't compare. FSU always gives Miami fits, ust like Stanford give ND fits. that's a game where records dont matter (usually)

 

[Cane6]

At the goal line I'd love to see DJ Dallas brought in for a wildcat play with one passing option

 

[Mnhurricane]

The whole assumption that USC tried to stop the run and failed so we will too is way off. We very well might fail to stop the run but USC laid down like a common ***** from the start of that game and played tentative at the point of attack. We absolutely will not be playing the good ole "read and react" defense which will lead to some gashes I'm sure but will also set up some uncomfortable 2nd and 3rd and longs. If we tackle well all game it should carry us through

 

[Colombie]

Last 13 games...

Miami 13-0
ND 9-4 (Navy, VT, USC, UGA)

Not getting the rankings or ND confidence. In South Bend, maybe.

A lot of the hype has to do with how much respect UGA is getting and how ND kept it close against them.

I see both ND and UGA losing today making the media and coaches look dumb yet again..

 

[JgDaCane]

I dare say Miami has a better defense than Georgia. So, ND has not seen a defense like Miami this year.

Miami has a very solid D, but they are not better than Georgia.

You think UGA has 14+ that will be playing on Sundays?

 

[HighSeas]

Richt is right that the OL can't impose its will yet, but that doesn't mean that the O can't be effective. Don't have to blow ND off the line.
1) Dallas has great hands, use the back as a receiver. No need to run into brick walls. A 4 yard pass is as good as a four yard run.
2) I've been saying it for the last three games - use Dallas in the Wildcat 5-6 times, bring in 2 extra blockers, and get numbers on the line. Dallas can be especially helpful on the goal line.

I agree. Miami can have sporadic success running the ball in this game with plays that create a numbers advantage. ND will be looking to stack the line rather than disrupt runs in the backfield. A wildcat package with jet motion could be effective but I would only utilize that if it was practiced for more than a week. Bringing in a 6th OL (Gaynor?) and running the Stanford unbalanced line formation from under center would also work but that would be a paradigm shift for Richt.

Why would quarters be a good vertical pass opportunity?

I already said why, mostly. In quarters the safeties are more reactive to the run because the deep responsibility isn't as strict as 2-deep coverage. With play action you can catch them flat footed but even if they get appropriate depth they have to communicate the post otherwise it becomes man coverage with the corner or safety trailing and no help to squeeze the route over the top. This happened to ND in the UGA game and it happens to college defenses all the time including Miami. Post-dig is especially powerful against quarters. The only concern is pass protection but ND has an average pass rush at best.

ND played 3 of their 4 big games at home. You are discounting the impact of important non-statistical factors. Miami playing at home, crowd noise, energy, and emotions Miami team will play with. Don't under estimate how Miami plays being the underdog, being disrespected by almost everybody including local sports talking heads like that self promoting Dan Le Batard.

This. Our Domer friend isn't strictly wrong as he's using descriptive information based on what has transpired in the past. If you want to project future performance you have to analyze context. The context I see is that ND has beaten up on bad teams and/or weak-willed teams that played soft on the road. Miami has shown itself to be a physically and mentally tough team, especially at home. Miami's only flat performance was playing down to UNC on the road. That game has no relevance to tonight although fans of the transitive property and descriptive stats might assume that ND is going to win because they dominated the same UNC team.