Notre Dame On-Field Breakdown Thread

Agree but the spine of their defense is gutted. 2 DTs, senior captain MLB, NFL Safety. Oh, and CB2. We’ve *****ed about our injuries all year, and rightfully so. We’ve been impacted a ton. But this is one team with worse injury luck than us, and when it’s the middle of your defense, that’s not good.

Really just see a shootout here. Won’t surprise me at all to see both teams in the 30s.
In another thread I picked Miami 34-31. I agree.
 
I’m honestly just holding my breath at this point.

If any of the rumors are true, this thread is pointless. It’d have to be a totally new thread.
If Dawson spent a whole day of prep thinking he wouldn't have our lord and savior, that means something on its own.
 
If Dawson spent a whole day of prep thinking he wouldn't have our lord and savior, that means something on its own.
I’ll get it together by tomorrow, but I stopped watching ND games as I processed this news. Jacobs and Wingo vs their #12 now.
 
Screenshot 2026-11-05 at 9.23.12 AM.png


My goodness does ND love this throw into the boundary. Have watched it in multiple games. Throw a TE out there. Teams give them space. TE sits down for easy 5+. Carr loves these easy access throws and I'm almost to the point they have to be setting it up for 88, 87 (who i've seen more as an Hback) or 85 (pictured here because 87 was out with an injury).

Wouldn't mind Omar Thornton showing blitz off the edge or into the C and dropping directly into this for an INT. But, we'll see.
 
Screenshot 2026-11-05 at 9.32.23 AM.png


Another thing I'd look out for and they like doing. Moving #6 into matchups. On this one, CJ Carr massively missed the throw, but #6 Faison was moved inside to the #2 WR with a TE (#88) outside of him. He quickly ate up the zone cushion and was clearly free down the outside of the hash. They just missed. We've struggled with these, but I'd particularly look for Smash Concepts where the inside WR runs a corner route.
 
Screenshot 2026-11-05 at 9.47.15 AM.png


One of my favorite things to do is log what offenses do in specific/critical down and distances. When 3rd and 3-4, ND won't necessarily force the throw. They'll line up in 11 personnel with a TE split out, and then motion in late to insert him into the run scheme. They did this early in the season with #87, too. Basically, they tend to get good numbers on these (see BYU's #3 following the motion, but 7 yards off the ball).
 
Screenshot 2026-11-05 at 9.53.14 AM.png


When I watched them last year, I saw CJ Carr loved to throw the back shoulder route. Some said it was because of personnel (Malachi Fields). I disagree. I just think it's a "safe" play he likes to play the probabilities on. On a critical 3rd and passing, he completely neutralizes any blitz or pass rush by simply hand motioning to #14 to run a back shoulder here. #14 makes a heck of a play to convert. But, again, into the boundary, presnap decision, calculated risk. Heads up to our corners. Find the ball, my bros.
 
Screenshot 2026-11-05 at 10.01.50 AM.png


Don't think I have to say much about this. They split everyone out. When they need to improve their down and distance, this is likely one of their go to moves.
 
Screenshot 2026-11-05 at 10.17.51 AM.png


If I were them, definitely a concept I'd use against us. This was a 2nd and 10, so based on our own tendencies, we'd likely be in some variation of Cover 3. Probably inverted. We'd have to read that combination route and the bottom deep 1/3 would have to make a play. I don't trust us in zone, so I'd test us this way.
 
The first-down split is what caught my eye. Notre Dame averages 9.0 yards per pass attempt on first down, and Miami allows 8.0. Miami gives up 5.9 per attempt on third down. I’m watching whether ND lets Carr throw early. Would you bring pressure on first down or keep both safeties deep?
 
Agree but the spine of their defense is gutted. 2 DTs, senior captain MLB, NFL Safety. Oh, and CB2. We’ve *****ed about our injuries all year, and rightfully so. We’ve been impacted a ton. But this is one team with worse injury luck than us, and when it’s the middle of your defense, that’s not good.

Really just see a shootout here. Won’t surprise me at all to see both teams in the 30s.
I thought Onye is questionable but may give it a go. Only Brewu is questionable and is likely out. Is it confirmed both are out? I mean the two DT's.

We are absolutely going to have to be able to run the ball with Fletcher and Mallory/Lyle with some success to open up pass game. We can't just come out passing it every down. Mix it up. Traore and young can rush the passer. Keep ND off balance. I know you know this just saying.
 
I thought Onye is questionable but may give it a go. Only Brewu is questionable and is likely out. Is it confirmed both are out? I mean the two DT's.

We are absolutely going to have to be able to run the ball with Fletcher and Mallory/Lyle with some success to open up pass game. We can't just come out passing it every down. Mix it up. Traore and young can rush the passer. Keep ND off balance. I know you know this just saying.
I don't think both DTs are necessarily out. I think Onye plays. No idea how many snaps, but I think he plays. Again, behind him is #0 and #88. For frame of reference, I think they're both better, more productive players than anything FSU put out there.
 
The first-down split is what caught my eye. Notre Dame averages 9.0 yards per pass attempt on first down, and Miami allows 8.0. Miami gives up 5.9 per attempt on third down. I’m watching whether ND lets Carr throw early. Would you bring pressure on first down or keep both safeties deep?

I don't think both DTs are necessarily out. I think Onye plays. No idea how many snaps, but I think he plays. Again, behind him is #0 and #88. For frame of reference, I think they're both better, more productive players than anything FSU put out there.
I agree LuCane, just reading this blurb in the CIS Article posted today. Thanks.

Notre Dame is banged up too​

Nobody in South Bend wants to hear about our injury report. They have their own.

Their best defensive tackle, Francis Brewu, and their most experienced one, Jason Onye, are questionable, and nobody expects them to play. Drayk Bowen, their captain and green-dot middle linebacker, is out. DJ McKinney, their No. 2 corner, is out. Brauntae Johnson, maybe the most talented guy on that defense after Leonard Moore, is out.
 
I agree LuCane, just reading this blurb in the CIS Article posted today. Thanks.

Notre Dame is banged up too​

Nobody in South Bend wants to hear about our injury report. They have their own.

Their best defensive tackle, Francis Brewu, and their most experienced one, Jason Onye, are questionable, and nobody expects them to play. Drayk Bowen, their captain and green-dot middle linebacker, is out. DJ McKinney, their No. 2 corner, is out. Brauntae Johnson, maybe the most talented guy on that defense after Leonard Moore, is out.
Interesting. I don't expect Brewu to play. I expect Onye to try. I hope I'm wrong and they both spend the night comfortably drinking Pina Coladas.
 
After watching all of their snaps through the BYU game, here is my updated perspective:

- CJ Carr has been up and down, but we've seen other QBs panic and struggle and then rip us to shreds. He absolutely loves taking free access throws to the short side of the field, and if we give it, he will gladly take and execute the chunks.

- ND has three TEs who've made some plays, though they aren't attribute guys. They make plays in simple ways: sit down in the boundary as I've shown above in screenshots or combination routes. They also move them across the formation and use them for wham blocks, sealing the Y in Duo, and even direct insert blocks. When they need a play, don't be surprised if the TE is crossing with someone on the outside to either free up a WR or himself for hit.

- When push comes to shove, I expect Jaden Greathouse (#1) to be CJ Carr's security blanket. In critical plays or situations, he finds him and Greathouse has won with mostly body control and physicality. I don't know if we have a corner who'll match his physicality - maybe Lucas, if he does drugs prior to the game and forgets his injuries.

- In certain instances, ND will use their RB for medium conversions. Both in the run game, as I showed above, and splitting out #2 and letting him beat a LB on a route. They've trusted them.

- Against us, I think they'd love to get #6 down the seam (as shown above) or on dig routes. I don't know if we'll show Cover 3 and roll to Cover 2 (inverted), but that brings a set of other issues with our LBs in deeper drops.

- #14 on their team will run crossers, Ins, and some back shoulders. Like I said, EOC or whomever, heads up.

- ND's RT is a problem in the run game. Big dude who explosively down blocks. Blount better play a different type of game than he did against UNC. He did show some struggle with speed to the outside, but I expect ND's approach to help him there. I do not expect volume deep drops by CJ Carr unless they somehow get down huge. Even then, I expect him to get the ball out quickly and that protects their RT.

- ND's RG can be had with speed and agility, and I pray Moten just watches his tape over and over. Also solid on duo and in run game, but less impressive in pass set.

- ND's game against BYU seems like a fluke to me. Weird stuff happened. Their 2nd best defender, EDGE Traore, went out with the a targeting call very early. Carr randomly fumbled the ball on 2nd and goal to close the 1st half. BYU ran a trick play pass to the QB. ND uncharacteristically dropped some passes in the middle of the field. Stuff happens in a football game to both sides, but the flow of that game was very weird.

All of that to say I would pray that Hetherman has a totally different approach to what we've seen, because ND is sufficiently talented to be way cleaner than UNC and just take what we give them with stretched out zones and easy presnap looks.

I'll continue watching, but I'm tired, boss.
 
The best thing our defense/heatherman can do this week, if they change absolutely nothing from last game....play faster and actually make open field tackles. There's at least 2 drives that are dead in the water if our first defender makes the open field tackle instead of missing it. They shouldve never even got to the redzone on some of those drives even with the gaping zones.
That’s my hope. We have some issues/limitations that might just be what they are, but effort and energy can change. And if we’re ever gonna max it out I have to think @ND is gonna be it.
 
Back
Top