To put it mildly, the Notre Dame defense has struggled this year. Through three games the Irish have surrendered 71 points. Last season Notre Dame didn’t give up its 71st point until game 8 when they traveled to Oklahoma to take on the Sooners.
| Notre Dame Defense 2012 vs. 2013 | ||
| Stat | 2012 | 2013 |
| Passing Yds/Game | 199.8 | 259.3 |
| Rushing Yds/Game | 105.7 | 112.7 |
| Total Yds/Game | 305.5 | 372.0 |
| Points/Game | 12.8 | 23.7 |
| 3rd Downs | 37% | 44% |
| Red Zone | 68% | 73% |
| Red Zone TD | 34% | 73% |
| Sacks/Game | 2.6 | 1.0 |
| Turnovers/Game | 1.8 | 1.0 |
Points aren’t the only alarming statistic from the Irish defense though. Notre Dame has just three sacks through three games after averaging 2.6 a game in 2012. Turnovers are down too while yards and points per game are all up (see table to the right)
The struggles of the Irish defense have fans asking why one of last year’s elite units is struggling to slow down first time starting quarterbacks like Connor Reilly of Temple. There isn’t a definitive reason for this drop-off, but when looking at this year’s unit versus last year’s, here are a few reasons the Irish defense has fallen off.
Notre Dame really misses Manti Te’o
OK, so this one is pretty obvious, but Notre Dame is really missing Manti Te’o right now. A lot of us convinced ourselves that Manti was not as integral to Notre Dame’s magical defensive performance in 2012. Everyone saw him drop to the 2nd round of the draft and run a slow 40 time and thought, maybe Notre Dame’s scheme just put him in a position to make all those plays.
Well, that Kool Aid has seriously soured and reality has set in. Manti Te’o was really good. Really, really freaking good and Notre Dame is missing his production and his leadership on the defensive side of the ball.
Manti was the heart and soul of the Notre Dame defense last year and his absence is one of the biggest reasons that the Notre Dame defense has been surrendering more yards and points than they were a year ago despite playing against quarterbacks that haven’t exactly set the world on fire when they haven’t been playing the Irish.
Jarrett Grace is starting to play well on the inside of the linebacking corps for Notre Dame, but the combination of Dan Fox and Carlo Calabrese has been exploited in passing situations so far this season. In order for the Irish to mitigate the loss of Te’o over the final nine games, they will need Grace to step up and show he is ready to be on the field more.
The Irish are missing Danny Spond, Kapron Lewis-Moore, and Zeke Motta too
Manti Te’o isn’t the only veteran from the 2012 defense that Notre Dame is missing. The leadership of Zeke Motta, Kapron Lewis-Moore, and Zeke Motta are being sorely missed by the defense right about now too. Notre Dame had all off-season to plan for the loss of Motta and KLM but right now the Irish just don’t have a veteran safety capable of helping the rest of the secondary get set the way Motta did last year.
Unlike Motta and KLM, the Irish didn’t have as much time to plan for the loss of Danny Spond who had to abruptly retire due to complications from the migraines he’s suffered the last few years. Jaylon Smith has all the talent in the world and is starting to play well, but as a true freshman, it’s impossible for Smith to replace Spond’s leadership and experience.
Notre Dame over estimated it’s secondary
Notre Dame has blitzed a lot more this year and as a result has played more man coverage. The result has actually been fewer sacks and a lot more passing yards allowed. Why? Because the pass rush hasn’t gotten to the quarterback in time and the secondary has been placed in vulnerable situations – situations they haven’t been able to make plays in.
Did Bob Diaco over estimate what his secondary was capable of and change his approach to rushing the quarterback as a result? Quite possibly. Notre Dame generated a pass rush last year without needing additional blitzers because they play sound coverage and didn’t give quarterbacks opportunities to get rid of the ball. Brian Kelly talked on Tuesday about how much more man coverage they’ve played and it sure sounded like we might be seeing more zone from the defense soon.
Poor red-zone performance
Notre Dame was beyond stellar in the red-zone last year and it was not reasonable to expect the Irish to replicate that success this year. It was also not reasonable to think that they would completely fall off in the red-zone either. Last year Notre Dame held opponents to just a 34% touchdown rate when they reached the red-zone. This year, that number has more than doubled to 73%.
73 percent! Notre Dame is allowing opposing offenses to score touchdowns 73% of the time they reach the red-zone. That kind of performance is not going to win anyone a whole lot of football games. For comparison sake, Notre Dame didn’t let opposing offenses even get three points in the red-zone that frequently last year allowing them to score any points just 68% of the time.
Past of the reason for the lack of success in red-zone goes back to our previous point. Facing a 4th and goal down 14 points in the 4th quarter, OUrdue quarterback Rob Henry dropped back to pass and was greeted with a blitz from Notre Dame. The rush just barely failed to get to Henry, hitting him as he released the ball. Henry’s pass ended up finding its way into Justin Sinz’s hands for a 9 yard touchdown to cut the Irish lead to 7.
Congrats that to red-zone performances like those against the likes of USC and Stanford last year.
Tackling, tackling, tackling
We can talk about Notre Dame missing players and changing philosophies all day, but at the end of the day, the Irish defense would be a heck of a lot better this year if the Irish would just tackle better. A year ago the Irish Notre Dame was as sound of a tackling unit as we’ve seen in years. This year? Not so much.
Just ask Jeremy Gallon. Gallon was surrounded by three defenders at the 35 yard line in the first quarter of Notre Dame’s loss to Michigan but broke out of a tackle, spun around and then raced into the end-zone for a 61 yard touchdown when he should have been tackled at the 35. Again, that just wouldn’t have happened last year and needs to be cleaned up in order for Notre Dame to make a serious BCS run this year.
Stephon Tuitt isn’t quite the same this year
Last year Stephon Tuitt came storming out of the gates. This year he has just one sack in the first three games and looks like someone who lost a lot of time in the weight room in the off-season. Tuitt was a monster last year. He was a beast that opposing offenses couldn’t handle. As he recovered from off-season hernia surgery though, he lost a lot of time in the weight room and he it looks like he is still playing a little catch up. That much was evident in the summer when there was endless debate on the blogs and forums about his conditioning.
This isn’t a knock on Tuitt at all either. On the contrary, it’s a testament to how good he was last year and how high a level that he is capable of playing at. Tuitt still has a lot of time to get back on track this year and it would be a huge mistake to write him off at this point, but as he and Louis Nix go, so goes the Notre Dame defense. If Tuitt can start to turn things around, the Notre Dame defense will start to resemble the unit that carried them to Miami last year.
There are still nine games left in the season for the Notre Dame defense to gel and start to look like the squad that carried the Irish to a National Championship game berth last year. This weekend they face off against an offense that is very much a ground and pound unit – something that plays into their strength and could be a jumping off point for a strong finish to the season.
ND may well drop again in the polls after a victory if no one above the lost.
For all of this talk about defense ( and I know that this article is focusing on that) I’m concerned about offense. Running game? Where is it?
Yes we won over Mich St. in a slug fest and errors. How long can QB still do what he is doing? IDK–Just wondering–
go Irish beat Sooners–and yep ===lots of defense and offense with a running game–I think it will get there–
I hope so–
we will need it
( thank GOD Clemson isn’t on the schedule!)
I am concered about the defensive scheme. I hope to see a forth guy in the down position to try to get off quickly and around the corner on the QB’s backside. There’s no sense sticking all the LBs in coverage. They simply can’t hang with a receiver/RB long enough to make it worth it. Diaco is decent, but no genius. I seriously doubt he has anything to surprise MSU with.
I dont think ND has played a game yet that could beat Mich State. However, just a gut feeling they will improve back home and win a close one. A lot
of it seem to be an intangible that they just arent fired up enough. Fans
go crazy Saturday.
I would say that a lot of the struggles on defense can be attributed to scheme.
But I also think part of it is the coaching staff’s current philosophy.
We lost 3 very good players off last years defense, but the other eight played very well. I saw it. They could cover, they could stuff the run, they could get the QB, and they could all tackle.
I get the feeling the coaching staff looked at the schedule and saw a “murderers row” of tough games starting with MSU, then Oklahoma, followed by Arizona St, USC, then two back to back option teams, and then having to finish on the road at Stanford, so they intentionally went a little easier in preseason practice in an effort to avoid critical injuries and limit the practice hits to try to keep the players a little fresher for this tough run coming up.
The flip side of that philosophy as witnessed during the Charlie Weis years is a fall off in execution and intensity.
I’m not willing to say the Irish overestimated their secondary. When the Irish blitz, the secondary falls back 5-10 yards to what some might say a cover 2 or in the Irish’s case a cover 4. The QBs are having the ability to release the ball quicker because the receivers has space off the line of scrimmage, which negates the pass rush. To me it isn’t a question of talent, it is a question of the scheme.
There is a heavy question of talent at the middle linebacker position. When teams run wide last season, Te’o, who was largely unblocked, was able to use his speed to run down the RB. This season the same teams are running the same stuff at ND, the difference is the level of talent of Calabrese, Dan Fox, Jarrett Grace. These three combine are not fast enough/athletic enough to run down RBs. Hence we are seeing the Irish get heavy run totals racked up against them. I do not really see it improving even with a new approach, the talent is just not there. The only thing that can improve this situation is if the dline starts to dominate the line of scrimmage and disrupt the timing of the RBs.
Unlike the secondary, where I blame the scheme, the linebackers I blame the lack of quality talent. ND must focus recruiting efforts on faster insider linebackers. You know the ones that Alabama has.
Hallelujah! “A number, please.” Those ‘infallible’ minutiae numbers! Especially concerning the pretense of analysis when the ‘infallible’ AP & other polls stripped Lou of his 2nd National Championship! Lets’ not forget the double-blind studys for the dirty politics of it all.
“The emperor’s new clothes”
GooooIrish!
Definitely believe the role Teo played last year along with KLM & ZM is a void of leadership that hasn’t been filled. I lay some of this on the coaches about developing leaders on the field. The D side has been a disappointment. Things can still change for the better but some one really needs to step up on D and be an on-field general.
Lets go Irish
Amen Frank,
Thank you! At least someone has guts enough to stand up for Teo. There was a reason he was at the Heisman Trophy event in New York City. Teo carried us to 12-0 with no complaints! Without question, Teo was our 2012 Inspirational Leader and certainly deserves respect from all on this site.
GoooooIrish!
I think part of the answer is to go back to what was working last year. Zone defense and keeping everything in front. I know Diaco wants to go man to man, and blitz more. But the secondary isn’t up to that at this point.
Besides, I’ve always been a believer in doing something that works until it stops working. I know the defense wasn’t so hot against Alabama, but lets face it. Their weren’t many defenses last year that could. Alabama was sporting almost an NFL caliber team last year. ND isn’t up to that level quite yet.
But against most college level offenses, last year’s defense worked well. My opinion is go back to zoning, and keep doing that as long as it’s working.
If you’re going to blitz, then you have to apply actual pressure on the QB and sack him some of the time. We haven’t been very effective in our blitzing. I’d like to see ND be able to pressure the QB consistently with the down linemen.
this article is complete nonsense… excuses, Tuitt isnt Tuitt? what does that mean? stay out of Kelly’s way and he and the Irish will be fine
I love the chart because it is objective.
Hope it gets updated after games 6 and 10!
The ND defenders also seem to take bad angles when they rush the opposing QB. On several occasions in the Michigan game Tuitt had a clear shot at Gardner, but he ran straight at him and Gardner just easily ran around him to the outside. How do you so badly misjudge Gardner’s speed? The ND defenders also seem really to bite on obvious fakes by the QB’s, leaving their feet on pump fakes, etc.
The defense has also been almost completely incapable of containing the opposing quarterback when he rolls or otherwise moves in and outside the pocket to buy more time. There have been many plays when the QB was flushed from the pocket and simply ran for long yardage. Maybe this is also in part a function of playing man-to-man coverage in the secondary. I cringed during the Michigan game when in the third quarter ND declined an offensive holding penalty to put Michigan in a third and 8 instead of second and 18 deep in their own territory. I thought they should have taken the penalty because I figured that otherwise what would happen was that Devin Gardner would simply run and convert the third and 8. That’s exactly what happened.
Very true. I thought the same thing when Kelly declined that penalty. When you expect to give up more than 10 yards per play, you have no faith in your defense. Not that he should have any faith.
Same here. Against Temple and the first half we showed no ability to contain the QB so I don’t know why Kelly declined that penalty. I had no faith that we could contain Gardner on 3rd and 8 but I had some faith that we could stop UM from gaining 18 yards.
Tuitt and Nix are no longer unknowns, much like they were most of last season. People double team Nix and have adjusted to Tuitt. It’s up to them to now make adjustments. They now realize how important Teo along with a few others were to the team, now that they are gone. defense can concentrate on Nix and Tuitt without having to worry about Teo & company.
Adjustments need to be made or the Irish will have a tough time of it. Michigan State is no pushover. Thank God it is at home. MS will battle from whistle to whistle, but ND should win a close one. I hope! Go Irish!
CONTROVERSIAL CRITIQUE: “Last years 2012 Notre Dame Defense surrendered 41 points to Alabama and it could hae been 60 if the Crimson Tide had elected to inflict the wound.”
My point?
Notre Dame’s current defense is a work in progress and is not as bad as some believe IMHO.
Examples Include:
A. Saturday ND’s coverage (rising star) Jackson intercepted and scored a TD to put Notre Dame up by 14 points over a feisty Purdue in the critcal fourth period in a tough away game. The “defensive interception” for a TD, along with Cam McDaniel’s late runs, iced the game.
B. Though porous against Michigan’s QB Gardner Notre Dames defense rose (once again) when it mattered late in the 4th quarter and the future NFl talent “Tuitt” intercepted in the Michigan end-zone with a “circus catch” to score a TD moving the Irish tote board to 27 points and putting ND in a great position to take the game (barring creep officiating – my opinion only)
IN SUM”
THE DEFENSE IS RESPONDING…THE DEFENSE IS IMPROVING….THE DEFENSE IS FIGHTING HARD!!!
Jackson has not played well, one nice play notwithstanding. The D looks horrible and there is no way around it. Purdue and Temple are simply awful teams, and MI is mediocre.
100% Agree Jim.
I understand…Allow this possibility in your hearts, minds & soul … “The genesis of improvement” of any athlete (experienced or inexperienced) begins with break through plays such as Mr. Jackson’s Saturday.” He may have preserved the Irish win in a season which has genuine promise. If, for example, we were discussing hypothetically O.U. or A.U. I’d have to say nothing.
Jimbo, words have meanings.
For example, “mediocre”as you used to describe Michigan.
defined as “of only moderate or average quality, ordinary.”
Just so I don’t misinterpret you, Jimbo,What is YOUR numerical rank of Michigan of the non-SEC teams in the BCS
or D-1 (I decline to use the odiferous FBS nomenclature)
A number, please.
Also it seems the coverage has been there a lot of the time the QBs have just been put the ball in there perfect. Which goes back to playing above there skill against us. I read where someone went back & said there was only 6 pass plays in the Michigan game were the coverage wasn’t there.
It all starts with what was said in many of the points above, leadership. I think they still looking for that guy, not sure who it could be but if I had to pick it would probly be Carlos Calabrese. There still time to turn it round &with the way teams play there best ball of the year against us, we have to have that leadership to bring on that next step. “No heart” whatever I think so many “fans” didn’t like us doing so well last year, they didn’t have ND football to complain bout.
Defense is struggling because they don’t have a leader and they are reverting back to being poor tacklers and undisciplined of years past. I can’t name one player on defense who can be counted on as a leader…Jackson…too immature. Nix…funny guy and cant be taken seriously enough to be a leader. Maybe JSmith or Sheldon Day can develop into leaders but that wont be until next year at the earliest. Immediately I think Collinsworth is probably the most natural leader of the defense. I also really think you are in the minority who think Danny Spond was a big loss since he was practicing with the second team defense the majority of fall practice prior to his retirement. I think the defense will eventually get its act together sooner rather than later.
You’re wrong about Spond. He was the unsung member of last year’s D and a huge loss. Watch the film from last year. As for him practicing with the second string, that could have been due to the health limitations that eventually forced him to quit.
I guess we have different interpretations of a huge loss. Don’t get me wrong he is a loss but not a huge one imo (He was 12th on the defense last year in tackles). He was practicing with the second team because everyone knew Jaylon was going to be the starter from day 1.
Diaco is blitzing far too much leaving the backs in man coverage resulting giving up just under 400 yards per game. He needs to back off and go to more zone with more four and five man rushes. I would also move Smith to the middle where he can utilize his speed up the middle and to the edges. On offense Kelley needs to come out with some deep passes to pull the backs out of the box. Also on pass plays Rees needs to roll right when he moves out of the pocket. Next, always give Rees a safety valve to a tight end or back. If he commits zero turnovers ND wins.
So goes the defense, so goes the team. Giving up 23.7 points per game doesn’t get you into BCS games or top tier bowl games.
This, folks, is the result of “no-heart syndrome.” Plain and simple.