Duranko’s Digest: What Did We See Against LSU?

Hard by the banks of the Cumberland River, and in easy walking distance of the cathedral of country music, the Ryman Aauditorium,

the  Fighting Irish defeated those long, thick, swift  men from LSU

31-28.  It was Notre Dame’s 8th win of the season and the first since beating Navy on November 1st.  It was a victory as passionately intense as  Hank Williams and as pure and sweet as the mellifluous Emmy Lou  Harris.

THE ALPHA

The first Irish possession was masterful, consuming nearly 8 minutes and putting the Irish ahead 7-0.  It gained 66 yards in 15 plays but, more importantly, shattered the myths that the Irish did not belong, that they could not stay on the field with LSU, and that they were physically outmatched. As each of the 15 plays unfolded, the LSU team and coaches began to appreciate that a struggle was brewing.

Malik Zaire acquitted himself well in his first starting possession.  Malik Zaire was not overwhelmed by the moment.  Assuredly Kelly, Denbrock and Lafleur will remind Malik that  in his outings against USC and LSU that he has survived against two of this century’s National Champions and that he did so without the benefit of the home field.

LSU would respond, often and with a terrible swift sword named Leonard Fournette. The Bayou Bengals kept responding.  The Notre Dame defensive front seven actually acquitted itself well against the best offensive line it has seen since the Alabama game in the National Championship game. While Fournette had an 89 yarder, the Irish would not let the Tigers establish a rhythmic pounding, will-sapping running game.

SPECIAL TEAMS GIVETH, SPECIAL TEAMS TAKETH AWAY

While Fournette is, and will be extraordinary, he was unchallenged by any Irish defender on his 100 yard romp that tied the game at 14.

But the Irish stopped, officially, the LSU trick play at the end of the first half, blocked a late LSU field goal attempt and had the last Brindza word on special teams.

C.J. PROSISE

“The very moment I thought I was lost the dungeon shook and the chains fell off.  Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on.”

After LSU went ahead on its final score, 28-21, on Fournette’s terrifying 89 yard run, C.J. Prosise knotted the score at 28 on a beautiful 50 yard romp.  It was the biggest “answer” by a Notre Dame player in a bowl game since Alphonse Hunter, on a dewy night in Dixie, went yard on a kickoff return against Bear Bryant and Alabama on New Year’s Eve, 1973.

And, yes, the Irish defense pitched a “shutout” for the last 21 minutes.  After a November to unremember and dismember, we’re counting it.

Two quarterbacks?

Government in action.  Sausage manufacture.  Two quarterback rotations.  Don’t look.  Don’t ask.  And sausage is as tasty as yesterday’s win.  How, I neither know nor understand, but Kelly made it work.  And so did Malik Zaire, and the wounded but game Everett Golson.

THE OMEGA

With 5:41 left, Notre Dame took over at its own 15 yard line.  The statistic sheets will tell you that victory was 85 yards away.  That is a lie.  A Grand Canyon stood between Notre Dame and victory, but the whole team looked down into that yawning abyss and blended heart, muscle, yes, two quarterbacks and will to move toward the winning field goal.  Zaire was the primary helmsman but Golson contributed four completions for fifty yards during THE DRIVE.

Brindza. 32 yards.  Notre Dame 31- LSU 28.  Game over.  Drive safely.

Few believed this possible.  But the players willed it, in true Notre Dame fashion. Just as against Stanford and FSU, the Irish were well up to a physical contest.  The defensive sieve of November was caulked up and the Irish played bone on  bone with the mighty trenchmen of LSU.

The sound in the Notre Dame locker room was primarily the shouts of joy, but careful listening discerned sighs of relief, relief that November did not continue into December, relief that the Fighting Irish are closer, much, much closer to the team of the first seven games than they are to the team of the five games in November, relief that there is at least one building block for winter workouts, Spring Practice and the 2015 Notre Dame Football season.

Yeah, and one other thing.  Since the football season began in August the SEC West was unbeaten against non-conference opponents.  Notre Dame changed that yesterday.

A RITE OF PASSAGE

THIS WAS ACTUALLY A DOUBLE RITE OF PASSAGE

First, the Irish were able to man up in the trenches against both LSU lines.  The Bengal OL was  the best the Irish had faced since the juggernaut of Alabama in the championship game.  Sure,  Fournette went for 89 on one play but the Irish were able to stand their ground and not back down. You do not achieve a 37-23 time of possession advantage without good line play.  In fairness, LSU had three scoring plays of 75 yards or more.

Second, in the the game against LSU in the Sugar bowl following ’06, Notre Dame’s less athletic receivers were unable to get separation against the Bayou Bengal secondary. Not any more.  The Irish WRs, who could have grabbed three more balls, were able to achieve separation and provide some nice windows for those two guys who play quarterback for the Irish.

ONLY SIX ARE LEAVING

Of the key participants in the Music City Bowl, only the following six depart:

• Ben Koyack
• Cam McDaniel
• Kyle Brindza

It is noteworthy that Kelly deployed these three guys in THE OMEGA DRIVE that ended the game.

• Justin Utopu
• Cody Riggs
• Eilar Hardy

There is no top 50 team that has such meager losses.

QUARTERBACK?

A gigabyte or so will be gobbled up by the nincompoopery in discussing the Notre Dame quarterback situation. No one who comments will decide.  Kelly will, or he will let Golson and Zaire decide it.  Wise men understand this, and will go on doing useful things with their time, yeah, like delivering gold, frankincense and myrrh where appropriate.  Wise men will tune in on Sept. 5th and watch who walks out to face the Horns.

SO YOU WANT A STATISTIC?

Brian Kelly moved into second place in bowl wins (three) for Fighting Irish coaches.  He tied Ara Raoul Parseghian and Dan Devine.  He trails Louis Leo Holtz by two.

WHAT WILL SEE AGAINST TEXAS?

Well, lads, if I knew I’d tell ya!

We do not know what the future will bring.

But this is not the mess that Brian Kelly inherited when he took the job in 2010.

And, while less magical, this is a different program, with different players, different athletes, different coaches and a depth chart.  It is not the team that Kelly and the Irish took to the National Championship contest in 2012.

We’re not where we need to be, we’re not where we want to be, we’re not where we’re going to be.  But we are NOT where we were!

GO IRISH!