According to Bruce Feldman, Notre Dame will be facing NCAA leading rusher Bryce Love this evening when the Irish attempt to win their 10th game of the season against the Stanford Cardinal.
Star RB Bryce Love will play today for #Stanford against #NotreDame, per David Shaw.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 25, 2017
Love leads the NCAA with 172.8 yards per game this year and ran for 129 yards on 23 carries while scoring the game’s winning touchdown. Like Josh Adams, Love has slowed down the last three weeks after a torrid start as he has nursed a balky ankle. Two weeks ago Love racked up 166 yards but needed 30 carries to do it. On the season Love has averaged 8.8 yards per carry. Like Adams though, that average has fallen off in recent weeks.
In games that Love has started and finished, he has only been held under 100 yards one time – three weeks ago in Stanford’s loss to Washington State. The Cougars limited Love to 69 yards on 16 carries but couldn’t keep him out of the endzone. Love has at least one touchdown in every game he has played in this year and 16 on the season.
Notre Dame’s run defense has been trending down as well the last few weeks so tonight’s game could be decided by which unit reverses their recent course the most. Notre Dame has allowed more than 230 yards on the ground each of the last three weeks after being stout against the run all season. Last week the Irish held Navy well below their season average but still surrendered 277 yards in the process.
I’m questioning why I even care about this stuff. It is pretty juvenile. I’m not in the game and can’t influence the outcome.
I think I will concentrate on my other interests from now on. Adios ND. Adios NFL.
🙂
Another prime time loss, another game as a fan to feel extremely disappointed, another loss at Palo Alto to a team that ND shouldn’t have had a loss to, November fade, an over hyped left side OL that couldn’t help get a running game that seemed to fade out in November, 9-3 which compared to last year is remarkably better but in the big picture at ND in 8 years as HC, Kelly coaches up with once again a season ending loss. Yes, things could be worse, but, why are things not better at ND at this point after EIGHT years of the same HC. So now ND awaits to see what bowl will be thrown at them. It seems that the strengths ND used to get to a decent start then disappeared these last games, especially in November. I am not a Kelly fan. I am not clamoring for him to be let go but I wouldn’t shed tears if he left after this season. Maybe it’s time to see if someone else out there has a different plan to charge up this program if the HC position opened up. I just don’t think ND is going to be going any further as a program and a high level of success being achieved & sustained will not be occurring under Kelly’s direction.
football is very simple. If you don’t have a quarterback that can pass and play at a high level you just can’t win. Winbush is not the answer. Kelly wont do this but I would start Jukovic next year. Also we need more speed and difference makers on defense. Elko is very good but he can only work with what he’s got.
Kelly does not have the right stuff. ND choked….end of story. Crap coaching and playing.
Pisses me off….pathetic.
by the way, why did Book get pulled at the end when he was moving the chains and the team needed to pass? Ridiculous…
Losers !!!!!
Once again a Kelly team comes up small in the big game. Not shocking.
If ND los s this game I think it is time to fire BK. I tried so hard to support and believe he could turn this thing around but just isn’t happening. Got to wonder how chip Kelley could do here’s? Too late now. Better start sooner than wait on coaching search
Stanford’s OL will try to keep their RB Love in the discussion for the Heisman in this nationally televised game.
ND’s D’ needs to derail that from happening, while pressuring the Cardinal’s young QB when he drops back to pass, or runs.
NDs OL should want to bring their RB Josh Adams back into the discussion so he at least gets an invitation to NY.
Gaining 125 + and Josh is back into consideration.
The game will be won by the teams’ lines. It’s put up or shut up for the ND OL and DL.
9-3 and yet another recurring BK team’s loss at Palo Alto will minimize what fans thought they had going in October.
10-2 with finally a BK coached team’s victory @ Stanford legitimizes how far back ND has come in a season. Stay tuned.