The Stock Report is officially back and so is Notre Dame football!
In case this is your first time seeing this column, following each game week I take stock in the Notre Dame football team, who (or what) is up, who is down, occasionally I’ll buy something that I think is a long term keep, or I’ll sell for the same reason.
Obviously, following wins, a lot of players and aspects of the team are trending up, and vise versa for losses, and I cannot address everything. I try to emphasize the most pressing aspects, good or bad. And this week, we’ve got a whole lot of good.
There is nothing quite like beating up on a team that likes to be known for beating other teams up. Michigan likes to fancy themselves the bully. With their fullbacks and their smash mouth style and their steaks and whole milk. Yes, the Michigan Men like to be demonstrative in how manly they are. Until they get punched in the face.
Trending Up
Brian Kelly
Some may remember following the loss to NC State in 2016, Kelly was a sell in this column. I thought he needed to go. And I felt the same way following the season. There was no excuse for what happened, and it was a fireable offense. I don’t know who Notre Dame would have hired, but whoever that may have been, I would have liked them to set up the team precisely the way Kelly has in the two years following the 2016 debacle.
They are tough. They have an incredible staff. The have a quality strength program. And they have a culture. It was heartening to see all of the former players from the Kelly era in attendance Saturday, sharing the moment with the current team. Names like DeShone Kizer, Manti Te’o, Jaylon Smith, Matthias Farley, and Equanimeous St. Brown, among others, joined the team following the victory in singing the alma mater.
Kelly had an aura about him leading up to the game, maybe because he knew his team was ready to stand toe to toe with Michigan. Maybe because he knew his quarterback, for all of his inconsistencies, was ready to take the team over. Maybe he knew they had a great plan.
Whatever the case, he out-coached Jim Harbaugh on Saturday. His team was better prepared, they were mentally tougher, and they executed with greater consistency. This season is a long way to go yet, but Brian Kelly’s team is built to win. And he knows it.
Brandon Wimbush
Can you recall out of recent memory a grittier game by a Notre Dame quarterback? Wimbush was beaten and he was battered, and he kept coming. The signature play came in the middle of the third quarter, on third and 18 following a sack that saw him thrown to the ground and landed on by two defenders, the Notre Dame signal caller took a quarterback draw up the middle, and lowered his shoulder for the last of 22 yards and a first down. The drive was extended and it eventually led to a field goal that put Notre Dame up 14 points.
The best part about this performance was it’s repeatability. It wasn’t like Malik Zaire’s 19-22 opener against Texas in 2015, something that was unlikely to ever happen again. Wimbush made some errant throws, like he always does. He finished 12-22, 54%, right around his season average last season. The difference was in his competitiveness. He didn’t mind the poor throws, you could see it in his body language. It just didn’t affect him. He came to compete. This is the player I called for at the end of last season. Forget the mechanics, go make plays. And make them he did. He’s always going to be errant at times. Give me the competitiveness every week, and this team will be ok.
Asmar Bilal
Probably the least talked about player on the defense along with Jonathan Bonner, Bilal turned in what I think was his best performance in an Irish uniform. He blew up a sweep for a tackle for loss, shades of Drue Tranquill at Rover last season, and he sniffed out an option attempt, on 3rd and three baiting the quarterback into a pitch, then cutting off the running back and forcing him back inside where others cleaned up.
The night wasn’t without mistakes; missing the third down sack was poor, and he was sucked inside too many times on bootlegs, leaving his flat wide open. But, four tackles with a tackle for loss in his first game spelling Tranquill was just what the doctor ordered. If he keeps this up throughout the year, the potential of the defense ticks up a notch.
Holding Steady
The Offensive Line
A brutal opener for this group, just couldn’t find a worse matchup. Robert Hainsey and Liam Eichenberg were baptized by Rashan Gary and Chase Winovich, the latter of whom was un-blockable for large portions of the night. They shared their struggles, but the group as whole also held their own, rushing for two touchdowns and ending up with 132 yards on the night, enough to keep the defense honest and give Wimbush a little extra time to deliver on some key passes.
This group will see better days, and thankfully the best front seven they will see all season is behind them, and they got through the matchup with a victory.
Trending Down
Special Teams
Where to even begin? The kickoff specialist kicked the ball out of bounds following Notre Dame’s opening touchdown, after the second score he kicked a line drive which was returned to the 45, and then the kicker committed a personal foul late hit on the tackle. He was only saved by a holding penalty by Michigan.
There was of course the 99 yard kickoff return for a score in which a.) the kicker didn’t kick it high enough b.) it was down the middle c.) Chase Claypool ran completely out of his lane and was replaced by four blockers and the returner himself. A debacle. Justin Yoon later took over kickoff duties and promptly kicked it out of the end zone every time. So a personnel error cost Notre Dame a touchdown.
Tyler Newsome was touch and go punting, and the punt team seemed unable to locate the ball throughout. Based on what we saw from multiple special teams units, they’ll at some point cost them a game. It was abysmal.
Jim Harbaugh
Normally I don’t mention opponents in this space, but Michigan’s golden boy, their dream hire, has now lost four in a row and wasn’t even saved by his gift, miracle transfer, the-NCAA-cheated-to-make-him-eligible quarterback. It really is the greatest thing.
I remain with those who believe Kelly needs to go. He never recruits all the players he claims he needs or wants. That is a build in excuse intended to explain why he will lose three or more games. In the fourth quarter his team was in two seperate situations where his team needed to make 10 yards to make a first down and firmly secure the game. They couldn’t do it. Didn’t even come close to getting ten yeards On his first attempt he actually threw the ball on third down. It was incomplete but he was successful in stopping the clock and giving aid to MichiganRemember Ara’s teams. He always made 10 yards when they were needed. Kelly spends too much time blaming others for his failures. He will never deliver a championship to. ND.
O line needs work. People need to stop saying that was the best d line AND will face all season. Va-Tech, Stanford. Bulletin board material. Our OT’s were whiffing way too often.
Yes a good win. And it gives me great pleasure to beat Michigan, and that it was our defense, not theirs hyped up defense that won the game in the end.
And yes, I take great pleasure that Michigan has been largely average, even mediocre since the failed RichRod experiment. I even take pleasure that ‘little brother’ has been beating up on them the last several years. Yes, they too are a rival, but after all the ‘little brother’ wisecracks I find it hilarious that it’s Michigan that’s become little brother. Hell, even when MSU isn’t so good they still find ways to beat Michigan. Too funny.
As for ND. Well, I have some concerns, I’m eyeing them up with a bit more critical eye, though I will root for them every game. I can’t help but remember how dominating they started for the most part but then they seemed to fall apart in November. That can’t happen this year.
In any event they’ll have 2 to 3 games that should be very winnable to work on areas of concern. Hopefully they avail themselves of the opportunity.
What made the kick-offs so aggravating was that Yoon is capable of driving the ball into the end-zone every time. His reported 62-yard field goal in practice translates to an end-zone kick every time. Why even consider anyone else? I realize you don’t want to risk an injury to your star placekicker, but nobody gets hurt when the ball is placed on the 25-yard line. Notre Dame incurred three disastrous kick-offs before the obvious truth forced itself on Polin. Three kick-offs that nearly cost Notre Dame a game that should not even have been close.
Two reasons to consider Doerer: Yoon isn’t going to be here next year and he needs game experience, and Doerer is a better placekicker than he showed himself to be on Saturday.
Last year, Doerer was both longer and less accurate than Yoon. By all accounts, Yoon has added muscle to his legs and 10 yards to his distance this year. So yeah, put Yoon in if Doerer can’t cut the mustard. But give Doerer a chance to fix things over the next three games.
There are always going to be some opening-game problems. We are fortunate that Michigan had more than we did, and that ours were pretty much confined to the kicking game. All that said, I’m looking forward to seeing Yoon 3.0 win one for us with a 58-yarder sometime this season.
John Harbaugh coaches the Ravens, I think you meant Jim Harbaugh
When my younger fraternal twin brothers were born the first one was to be John and the second Jimmy. My Dad took a look at them and switched. They are both opposite as day and night. One is biggest Notre Dame fan of all time, the other couldn’t care less. But, in severe times of trouble they join together as only twins can do.
Are you high?
Liked the composure of Clark Lea up in the booth. Looked like a college math Professor.
Are you high?
GREAT article GREG everything you said is spot on!!! GO IRISH!!
I agree. Spot on !