I always have a different perspective when I re-watch a game on tv/online than when I am actually watching the game in the stadium, because I tend to be caught up in the atmosphere, emotion of the game, fandom, etc... versus having a more analytical approach to watching the game on tv.
So I re-watched the game first thing when I woke up this morning, and some things stood out to me.
First, our defense EASILY could have had 1-3 more turnovers in that game. The SECOND PLAY of the OPENING SERIES for Notre Dame almost resulted in an interception after a great tip but the ball fell through Zach McCloud's hands with another 3 players around him. Malek Young made some great plays defending the pass and could have had another interception. Adams almost fumbled twice after getting hit hard, once by Trent Harris and another by Joe Jackson. The Miami Defense zoned out of its mind Saturday night, and frankly Notre Dame was fortunate that the Miami Defense didn't have another 1-3 turnovers and wear the gold off of the turnover chain. Just incredible.
Second, DeeJay Dallas is more than just a serviceable running back helping to fill a roster spot. He is a bona fide solid #2 Running Back who has been a massive upgrade for this offense. His pass protection is good enough to get Rosier time, he consistently falls forward and gets positive yards, even if it is only 1, 2, or 3 yards, and perhaps above all, he keeps Homer fresh so Homer can continue to rip off big runs throughout the game. They are a great 1-2 combo, as CANESKING has noted in his thread. These two with Malik having 5-10 runs for 30-50 rushing yards have completely reinvented a formidable running game.
Third, Special Teams was truly special on Saturday night. Badgley was an absolute stud kicking off the ball deep so Notre Dame couldn't get good returns. He missed a field goal, but his overall kicking was about as rock solid as it could get in a big game. Feagles did an extraordinary job punting the football deep and coffin cornering Notre Dame back inside the 10 several times. Kirk Herbstreit noted several times during the broadcast how Notre Dame had poor starting field position, and Feagles and Badgley were the main reasons for that. Punt/Kickoff coverage was solid, and we blocked well for our guys punting and kicking.
A few other quick thoughts- Malik was excellent in the red zone, Richt's playcalling in the second half to run, run, and run was SPOT ON trying to get the clock 0:00 as fast as possible, and the linebackers had their best game of the year by far.
So I re-watched the game first thing when I woke up this morning, and some things stood out to me.
First, our defense EASILY could have had 1-3 more turnovers in that game. The SECOND PLAY of the OPENING SERIES for Notre Dame almost resulted in an interception after a great tip but the ball fell through Zach McCloud's hands with another 3 players around him. Malek Young made some great plays defending the pass and could have had another interception. Adams almost fumbled twice after getting hit hard, once by Trent Harris and another by Joe Jackson. The Miami Defense zoned out of its mind Saturday night, and frankly Notre Dame was fortunate that the Miami Defense didn't have another 1-3 turnovers and wear the gold off of the turnover chain. Just incredible.
Second, DeeJay Dallas is more than just a serviceable running back helping to fill a roster spot. He is a bona fide solid #2 Running Back who has been a massive upgrade for this offense. His pass protection is good enough to get Rosier time, he consistently falls forward and gets positive yards, even if it is only 1, 2, or 3 yards, and perhaps above all, he keeps Homer fresh so Homer can continue to rip off big runs throughout the game. They are a great 1-2 combo, as CANESKING has noted in his thread. These two with Malik having 5-10 runs for 30-50 rushing yards have completely reinvented a formidable running game.
Third, Special Teams was truly special on Saturday night. Badgley was an absolute stud kicking off the ball deep so Notre Dame couldn't get good returns. He missed a field goal, but his overall kicking was about as rock solid as it could get in a big game. Feagles did an extraordinary job punting the football deep and coffin cornering Notre Dame back inside the 10 several times. Kirk Herbstreit noted several times during the broadcast how Notre Dame had poor starting field position, and Feagles and Badgley were the main reasons for that. Punt/Kickoff coverage was solid, and we blocked well for our guys punting and kicking.
A few other quick thoughts- Malik was excellent in the red zone, Richt's playcalling in the second half to run, run, and run was SPOT ON trying to get the clock 0:00 as fast as possible, and the linebackers had their best game of the year by far.
