Written by Nick Kremer, Editor for The Irish Tribune
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Marcus Freeman was able to secure his first victory as the head coach of Notre Dame. The Irish defeated Cal on Saturday 24-17, and were finally able to exhale as they got their first win of the season. It was an ugly game, but there are plenty who improved their stock, and some that had their stock drop.
Photo from uhnd.com
Stock Up 📈
Offensive Line
Harry Hiestand knows that his unit has been struggling to start the year. He heard the message loud and clear, and we saw a big difference this week up front.
The OLine finally looked as advertised in this game, looking excellent in pass protection, and getting movement in the run game. Part of this success seemed to be from the emphasis on gap-scheme running plays called by Tommy Rees.
This unit still has a lot to improve on to fully live up to where they should be, but this was a big step in their development as a unit. If Notre Dame is going to turn this season around, it is all going to start up front with the offensive line.
Tyree/Estime/Lacy
Notre Dame fans have been wondering where the touches for Chris Tyree have been over the first two weeks of the season. Tyree got his chance, and he did not disappoint. Tyree rushed for 64 yards on 17 attempts, and also added 5 catches for 44 yards and a touchdown. Look for Tyree to be a huge part of the game plan going forward.
Audric Estime continues to impress out of the backfield for Notre Dame. Audric had 76 rushing yards on 18 attempts with a touchdown, and added 3 receptions for 43 yards. You can see a 1-2 punch developing in the Notre Dame backfield; a thunder and lightning combo.
Jacob Lacey had himself A DAY. Lacey had 3 tackles, 2 assists, and 2 sacks in the game. He was the player of the game on defense in my opinion.
Green Jerseys
I LOVE the green jerseys and the idea of the fans wearing green. The green sticks out in the crowd, and it follows the Irish theme. However, the blue numbers on the green jerseys are so hard to see, and it just doesn’t look great. If Under Armour were to make the numbers white or gold, then these jerseys would be perfect.
Manti Teo
It was great to see Manti Teo come home to South Bend for the game. He got a huge round of applause more than once when he was shown on the video board. Let's hope Manti makes it back to campus again soon.
Photo from cbssports.com
Stock Down 📉
Linebackers
It is hard to understand how a veteran group that has been a strength the last couple of years has somehow regressed this much. The linebackers do NOT trigger and attack. They seem hesitant, and catch ball carriers instead of being the aggressor. With the head coach being a former linebacker, Al Golden, and James Laurinitis all having an influence on this group, it is inexcusable that they are playing this way.
Pass Game
Yes, it was Drew Pyne’s first career start. Yes, we have limited numbers at the WR position. Yes, we have a brand new WR coach. This performance though? At the University of Notre Dame? Absolutely unacceptable.
Easy passes dropped at crucial times. Jogging off the line. Average to below average effort on blocking. This unit has been VERY underwhelming so far this year, even with the low expectations. I’m not sure if some receivers have given up or what, but the performance of this group is not acceptable at this level.
Discipline
8 penalties for 66 yards. 3 false starts on 3rd and short. Bobbled snaps. Careless penalties on defense. The discipline on this team seems to be lacking. Most of these errors seem to come at crucial times for this team. I don’t know if the team is playing tight and scared to make a mistake, or if these mistakes are just piling on at inopportune times, but they need to be fixed and fixed soon.
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