Louisville scouting report

Man, this was way too long of a wait. Let's get this thing started already!

I'll jump back in here after kickoff with thoughts during the game.

Go Irish!

Clinical on the first drive.

Only the 2nd time Book has led an opening drive touchdown.

Huge bust on the 1st play by the Louisville defense. No one accounted for Book as a runner and huge run.

Loved the run on that drive.

Right side was very good at POA. Tommy Kraemer pancaked a linebacker on that first Tony Jones run.

Loved the downhill mentality.

What's not to love about that entire first drive? Louisville looks overmatched up front, but it's a long game.

The finish by the backs stood out as well.

Irish up 7-0 early

Drew White great fill on 1st down.

Great catch by Dawkins back shoulder. Poor throw by Pass, but still great catch.

Motion had ILBs guessing on next 1st down run.

Louisville with a nice drive here.

JOK with his first of many TFLs. Just missed a sack on the next play.

Okwara jumps on 3 and 12, makes it 3 and 7. Speed option converts for Pass. Using his mobility well.

Want to see Pride be a better tackler. Couple of soft plays from him.

Really some bad run fits for ND to start. Looks like a 1st drive of a 1st game

Louisville inside the 10.

JOK can't let a WR block him. He gets sealed and Pass scores on the option play.

7-7

Ball tipped on 1st down, Claypool was open on the crosser.

Good blitz pickup by Jones.

Book off on second throw, they brought three from the right, not enough guys to block it.

3rd down they dropped instead of pressured. Book ran and short of the sticks.

Good first punt by Bramblett flips the field to the Louisville 25

Lea brings a blitz inside on 1st down. Pass pressured and throws it away

2nd undisciplined penalty by a vet DE on 3rd down. This time Kareem

3 and 5

ND playing Hamilton and Lamb in their dime defense

Gilman is too hyped up. Taking bad angles early. Led to a slip and a big run

Pass on a PA bobbled by Tutu Atwell or else it would have been a touchdown. Tough matchup for JOK.

They are reviewing it. Looked close, but I don't think it's definitive.

Ruling on the field stands. Too close to overturn.

3 and 1 coming up

Rough start for JOK despite that 1st TFL. Bad angle to the QB should have been a sack. Pass steps up and runs it.

14-7 Louisville. Nightmare start for Lea and his defense

I take it back on JOK. It would have been a tough play. Still not great, but not all on him.

Tony Jones is no burner, but he hits the right hole and runs downhill.

ND tries for a deep shot, not there and Book smartly throws it away.

Right side is getting them moving. Another downhill run by Jones

Jahmir missed blitz pickup. Herbstreit said Book should have moved off of his first read sooner, but he makes the throw if the backer is picked up.

3 and long, timeout

Love the call on 3 and long. They dropped 8 and Jones has a huge hole and gets ND down in the red zone.

No one can stop anyone on the run. Jones had a huge drive. Finishes over the right side again.

14-14

TK and Hainsey putting in work

Drop by the TE off the PA.

Crawford bails out JOK. Great tackle

End of 1st q, 3 and long coming up

Simon was in the game for Asmar. Think we might see a lot of that in the second quarter with him and White playing together.

Basically a jailbreak with a bad throw by Pass on the swing. ND finally gets off the field on first down

Sorry guys, had some issues with the site on that last drive.

Ball placement by Book was not good. He was not sharp on that drive.

Loved the counter trey though. Keep running it, Chip.

Pressure inside forces an incompletion on 1st down

Hamilton downhill and misses the tackle. Too many of those for everyone

Makes up for it with a great PBU. Awesome finish on what should have been a completion

MTA with a pressure, Bracy with a PBU.

Defense much better after the bad start.

Punt fair caught by Finke at the 15

Simon and JGH were in at LB on that last drive by the way. Hamilton in for Gilman

RPO to Claypool to start

Book had the ball popped out on what should have been an easy 1st. Recovered by ND, but stuffed on 3rd down

3 and out and a bit of a shank for Bramblett. Friendly bounce and 10 yard holding on Louisville helps that out.

Super dirty chop block on Hinish after a great get off by him. 15 yard penalty negated a great fill by Drew White.

Next play White gets the sack stepping up after coverage was good downfield. Then a PBU by him on the next play. What ND needs from a LB

Run to get some yards back on 3rd down, but Louisville has to punt.

ND with the ball back before the half

Patterson looking...young.

Gotta reach the nose there. Got blown up on a 3 and short earlier

Book leaving a bit early on 3rd down. 3 and out

Great job on 1st and 2nd down by ND vs the run. Gilman much better

Then Gilman picks up the fumble, after he rips it out.

That should be ND ball.

What a turnaround for the defense

It's shocking how off Book has been in this game. Fumbles after a scramble, not forced.

Louisville gets the ball back

Well, this is a football game?

Louisville fumbles it back. Book ends up scoring on a keeper, but it wasn't a pretty (short) drive.

ND now up 21-14 right before half

1st half reactions:

Good adjustments by Lea after the first couple of series. Most of all, players just settling down on defense.

Book had one of his worst halfs as a starter. He's been a second half guy and hopefully that continues.

Give the ball to Tony Jones more. Run counter trey more. Playcalling got the offense out of a rhythm IMO

Tutu Atwell can flat out fly.

Okwara needs to be better at POA. Get off the block

Missed hold on Drew White

I like how MTA has played overall in this game. Had a big stick there that was flashy, but has been solid vs run and pass.

3 and 2 with Louisville driving

JOK with a missed tackled that would have stuffed it.

Lville now in the red zone

Huge play by Ade Ogundeji, beat the block and then stripped Pass. Bails out ND as D Hayes recovers

Fantastic read by Jones gets a 1st to start this drive

He's just reading it better than everyone else.

Book doesn't see anything open downfield, scrambles to get to 3 and 1

Tremble misses his block and Jones is stuffed.

Not a great day for short yardage offense.

ND punts

ND gets a 3 and out. Kareem sets the edge on 1st down. Simon gets pressure forcing an incompletion on 2nd down. Stunts up front cause pressure and a bad throw broken up by Hamilton on 3rd down

Book hits Claypool for the first big play of the game through the air. Big YAC for Claypool

Terrific call against two high safety with Tremble on the skinny post off of PA for a touchdown.

Like that, ND up 28-14

(Doerer has been solid)

Louisville gonna Louisville I guess.

Some positive and then a bad snap.

MTA keeps winning up front one on one. Gets in the throwing lane, poor throw

3 and 19

Speed option after a penalty. Hamilton finishes the tackle on the RB.

ND gets the ball back

PA and max protect, nothing open down the field. Throws it away

Tremble on the crosser moves the sticks. Good blitz pickup by the Irish

ND has done pretty well in that aspect.

Not a good throw on 3rd down. Book puts it inside. Incomplete.

Herbstreit may be right that it might have been a miscommunication by Book and Finke.

ND punts

Sorry guys, more issues with it freezing on me.

Drew White made a terrific play at the beginning of the drive on Tutu Atwell, but missed a tackled on the tight end on 3rd down that went for a big play. He's been pretty good, but missed tackles have been the story tonight.

3rd Q and Louisville is not out of it, but needs to score here. They have the ball in ND territory

Gadget played well designed by Lville, Atwell missed the throw.

After a penalty and short run, 3 and long

Run and they get 4 on 3 and 13. Interesting call.

Lville running out the FG unit for 42 yard attempt

Good.

28-17 ND

Book continues to not be as sharp as he typically has been in the past. His receivers have done more to bail him out and he's moved the sticks.

They've moved the ball three times on 3rd down in this drive after struggling all game

Claypool after the catch with another big play. Gets 34 on all effort there to get them to 1st and goal.

Jahmir puts it in on 2nd down.

Have to say, clinical drive by ND when they have to close it out. They just did.

35-17 ND

Hinish with a sack with him and MTA collapsing.

Okwara has to contain there. Had an easy sack on 2nd down if he stayed outside.

Ogundeji jumps offside. 3rd down this has been an issue

Nice job by D Hayes staying home on the boot. Another sack

ND finishes the series with an intentional grounding call on Lville. This time Okwara stays outside. Quiet game for him.

ND gets the ball and can run out the clock so people can go home

I'm going to jump into the instant reaction now. This one is over.

A disappointing game in many ways, but there were definitely some positives to take out of it. At the very least it gives ND a better chance to evaluate their roster and changes things before they get to the real test a few weeks from now.