GAME THREAD | Cal at Notre Dame

Cal (2-0) at Notre Dame (0-2) 

Notre Dame Stadium | 2:30 p.m. ET | NBC | Notre Dame -12 | O/U: 40.5

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OVER THE HUMP 

The Notre Dame program is searching for an identity heading into week three. Marcus Freeman’s team has not stopped the run or run the ball, which were the two facets of the game he wanted Notre Dame to be dominant in. 

It’s not for a lack of effort as the Irish have played hard, but attention to detail has lacked from the coaching staff to the roster. The success of the 2022 season now comes down to Freeman getting out of the deep end and figuring out how to win. 

If the struggles on offense weren’t enough, Notre Dame will be starting junior Drew Pyne at quarterback as Tyler Buchner will miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury. Pyne will excel in the short and quick game, but his ability to hit deep shots will be a significant key for the offense moving forward if Notre Dame can’t run the ball. 

Will Notre Dame respond with its back against the wall? 

Five Players To Watch

Notre Dame RB Chris Tyree
ND fans were loudly asking for more touches for one of the fastest players on the team and they'll likely see that this week. More touches means more opportunities for explosive plays from Tyree and the Irish offense desperately needs more of those.

Cal LB Jackson Sirmon
The transfer from Washington led the Huskies in tackles last season and is now doing the same at Cal. He might be the best player on a defense that is solid at all three levels. Expect to hear his name called a lot on Saturday.

Notre Dame QB Drew Pyne
It's Pyne Time and it's not the way he hoped to be starting at Notre Dame, but they need him to make the most of his chance. The passing game needs more consistency and better decision-making. We'll see if Pyne can provide that and give the offense a spark.

Cal RB Jadyn Ott
The true freshman has already emerged as one of the most valuable players on an offense that needs more playmakers. He can make defenders miss and is a threat as a receiver as well as a runner.

Notre Dame DL Howard Cross III
Cross was one of the bright spots last week in a game that didn't feature many for Notre Dame. The match up with him and interior offensive line for Cal should be one that favors him so look for Cross to be a disruptive presence. 

Quotes of the Week

Notre Dame QB Drew Pyne:
“I think every single time I've played here and played football my whole life I played with a lot of passion. I played it with 100 percent effort. I've played it with love for the game and love for my teammates and with a lot of confidence and with a lot of energy. I don't think any of that will change. Playing for four quarters gets you in a good flow and you will see how that goes on Saturday.” 

Notre Dame LB Bo Bauer:
“The hurt probably will never leave me. I don't know if it ever will. It's not like you walk around drooping your head type of deal. It's like I'm burning passionately to give these guys what I can in my time that's left.

“I didn't come back here to be a 6-6 team my fifth year after everything we've accomplished. I'm here to give these guys a trajectory I think they deserve. There's so many guys that I've learned from that I want to pass on to the next generation if I can't be here for the National Championship. I want them to have that opportunity.” 

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman:
”The game plans are in and now it's about making sure we know exactly what we want to get done and our players know exactly what we're looking for. We just had a meeting and I told those guys it's about us as coaches making sure our players know exactly what and why we want it and have the ability to go out and execute it. 

"If there's any gray area from now until Saturday, throw it out. Condense the packages. This is going to be about making sure we give our players the best opportunity to go out there and have success with the ability to go out and execute knowing exactly what they're doing and what we expect from them." 

Notre Dame OC Tommy Rees:
“We believe in our group. We believe in our ability to run the football. That's not going to change. We want that to be part of our identity from the very top down. So we're going to continue to attack that week in and week out and make sure that we give our guys a chance. That's important. Then allow them the confidence in the ability to go execute it. We'll continue to find ways, and we're going to continue to improve and get those guys ready to go."

Notre Dame DC Al Golden:
"I'm still I'm not discouraged at all. I wish we had a different result. But we're at 20 points per game right now and a couple plays, we could be under that. Total points at the end of the day is really important. Third down is really important. We were pretty good on third down the other day. We've been gritty in the red. We just let too many big plays. It's as simple as that. 

"It's not like we have to have a big overhaul here. The bottom line is it's not good enough. In terms of defense, that starts with me. I gotta look at what we're doing and make sure we get it corrected and that's what we're fixing to do right now." 

Former Notre Dame LB Te’von Coney:
"I think the guys are getting adjusted. A lot of people don't realize how much of an adjustment it takes when a new coach comes into the building. In 2016 when everyone was getting fired, the crucial moment in that was we found trust and belief in what our coaches were telling us. I think these guys truly believe in Coach Freeman and they trust him. When you have that, it's sometimes more powerful than a win or a loss because it's about the long haul and not just one or two games. 

"We have to stick by him and stick by the ups and downs for him to get our program where he wants it to win. Not only does it take time, but it takes commitment from the players. I think we have that. That's probably the biggest battle is to get the kids to commit. I know they'll click and once they do, Notre Dame will have success."

For Your Nerves 

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