It was a hot day inside Notre Dame stadium as it was at least 90 degrees throughout the scrimmage. I am going to give a quick run down of my thoughts and what stood out to me. I’ll do an “Ask Matt” thread later this week so that I can give more in-depth thoughts.
Quarterbacks
Brandon Wimbush looked comfortable and sharp today. He missed some balls, but his decision making was impressive. It was another time Wimbush wasn’t live, so he was limited in the run game, but there were a few plays blown dead he would have turned into big plays.
He does sometimes hold the ball too long in the pocket. That will get better with experience and the ability to make plays with his feet. He gets in trouble and has to throw a late pass off his back foot or on the run, but they are still throws he can make. He made an incredible throw down the field to Equanimeous St. Brown flat footed on the run for a big gain.
Ian Book did some good things in both the pass and run game. He didn’t look as sharp as he did in the Blue-Gold Game in April, but he made plays down the field throughout the game. He was forcing a few more balls today than we had seen in the past, but he was getting pressured more as well.
Despite not having the strongest arm, Book can push the ball for big plays without too much of a problem. He is good at knowing when to run when nothing is there and did more than a few times on the day.
Avery Davis got one series and threw a touchdown pass to Javon McKinley. He threw the ball with more confidence and power than what we had seen earlier in camp. One pass to the sideline to CJ Sanders was a bullet for a gain of about 25 yards. Big-time throw.
Running Backs
Dexter Williams was the only back to break off a huge gain, and that came early in the scrimmage. Josh Adams and Tony Jones Jr. started the game on the field as the Irish ran a two-back set for about 6-7 plays to start the scrimmage. The Irish were moving Jones all around the offense, and it’s clear he is going to be a guy that is going to get a lot of touches this year from multiple positions.
There isn’t too much to say here because you know what you’re getting from these guys. Deon McIntosh got a lot of second half work and ran hard. He still could use about 10 more pounds to his frame, but he’s getting there. I am not sure he will break into the rotation this year, but you can tell he is comfortable at running back, which is something we didn’t see last fall when he was at receiver.
Tight Ends
Brock Wright probably had the best day of the tight ends receiving. He caught several check downs, and quick game passes on the day. He was pretty good in the blocking game but needs to work on finding his guy when he is the fullback role.
Alizé Mack got some quality work today coming off his hamstring injury. He made a nice catch, but also missed his fair share of blocks. One came when the Irish were at their one-yard line, and the screen pass got tipped, which almost caused an interception in the end zone.
The other tights ends were solid but didn’t stick out either way. Cole Kmet dropped one pass, but the coverage was tight.
Wide Receivers
Equanimeous St. Brown is the alpha dog, and it showed on Sunday. The junior receiver was making hard catches look routine, and it's clear he has taken the next step forward in his game.
Chase Claypool made some nice plays down the field, including a 54-yard touchdown reception from Ian Book, but it was called back as Brian Kelly declared the play a Khalid Kareem sack.
There wasn’t much production from the grad transfer receivers other than a couple of screens. Freshman Michael Young almost bounced a screen pass for a 70-yard touchdown, but got tackled by his shoestrings to limit it to about a 25-yard play.
Freshman Jafar Armstrong was impressive regarding blocking on the outside and he made a few nice plays. Javon McKinley dropped a ball but rebounded for first down catch and the touchdown.
Chris Finke was Chris Finke. CJ Sanders showed some flashes of his play-making ability on a few routes and in the screen game.
Overall, it wasn’t a great day, but it was far from a bad day. Notre Dame’s passing game is much different this year than in the past. They are going to still take their vertical shots, but there are going to be a ton of screens thrown this year, and they were fairly effective on Sunday.
Offensive Line
The unit as a whole had their moments of good and bad play. The first-team did well for the most part on the day. Tommy Kraemer looked better in pass protection, but Daelin Hayes got the best of him on a few plays. Short yardage situations need some work, but they also moved guys at times in short yardage.
The second unit was far less consistent. Liam Eichenberg had a rough day, and Robert Hainsey missed his fair share of blocks. It’s nothing to worry about, as that’s going to happen with young guys.
Defensive Line
Probably the group that exceeded my expectations heading into the day, Notre Dame was very active at putting pressure on the quarterback in passing situations. Kareem, Hayes, Jon Bonner, Kofi Wardlow, and Julian Okwara recorded sacks, while Ade Ogundeji got pressure consistently.
Jerry Tillery, Brandon Tiassum, and Micah Dew-Treadway all made plays in the backfield on Sunday. The two freshmen, Kurt Hinish and Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, battled on the inside and got penetration at times. They still have plenty to work on but like Mike said after the first practice, both guys are going to give everything they have each rep. Tiassum also had a couple tackles for loss on the day.
Against the run, the defensive line held their own. They limited big plays and didn’t miss tackles. They would have gotten gashed a few times on read-option plays, but the play was blown dead.
Linebackers
Not much to say here. Very good day tackling and pursuing the football from Clark Lea’s guys. Tevon Coney had a couple of nice sticks, while Greer Martini looked comfortable in space. They are getting proper depth in the passing game, and it’s truly making all the difference.
Jamir Jones is an imposing force at Mike, and he’s still figuring out the position, but that’s one heck of an athlete in the middle. Drue Tranquill and Asmar Bilal looked more than comfortable at rover and Tranquill coming off the edge is going to cause some problems for teams.
Secondary
This group probably struggled the most on the day. They did give up some big plays in the passing game, and some of those plays were called back due to sacks. Donte Vaughn had an up and down scrimmage. He got burnt on a few deep balls, but he also made a few pass breakups. Shaun Crawford looked good in limited action. Troy Pride Jr. and Julian Love did some nice things but got beat on a few balls too.
Nick Watkins was consistent, but he even got beat on a few balls.
The safeties played pretty well. You didn’t really notice them in a good or bad way on the day. Jalen Elliott is finding a comfort level and made a few big hits on the day. Devin Studstill is taking much better angles to the football, and that’s keeping him in plays, which was a huge problem a year ago.
Freshmen Jordan Genmark Heath and Isaiah Robertson both got a lot of playing time. Robertson got beat on a wheel route for a Dexter Williams touchdown in the red zone. Genmark Heath made a couple of nice tackles in space.
Special Teams
It looks like CJ Sanders and Tony Jones Jr. seem to be the kick returners, while Chris Finke was returning punts. Finke is slippery, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him have a nice year.
Justin Yoon missed from 54 yards and 49 yards and then made from 29 yards out Mike said he was close to hitting from 54 yards. Brian Polian was giving Montgomery VanGorder and John Shannon words of advice after the second miss.
Tyler Newsome had a few nice punts, including landing one at the one-yard line.
I am not sure if it was by design, but Jon Doerer's kickoffs were landing at around the 5. I know Notre Dame has asked kickers to land it short with a good hang time but his hang time wasn't great for those.
Overall, I believe you saw what you want to see out of a scrimmage. Neither side of the ball was dominant, and both sides of the ball made plays too. The biggest takeaway on the day was the improved tackling from the defense. The Irish didn’t miss many tackles on the day and none to give up big plays.
Regarding the video board, while you can't hear the sound from inside the press box, it seemed like what you get at Notre Dame basketball games. A lot of Notre Dame promotional stuff from famous alumni and important people around the University.
The replays were great, and I definitely think it's going to be a home run.
The intro to the field needs work. There were a lot of old highlights, and the music wasn't very good. It was a well-done video, but I think there needs to be a little more modern touch.
Check out the highlight here:
New-Gold Game Highlights
