Lack of Focus hurting Notre Dame?

My prediction for 2013 was 10-2 with @Michigan and Oklahoma being the two toughest opponents of the season. So you could argue the train is still on the tracks, but through five games this team looks worse than the 2012 and 2011 team.

While Tommy Rees has been the focus of the criticism, the biggest disappointment has been the defensive line. For having two first team pre-season all-Americans, this defense fails to get consistent pressure on the QB.

If you re-watch some of the games from 2012, Louis Nix is not nearly the presence he was last season. Nix had a quick initial burst that is missing this year. Tuitt is also a step slower and without the pressure on the QB, the burden is being felt by the linebackers and secondary.

Lack of Focus: If Diaco and Kelly are going to get the praise for a great defense in 2012, they deserve some criticism for this year’s effort. The success and failures of a team shouldn’t be contingent on the performance of a couple players. I’ve always felt that was a sign of a poorly coached team.

Ever since the USC game last November, this team has seemed to lose focus. Re-watch the spring game and the team’s top talent like Golson, Tuitt and Nix were treating the game like a charity event. Kelly was joking around with players and had Nix line up at QB. It was the worst spring game performance since 2007.

Kelly then spent the rest of the off-season playing in celebrity golf events, visiting with Bill Belichick and interviewing with the Eagles. Seasons where Notre Dame coaches are meeting with Bill Belichick are never good (see 2007). You could argue Kelly’s lack of focus is reflected in the team’s play.

Almost half way through the season it’s hard to see this team getting dramatically better. The defense might improve as Tuitt gets healthier and the freshmen get more comfortable in the scheme. But with Rees at QB, I have trouble seeing wins vs. Arizona State or Stanford. Even Pittsburgh, BYU and maybe USC are going to be tough outs.

Maybe this seasons struggle will result in a renewed focus by the coaching staff or prevent Kelly from leaving for the NFL. Perhaps it keeps Nix around for one more season in college. In this downer of a season, you have to look for potential silver linings anywhere you can find them.

Thoughts on the Michigan Loss

So why was I so excited about Denard Robinson graduating last year? Michigan once again ruined another perfect early September weekend for me. The difference this time was that I was there.

Before I get to the game, the Big House is a place every college football fan needs to visit. Everything is big about the experience — the size of the tailgate, the line at the bookstore, the enormity of the crowd, you know you’re someplace special from the moment you enter Ann Arbor.

The atmosphere was electric on Saturday. The lead-up to kickoff felt like a rock concert and the Michigan student section was bought in for the entire game. Maybe the UM atmosphere will lead ND’s athletic director, Jack Swarbrick, to finally authorize stadium renovations. Building luxury suites to move some of the older and wealthier fans out of the stands seems like a no-brainer both financially and from a game-day atmosphere perspective.

Jumbotrons at ND are a more delicate question, but after sitting about 30 rows in front of one for four hours on Saturday, I can attest to the noise they generate. While there are some techno/club aspects of the Big House that should never fly in South Bend, Swarbrick would be wise to note Michigan’s home record since renovating the Big House.

The Loss : The game reminded me a lot of ND’s loss to USC in 2011. Michigan was ready from the first series and had control throughout. The critical stat was of the five occasions ND had the ball in the Michigan red-zone, they only scored two touchdowns. Michigan was four for four. In 2011, ND struggled mightily in the red zone and the problem has resurfaced with Rees back at QB.

I’ve noted that in my lifetime there have been four Notre Dame teams to finish the season with one loss or fewer (1988, 1989, 1993, 2012). All four were led by a mobile QB. While last night’s loss to Michigan was disappointing, it wasn’t unexpected given the loss of Golson.

I’ve rarely been critical of Brian Kelly, but throwing the ball 51 times with Tommy Rees is not going to beat many top 25 teams. Worse was the number of empty set backfields on first down. Rees has a limited skill set and needs more protection from the running game to beat good teams.

Defense: The best measure of a good defense is creating turnovers and getting off the field on third downs. This team does both poorly.

While it’s easy to say they miss Te’o, or the magic is gone from 2012, the simpler answer may be the fundamentals aren’t as sound. Until the Alabama game, there were very few missed tackles or assignments. Since the Championship game they’ve been commonplace.

This blog has never been big on X & O’s, but why wasn’t ND pressing Gallon at the line of scrimmage? I thought we were recruiting bigger and more physical corners but from my seat, they were giving him 3-4 yards of space on every play. That’s not how I’d try to defend a speedy receiver like Gallon.

Big Picture: September continues to be the toughest month for Brian Kelly coached teams. Six of Kelly’s 11 losses at ND have come in September. With at least Florida State and Michigan on the schedule for September 2014, you hope Kelly can do something different in camp next summer to play better early.

Kelly coached teams always improve as the season progresses. Kelly has a 12-1 record in November, which is a welcome change from the Davie/Willingham/Weis era teams that faded down the stretch. Still, every game counts in college football and nothing saps the excitement of fans more than an early September loss.

Outlook for Michigan: The third year of a coaching tenure strikes again. Carr won a national title in his third year (1997) and Hoke appears headed for at least an 11 win season this year given their schedule. While their defensive line didn’t get a lot of pressure Saturday, they did enough to get off the field on third downs and came up big in the red zone. This will be a fun season for Wolverine fans.