Notre Dame Football Grades: Defense vs. Miami (OH)
By Andrew Hall
Once again, the Notre Dame defense held a team under 21-points. The Irish prevented Miami (OH) from running the ball effectively to control the time of possession. However, the secondary, in particular, Nick Watkins, struggled against a very solid receiving core. Here are the grades for the Notre Dame football team in regards to their defensive play on Saturday:
B. . Defense. Notre Dame Fighting Irish. DEFENSIVE LINE
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Several Defensive Linemen made significant plays on Saturday. Defensive Coordinator Mike Elko’s decision to play a lot of players along the line is starting to pay off.
Sophomore Defensive End Khalid Kareem is starting to come on strong for the Irish. Against Miami (OH), Kareem generated a sack, a Quarterback hurry and a pass broken up.
Along with Kareem, Junior Nose Guard Jerry Tillery continued his dominant season up front with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble against the Redhawks.
Thus far, the Defensive Line has performed better than anyone could have anticipated in the spring. That is a testament to tenured assistant Mike Elston.
LINEBACKERS . B. . Offense. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Irish Linebackers produced at a high level again on Saturday evening. Their performance was highlighted by an outstanding interception by Senior Linebacker Greer Martini.
Nyles Morgan and Drue Tranquill continued to produce for Notre Dame. Both Morgan and Tranquill tallied 7 tackles. On the season, Morgan has tallied 41 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, 3 Quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. Tranquill has recorded 27 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, a fumble recovery and a Quarterback hurry.
C-. . Defense. Notre Dame Fighting Irish. DEFENSIVE BACKS
Before anyone starts to believe that Nick Watkins cannot play at a high level, it is important to remember that Miami (OH) Wide Receiver James Gardner is a NFL-caliber receiver. However, Watkins really struggled when matching up one-on-one with him. Gardner finished the game with 5 receptions for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns.
B-. . ALL. Notre Dame Fighting Irish. OVERALL
The Notre Dame defense played well against the Redhawks but probably allowed too many yards and points. The progress of the Defensive Line and the production of the Linebackers are things to be excited about. It will be interesting to see whether or not the Irish Defensive Backs improve later in the season. The upcoming contest against USC will be a true challenge for them.