Notre Dame Compliments, Criticisms and Conclusions vs. New Mexico
By Matt Clark
Notre Dame got a blowout win over New Mexico on Saturday. Here are some observations from the game.
On Saturday, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish did what elite football programs are expected to do: dispose of lesser opponents in dominant fashion. After a 66-14 thrashing of the New Mexico Lobos, the Irish look to be firing on all cylinders heading into their marquee top ten showdown with the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens next Saturday.
While there are a lot of positives to take away from what was a one-sided matchup against New Mexico, there are some areas of improvement that Notre Dame must make if they hope to knock off third-ranked Georgia on the road. That said, after this dominant performance, this upcoming matchup looks like it will live up to the billing. Here are my takeaways from the New Mexico game:
Compliments
Kyle Hamilton Is An Absolute Stud.
Kyle Hamilton looks like he will be a superstar for years to come for Notre Dame. While he only totaled two tackles against the Lobos, Hamilton jumped a route on a pass that was tipped by Daelin Hayes and was able to make the tough catch for the interception and run it back 34 yards for the touchdown.
Not only did Hamilton provide the Irish with their first points of the game, he set the tone for the defense going forward. Through his first two games, the true-freshman defensive back has regularly flashed the playmaking ability that has left coaches, scouts, analysts and fans alike absolutely raving about him. Irish fans should be giddy with excitement over what the future holds for Kyle Hamilton.
The Irish Are Not Lacking In The Big Play Department.
Seven of the nine Irish touchdowns against New Mexico were on plays of 20 or more yards. The aforementioned 34 yard touchdown by Hamilton got the big play train rolling for the Irish. Hamilton’s interception for a touchdown was followed up by a 59 yard forward-handoff/reception, that Avery Davis took for a touchdown, showing the athleticism and speed that led the Irish coaching staff to convert him back from cornerback to running back/wide receiver hybrid earlier in the week.
Javon McKinley caught a pass from Book that he took 65 yards for a touchdown. Chase Claypool caught a 37-yard score. Chris Finke caught a pass and took it 54 yards for a score. Ian Book would connect with Javon McKinley again for 20 yards, and then Phil Jurkovec completed a 54 yard pass to Braden Lenzy, down to the Lobos 6 yard line, on his first play from scrimmage.
It seemed like everyone got involved in big plays for Notre Dame, which is what you like to see.
The Irish Defense Has Remained Stout Since The Second Quarter Of The Louisville Game.
After looking porous in the first quarter against Louisville, Notre Dame’s defense has seemingly solidified into a force to be reckoned with and has become a strength for the Irish.
In the past seven quarters of football, the Notre Dame defense has allowed only 17 points, while generating four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, four sacks, three interceptions and one touchdown. While the Irish defense was unable to compile a sack against the Lobos, they did manage six quarterback hurries.
The biggest difference has been the linebacker play.
Coming into the season, the Notre Dame linebacking group was forced to replace Te’Von Coney and Drue Tranquill, meaning that all three starting linebackers were getting their first starts at their respective positions. The Irish defensive line, cornerbacks, and safeties — who were all expected to be strengths coming into the season — are living up to their expectations thus far.
The linebacking group was the biggest question mark for the defense, not because of lack of talent, but rather due to lack of experience. So far, the group led by Asmar Bilal, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoa and Drew White are quelling preseason concerns. The Irish will need elite gameplay from every level of defense if they hope to defeat Georgia next week, so the effective play of the linebacker group comes as a welcome sign.