When you compare how Notre Dame beat Miami last weekend and lost to BYU two games earlier, it’s easy to see the real culprit. When the Fighting Irish go after the quarterback, they're very successful. When they sit back and try to let the opposing offense come to them, things don’t go well. Did defensive coordinator Chris Ash learn this lesson over the last few weeks? That his own players, like Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, aren’t 100% sure is a baffling problem.
Asked earlier this week whether KVA believed Ash would continue to bring the pressure he had against Miami, the star linebacker could only respond, “I hope he liked it, yeah.”
No doubt, the Notre Dame star didn’t realize how that comment would come across, as he likely isn’t privy to how little trust the Fighting Irish faithful have in Ash. His defensive game plan against the Cougars was baffling, and it even seemed to confuse head coach Marcus Freeman, who made some very pointed comments going into halftime.
"We got to get them off track. We're not getting them off track right now. They're doing a couple new things, but it's just the execution. We can't panic," Freeman said at the time. "You can't start calling things that your guys don't know how to execute, so we gotta make sure we clean up what they have to do, and then they gotta play physical. We gotta play on their side of the line of scrimmage, but you can't be out of control.”
Chris Ash faces pressure to keep Notre Dame football attacking after Miami breakthrough
After allowing 21 points to BYU in the first half, Notre Dame course-corrected and allowed a single touchdown in the second half. Unfortunately, that single score was enough to give the Cougars the win. Even though the defense played better, it wasn’t because it pressured the quarterback.
In total, the Fighting Irish pressured quarterback Bear Bachmeier just seven times, recording 4 quarterback hits and 3 hurries. Against Miami? The game plan couldn’t have been more different.
The Irish pressured the Hurricanes a whopping 33 times, and while they sacked Darian Mensah only three times, they were in his head with 5 QB hits and an incredible 25 hurries. Considering Notre Dame won by a touchdown, it’s safe to say the pressure was exactly why they won.
The Miami game wasn't just Notre Dame's season high in quarterback pressures; it was also the second time the Irish surpassed 30 pressures after notching 31 in a 49-10 win over Purdue. The Irish recorded a season-high 8 sacks against the Boilermakers.
So the question now is, will Ash continue to dial up the pressure? Boston College could be a good barometer, considering the Irish are expected to win by four touchdowns. Will Ash sit back and let Notre Dame's offense carry the team? Or will he send a message to the rest of college football, including what could be a Top 25 opponent in SMU, that quarterbacks will no longer be remotely comfortable in the pocket this year?
It remains a concern that no one seems to know what Ash will do with his Notre Dame defense. Certainly, keeping his plan under wraps is a no-brainer. The issue is less about knowing what the defensive coordinator will do and more about not trusting him to make the right decision just yet.
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