Notre Dame Football:The 2011 Fighting Irish Have Major Flaws

Notre Dame has played half its games, and it’s time to talk about who we are.

Yes, just who the hell are the 2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish? Are we overrated pretenders? Or are we a legitimate BCS threat off to a bad start? Do we even know?

Without too much analysis, there’s an easy answer: Notre Dame is 4-2 against a fairly stout schedule, with the nation’s 44th-ranked scoring offense and 32nd-ranked scoring defense.

Just to illustrate that I’ve told you exactly nothing about Notre Dame football, Purdue is 3-2 and ranked ahead of ND with the nation’s 41st-best scoring offense and 29th-ranked scoring defense, and we’ll all agree (other than the Boilermaker Mom’s Club and one acid-dropping Purdue equipment manager) that Purdue flat-out sucks on both sides of the ball.

That hopeless Michigan defense that ND ran up and down the field like crazed squirrels and dropped 31 points on despite five turnovers is now the eighth best scoring defense in the country. Right.

And I’m the Dalai Lama.

Author’s Note: Not only am I not the Dalai Lama, I do not even own a magnificent robe.

If you want to see how worthless rankings can be in college football, that Wolverine team that had to put up 578 points in the last three seconds to beat ND at night at home is now 11th in the country in the AP Coaches poll, with the Spartan team that ND dominated for four full quarters stepping in at 23rd.

Notre Dame has played teams that are a combined 23-4 against non-ND opponents, and ND is by far the strongest opponent on every schedule.

Note to Self: A healthy serving of cupcakes seems to be the only meal that matters to pollsters.

Be that as it may, after half a season we’re not ranked, we aren’t lighting up the country statistically, and we are either grossly overrated or grossly underrated depending on the mood, the media source and the number of drinks involved. In short, once again, we are ND.

But just who the hell is that these days?

Notre Dame Is Really Good…Maybe

Is Notre Dame the team that beat 23rd-ranked Spartans like a drum all day long? Or the rabid hounds that crushed the 11th-ranked Wolverines for three quarters?

Are we the Irish team that rallied late in the fourth quarter to win on the road against a Pitt team that decimated an 18th-ranked USF team a week later.

Maybe Notre Dame is the offensive juggernaut that steamrolled the Purdue and Air Force squads without breaking a sweat.

Maybe we’re the team that held USF to a total of 254 yards, or stomped on three of the best backs in the last 10 years of MSU football until they crawled out of Notre Dame Stadium with a combined 29 total yards rushing.

Notre Dame Is Really Bad…Maybe

Or is Notre Dame the team that gave up five horrible turnovers and lost to a South Florida team that got pantsed 44-17 by a bad Pitt squad?

Maybe Notre Dame is the team that gave up 338 yards passing to a Michigan QB that stood on his back foot and threw it straight up in the air the entire game?

Or are we the team that folded the tent in the fourth quarter against a desperate Michigan squad or that got rung up by an undersized and out-talented Air Force offense to the tune of 565 yards and 33 points?

Are we the Irish team that looked pathetic all game long against a bad Pitt defense?

Good or bad, one thing we know for sure: The answer to all of these questions is, yes, we are that team.

So it is obvious: the 2011 Irish are pretty damn good, or pretty damn bad, depending on when you tune in.

BCS Contender: Reason to Mope

Notre Dame is an enigma in 2011, and it is not wrapped in a burrito. Its problems are obvious, with a sprinkling of the not so obvious.

Problem No. 1: Turnovers

If there is one thing I always say, it’s that turnovers kill. Not literally, but they will kill any chance of winning a college football game. And though there is no empirical data proving a fan can die from watching turnovers, I can attest that it can make you sicker than five shots of a bad tequila on top of an undercooked chalupa.

After five turnovers in each of the first two losses, the Notre Dame coaching staff caught on to this little-known nuance and with only three turnovers against a solid MSU team, finally won a game.

Coincidence? I think not.

Notre Dame has since put two on the ground in a bad offensive performance against Pitt and didn’t give up the rock against Purdue or Air Force—all three wins, with the last two wins going away.

As my 90-year-old mom could have gone 24-27 for 389 with no picks against either of the Boilermaker or Falcon secondaries, and Pitt’s secondary dropped at least three balls that were gift-wrapped by Rees, it remains to be seen whether this issue is under control or just postponed until somebody shows up with a defensive line and a couple real cornerbacks in tow.

Problem No. 2: Penalties

Notre Dame is a dismal 109th in the country in penalties with 7.5 penalties for 70.8 yards per game.

What is truly intriguing about this stat is that it does nothing to recount how truly mind-boggling and crippling most of these penalties have been. The great majority have been committed at the precise time needed to call back the touchdown on an opening game drive (holding to negate Cierre Wood’s touchdown against USF), or to extend Pitt’s lone touchdown drive on a roughing the punter call on 4th-and-20 from the Pitt 10.

The long snapper getting in a fight was a nice touch, and the false starts and hands to the face by the offensive line are too numerous to count.

While some of the issues can be attributed to playing a good number of underclassmen, Brian Kelly’s teams at Cincinnati and Central Michigan were some of the most penalized teams in the country, so this issue is not likely to go away anytime soon.

Problem No. 3: Special Teams

Take something for your stomach before you read this section, or you will get physically ill.

If you thought you could get sick watching the turnovers and penalties, watching Notre Dame’s special teams is uglier than naked no-makeup Snooki, and that’s about as ugly as you can get. I’m talking turn-to-stone, gouge-your-own-eyes-out ugly.

Notre Dame’s kick return game is 50th in the country at 22.18 yards per game. Welcome to the shining star of the Irish special teams. If George Atkinson III doesn’t take it 89 yards to the house against MSU, the Irish kick return game would check in at 96th in the country, so we’re only one return away from being terrible in every special teams category in North America.

Where do we start? Coverage teams have been average to bad. Kickoffs have been good then short, then sailed out of bounds here and there just to keep the crowd on its toes.

Punting is 107th in the country at 37.3 per punt, and if it weren’t for some truly lucky roll time, it would be even worse. Kicking game? That's 4-for-8 field goals, with several missed chip shots and a missed PAT.

With so many pending awards for ineptness out there, nothing is quite as impressive as Notre Dame’s 118th ranked 0.3 yard  punt return average. Think about it. If you get drunk 10 times, stumble onto the field, catch a punt and fall forward before passing out, you just tripled ND’s punt return average for the year.

To make matters worse, ND is now lining up their star wideout to return punts—risking our best offensive player who has never returned punts in a four-year college career. Note that even if Floyd can do it, ND will be back looking for another return man next year…not a good idea and a short term fix at best.

Special teams coordinator Mike Elston has had many punters, kickers and return men under his watch, and with the athletes at his disposal at Notre Dame, there is no excuse for his special teams looking more like Special Ed.

My personal theory (with no benefit of a drink at the bar to confirm things with Brian Kelly) is that Elston is also the D-Line coach and, with the influx of freshmen into the rotation, is spending his limited practice time on scheme and technique with the newbies - leaving little or no time to get the special teams play to where it should be.

My theory make sense only in that every special team area sucks, even the ones that were outstanding last year. It's either that or Elston is just in over his head, but his track record says otherwise.

The performance after the bye week and the extra time will tell us if this morass is fixable.

BCS Contender: Reason to Hope

While Notre Dame has many things that haven’t gone quite right in 2011, many things have. Some of them have been beautiful to watch.

The Rushing Game

The numbers show Notre Dame has the 30th best rushing attack in the country at 194 yards per game. What the numbers don’t show is that our backs are running people over just about as often as they are running around them. Safeties fear them.

And this is all done with a QB that has the elite speed and elusiveness of shrubbery.

Cierre Wood has been impressive at 113 carries for 616 yards and a 5.5 YPC average. The only real question is whether Jonas Gray’s great blend of power and speed and 8.1 yards per carry warrants more touches.

Both of these guys have kicked ass all year, and there is nothing to suggest that’s going to change anytime soon.

The Offensive Line

There’s five good reasons Cierre Wood and Jonas Gray are running crazy on college defenses and I can give them to you in only ten letters: LT, LG, C, RG and RT. Okay, nine letters. No matter how many letters, these guys have been insanely good all year.

In an offense depending on zone blocking and a strong running game to nurse the QB through some continuing growing pains, these guys have dominated. All year long there have been holes wider than Snooki’s endless panties, even big enough to get my lard ass through at my 6.0 forty speed, with more than enough time for bathroom breaks. They’ve punched holes in 10 man lines to get a yard whenever needed.

Even more amazing, with a QB that has the mobility of syrup and defenses that know it, this group has given up only five sacks all year.

Braxton Cave & Co. are big, mean, fast and talented, and they’re only getting better. These guys aren’t just nasty, they’re friggin’ Neanderthal.

The Receiving Corps

Although Michael Floyd continues to collect Notre Dame receiving records like my Aunt Thelma collects ex-husbands, this entire group has stepped up as the year has gone on and Rees has learned how to use them.

Floyd’s 53 catches for 639 yards and six TDs is expected, and gave Rees a safety net as he became more comfortable with the offense. Likewise, Tyler Eifert’s 32 catches for 363 yards is as good as any tight end’s numbers in the country, something that’s becoming expected at ND.

Both Floyd and Eifert present big fast dependable mismatches that are a nightmare for defensive coordinators.

Less expected was some of the balance that is starting to sift through the ranks. Theo Riddick is beginning to show off some real talent, and T.J. Jones has displayed some solid promise at times. Robby Toma may be working his way into some consistent playing time as well.

This is another sound group that has become a tough dependable option that will continue to improve as and when the QB position solidifies.

The Defensive Line

There is little question that there is some real talent manning the Irish’s defensive trenches these days. These guys are Double A—Athletes with Attitude. At times, ND’s defensive line has looked like men among boys. The 14 sacks and 37 tackles for loss don’t begin to say how disruptive this group has been.

Consider: South Florida’s leading running back had 40 yards. Michigan and Denard Robinson’s vaunted rushing attack was held to 118 yards total. MSU’s patented ground game with three top backs netted 29 yards on 23 carries.

Pitt’s Ray Graham managed 89 yards against ND a week before opening a can of whoop ass on USF's purported lock down defense to the tune of 229 yards.

This group has shown real explosiveness and a consistently intemperate disposition, and a lot of it is coming from a solid corps of underclassmen that bodes well for 2012 and beyond.

BCS Contender: Reason to Wonder

There are three open issues that will determine the immediate and long-term success of Notre Dame football.

The Secondary

Interestingly enough, going into the season Gary Gray was a lock for numerous colorful post season awards at cornerback and Robert Blanton was supposed to be serviceable on the other side. Harrison Smith was voted a team captain at safety while Jamoris Slaughter wasn’t sure he would get much playing time after Zeke Motta took over the other safety position while he rehabbed an injury.

While Harrison Smith is still a fan favorite and a hard hitter, his play on the back end has been a combination of generally poor coverage and good run support coupled with too many whiffs for a safety. Though slightly undersized, Jamoris Slaughter has stepped up his game and also done well tackling all over the field and has played solid assignment-driven football.

At corner, Gary Gray could not find the ball in the air against Michigan, and has spent the rest of the season so far looking for his jock or just playing too soft for it to come off. He looked better against the lesser receivers from Purdue and Air Force but will have to take it up a notch if ND is to stay on the field with USC and Stanford.

In contrast, Robert Blanton has become everything Gary Gray was supposed to be. He plays all over the field, reads coverage well and takes great angles before sure tackles. If he keeps it up he’ll be playing Sundays for somebody.

The Quarterback

The QB controversy at ND is well-documented, although Kelly has ended that controversy for the most part by pulling Dayne Crist and declaring Tommy Rees is his man barring the Apocalypse.

Rees has responded by winning, going 8-1 as a starter, and his accuracy has been instrumental in pumping out 273 yards a game through the air for the nation’s 32nd-rated passing attack. His massive number of turnovers and bad decisions in staring down Michael Floyd all day before throwing into coverage has subsided recently against the under-manned defenses of Purdue and Air Force.

If Rees continues to improve and shows he can be just as productive while protecting the ball despite real pressure, ND will be able to generate enough offense to compete with almost anyone in the country.

If Rees shows that the games he had against the pressure defenses of USC, MSU and Pitt are his standard response to a fierce rush then ND will continue to struggle against good defensive teams.

Add to this mix the small sample of what Andrew Hendrix did against Air Force in his first snaps as a college QB. Mixing the zone read and an athletic quarterback into a simple package of bubble screens and tight end routes resulted in 4-for-4 passing for 33 yards and 111 yards rushing.

It’s scary to think what an experienced Hendrix or Everett Golson might be able to do with this offense, but don’t look for Hendrix or Golson to be a material part of this offense this year.

Coaching

Although as fans we all like to give Brian Kelly and his staff the benefit of the doubt, there are some glaring coaching deficiencies that are reason for concern.

First, turnovers and penalties are typically a reflection of the teaching given and discipline required by the coaching staff, and ND is among the last in the country in both of these areas. These mistakes are costing ND games and so far they are not going away unless the non-defenses of Purdue and Air Force are included in the analysis.

Further, there are alarm bells that are not being answered. How did ND manage to play so badly in so many areas against a very average to bad South Florida team? ND was clearly poorly prepared to play football when the season started.

Where was Bob Diaco in the fourth quarter of the Michigan game? Did he leave early to try and beat the traffic? The number and nature of the defensive breakdowns in the last quarter were inexcusable and borderline epic.

Where was the game preparation and in game adjustments against a Pitt defense that brought pressure but just wasn’t that good? And how does a defense with this much talent give up 33 points and 565 yards against an undersized less-talented Air Force offense?

Thankfully Navy’s defense is worse than Air Force’s this year as Diaco has yet to show that he has any clue of how to shut down a multiple/option offense unless run by Army.

Take away the latest 59-point pummeling of the Falcons porous defense and Kelly’s high-powered offense is still muddling along around 26-27 points a game, exactly the same as last year.

The frenetic pace of the offense that is supposed to confuse defenses, prevent substitutions and make the D trip on their tongues does not exist.

This coaching staff has brought in some real talent and the conditioning looks to be superb, but Diaco’s X’s and O’s are not impressing anyone and the sorry state of the special teams from top to bottom makes one question whether Diaco and Mike Elston have the ability to coach at this level or are just part of Kelly’s MAC/Big East staff living in a bigger house.

I am not saying they aren’t good men with good minds, and both will benefit from more experience, but the results so far lead me to question whether they’re in over their head at times against the better teams and coordinators.

Summary

Weighed against some obvious issues in turnovers, special teams and penalties, there are some obvious strengths in the offensive and defensive lines, ground game, and receiving crew.

What will answer whether this team can answer the bell and move on to a BCS game are the question marks.

At one time Gary Gray was a solid cornerback. When he lost the ability to find the ball in the air is a mystery, but he needs to find it or ND will have some tough games ahead.

Similarly, Harrison Smith needs to quit worrying about hits and make sure he’s where he’s supposed to be or Barkley and Luck are going to throw for roughly 600 yards each.

At QB, although he has shown great improvement and some good accuracy, Tommy Rees has yet to show he has the talent and ability to stand up under pressure. If he can deal with defenses that bring it, the talent throughout the rest of the offense can carry him. If not, he will continue to put up great numbers against average defenses and hope the running game and defense will carry him when a real BCS defense hits him in the face.

More problematic is the coaching staff. Although Brian Kelly has a consistent message and is definitely a step up from the Weis/Willingham/Davies eras, there are a number of issues still on the table.

Kelly seems to have a decent handle on his offense, whether he has the QB on his roster to run it remains to be seen. At some point Kelly will need to use his entire playbook to win a game, something that can’t be done with his current QB—so he needs to either coach him up or get somebody with more talent/ability.

Diaco’s defense looks dominating most times, lost every now and then. The talent they are amassing is impressive, but the ability to use it is still up for debate. Diaco has not shown much in the way of game planning or in-game adjustments, but he is definitely improving.

Mike Elston’s special teams are a mess from top to bottom, and must be corrected. He has the personnel to make things work, if he can’t, he may find himself dropped from Kelly’s RKG staff, or Kelly might find out just how much losing close games due to poor special team’s play can strain a good friendship.

All in all, this team still has a number of flaws that are likely to bite it in the ass before the year is out.

To finish out the year I’m expecting 8-4 and hoping for 9-3; 10-2 ain’t happening.

The BCS is probably on the menu for next year.