Notre Dame Football: 8 Thoughts on Win Against Maryland

Notre Dame pounded Maryland relentlessly in the first ugly helmet bowl not to involve Oregon or Boise State Saturday night at Fed Ex Field in Landover, Maryland, in this year's installment in the shamrock series of neutral site "home" games.

Maryland and Notre Dame are teams heading in completely opposite directions, with the Irish looking more and more like a one of the better teams in the country while Maryland continues to search for anything to build on.

Notre Dame basically did everything they wanted to against the Terps, jumping out to a 17-0 lead before Maryland cracked the score board on a penalty-aided drive to cut the lead to 10.

The next time Maryland scored, midway through the fourth quarter, Notre Dame had run out to a 38-7 lead and the game was more or less decided.

The Irish scored three times rushing, twice through the air, and returned an interception for a touchdown for the first defensive score of the season.

It was what you would expect a team with BCS aspirations to do to an inferior opponent. Annihilate them.

It was still possible to take away a few thoughts from the beating.

The Irish Can Run

It was well known coming in that Maryland had issues stopping the run, but what Notre Dame did to the Terrapins was nonetheless impressive.

The Irish offensive line punished the Maryland defensive line, and running backs Jonas Gray and Cierre Wood ran around, over, and through pretty much everyone in their way.

Wood carried 18 times for 99 yards and a score, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. His effort would usually stand as a highlight, but tonight was different.

Former doghouse resident Gray relentlessly pounded the Maryland defense on 21 very physical carries. He finished with 136 yards and two scores, but the numbers do not fully tell how dominating his performance was.

On one 3rd-and-17 draw play, Gray broke three tackles, exhibited amazing feet cutting left, then right to elude a pair of defenders, and then carried three Terrapins on his back the last three yards of the 19 yard first-down carry.

Such was the night for Gray. No matter what was in his way, including on a crushing 4th-and-goal touchdown run at the end of the first half, Gray made the yardage needed.

It was truly another noteworthy game in a breakout season for a very good runner.

It's Better to Listen to Rees Than to Watch Rees

By all accounts, Tommy Rees had a great game.

He finished 30 of 38 for 296 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He completed 78.9 percent of his throws, and made three of the best throws of his career in the easy win.

Still, watching the game there were moments of frustration with the sophomore quarterback.

Especially early on there were several throws that were off target. Several came out late forcing the receiver out of his route and preventing a larger gain, and a couple were of the "what were you thinking?" variety.

Also, for the first time since the Pittsburgh game, Rees held the ball and was sacked three times.

One of the sacks was purely a blown blocking assignment by Gray, but the other two were balls that Rees should have chucked into the stands.

It's hard to critique too harshly, as any time your team wins by 24 points, and the quarterback does not turn the ball over while throwing for nearly 300 yards and a pair of scores he obviously had a good game.

Touchdown passes to Floyd and Eifert were two of the best throws I've seen Rees make, and he finally threw a deep out that showed more arm strength than many thought he possessed.

Had you listened to the game on the radio, you would have had an amazingly different perspective on Rees performance—as when he was on he was REALLY on. And when he wasn't?

Michael Floyd Can Look Human

Michael Floyd isn't superman.

He dropped two balls.

He couldn't separate from coverage and pull in a decently thrown seam route.

He, at moments, looked human!

He did, of course, lead all receivers with nine receptions, 90 yards, and a touchdown, but honestly except for a demonstration of insane acceleration down the sideline on a bubble screen looked rather pedestrian.

Pedestrian for Michael Floyd.

Aaron Lynch Is Faster on One Leg Than Most Offensive Linemen

Aaron Lynch spent more time in the Maryland backfield than most of the Terrapin running backs did, and did it all basically on one leg.

He didn't register a sack, but he constantly harassed Maryland's passers, and made running off the edge pretty much impossible as he got penetration on every snap.

He's borderline dominant, and he's a true freshman.

Louis Nix Can Wear Whatever Number He Wants

The other defensive player who's name was mentioned all night was big Louis Nix.

He clogged the middle, helped ensure that Maryland couldn't break anything resembling a long run and is quickly proving himself a superb run stopping nose tackle.

He is also the biggest man to ever wear a single digit.

Maybe he wants to play some running back? Or tight end?

I'M NOT TELLING HIM HE CAN'T!

You tell him!

Look at him! He's HUUUUUGE!

If he wants to wear a letter instead of a number... fine... print it up! He's a bad man!

Brian Kelly Is the Right Kind of Gutsy

Knowing when to go for it on fourth down is something that a coach is born with. It cannot be taught.

Charlie Weis was not born with this skill. 4th-and-8 on your own 30-yard line looked like an opportunity for greatness in Weis' eyes.

Kelly is more reserved in his selection.

This is largely the reason that the Irish are seven-for-seven on fourth down attempts this season.

Late in the first half, Notre Dame failed to score on a third down pass to Tyler Eifert and were faced with a 4th-and-goal at the 1-yard line, leading 17-7 Kelly found himself facing a dilemma. 

Maryland was showing signs of life, having just scored to cut the lead to 10. Scoring a touchdown, with the knowledge that Notre Dame receives the second half kick off likely means putting the game away early.

Get stopped and Maryland claims momentum. You could inadvertently create a turning point against you. 

A field goal is the safe bet, but a moral victory for Maryland.

Kelly calls a Jonas Gray run, Gray powers into the end zone for the score. Notre Dame goes into the locker room with a 24-7 lead, scored on the first possession of the second half, and the game was neatly put away early.

David Ruffer Is Still Pretty Good

David Ruffer has well rebounded from early season struggles, connecting on a first quarter 52-yard field goal.

The curveball kick that marks Ruffer's career long cleared the cross bar easily.

It helps to know that you have a kicker who can drill a kick longer than 50 yards heading into the final leg of the season.

Okay... the Helmets Weren't That Bad

I'm still not one for decals, but the helmet wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. They worked with the green jerseys, and the hand-polished look was visually appealing.

Also, the team played maybe their best 60 minutes of football in the things—so it's hard to look at them in a completely negative light!

Contrasted against that nightmare that Maryland insists upon wearing, it was almost attractive!