Game 1 - Nostrum Damas

[Godz40acres]

Nostrum Damas Death Chart

 

[Godz40acres]

 

[Huskie1]

Sounds like he has a future in politics.

 

[Godz40acres]

 

[TeamMayhall]

 

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[Godz40acres]

How To....
 
How to beat Notre Dame: At least for Kickoff Week, you have to attack the Irish deep. DC Brian VanGorder is now in Year 3 of his system, and after middling returns the previous two seasons, it remains to be seen if this unit can turn a corner after the departure of so many key pieces from last season's defense. – Fortuna
 
How to beat Texas: Against Texas, you’re going to load up to stop the run and dare quarterbacks Tyrone Swoopes and Shane Buechele to beat you in the passing game. Getting off to a fast start and early lead against the Longhorns will pay off, too. Texas is 0-11 in games when its opponent scores first under coach Charlie Strong. The Irish put all the pressure on Texas right away in last year’s meeting, and the Horns simply couldn’t handle it. – Olson
 
How Notre Dame beats you: Quarterbacks DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire are good enough to start at most other schools, and they will certainly present a number of challenges – with their arms and their legs. The problem, of course, is that there are virtually no proven pass-catchers outside of Torii Hunter Jr. Expect the Irish to rely on the ground game plenty behind what should be another strong offensive line, especially with Tarean Folston and Josh Adams proving to be very talented backs. – Fortuna
 
How Texas beats you: First-year offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert is the wild card in all of this. Will his scheme click right away? We do know he'll prioritize the run game and lean on powerful backs D'Onta Foreman and Chris Warren III to set up the rest of the offensive attack. Texas' defense wants to blitz like crazy and has some rising stars in the secondary, starting with sophomore cornerbacks Davante Davis and Holton Hill, who can stifle the Irish passing game. – Olson
 
[E$PN]

 

[Godz40acres]

The Mattox Effect​

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With guard Patrick Vahe and tackle Connor Williams earning Freshman All-America honors and Kent Perkins serving as a veteran anchor, the Longhorn line paved the way for a running game that finished 17th nationally (224.8 yards per game).
 
But the Longhorns had games against Notre Dame (60 yards on 29 carries) and Iowa State (204 total yards) where the line didn’t do its part to help the offense.
 
There’s growth to be made and Perkins is among the players who feel new offensive line coach Matt Mattox is the man who can get the group to the next level.
 
Where Mattox has made the biggest difference with a line that’s expected to start two true sophomores (Vahe and Williams), a true freshman (Zach Shackelford) and a second-year junior college product (Tristan Nickelson) is how he teaches technique. The schemes are similar to things the Longhorns have seen in the past, Perkins said, but the way Mattox delivers the message has resonated with the young men in his meeting room.
 
“I love coach Mattox and how he’s coached us up,†Perkins said. “The technique brings me back to how (former offensive line coach Stacy) Searels used to coach us when I was a freshman, so it’s real familiar. It works in my favor, I feel like [it does for] all of us,†Perkins said. “We’ve got the technique down. It’s real simple. It’s effective.â€
 
While Perkins will be gone following the 2016 season, the 2017 offensive line is setting up to be one of the better units in the Big 12. However, Perkins feels Mattox’s presence could allow the group to get to their destination of being considered a good offensive sooner rather than later.
 
That's a different feeling than Perkins had about last season. Now, he said, the Longhorns are better prepared on numerous fronts to be a more consistent, productive offensive line.
 
[247]

 

[Godz40acres]

On Cowboys Break show, Cowboys staff writers said DC Rod Marinelli called Jaylon Smith one of the smartest defensive players he's ever coached.

This is a man who coached former defensive stars like Sapp, Brooks, Lynch, Urlacher, Peppers, etc.

Said in 4 months the rookie has already mentally mastered his entire defense and now is helping teach vet LB's who've played in his system.

Sounds like ND's loss of Smith goes far beyond missing his elite talent, but they also lost their defensive coach on the field.

[Per a friend]

 

[Godz40acres]

Junior Mitchell Becker will be handling the kickoffs as opposed to our new placekicker, Trent Domingue.

 

[Godz40acres]

BON's Nostrum Damas Take

Notre Dame returns only six starters from a team that was on the cusp of the College Football Playoff in 2015, despite a plague of injuries to key contributors. Statistically, Notre Dame’s 2015 defense was more average than elite and now will be tasked with replacing elite talents in the front seven such as Butkus Award winner Daylon [sic] Smith and defensive linemen Romeo Okwara and Sheldon Day. Linebacker Joe Schmidt, safeties Elijah Shumate and Matthias Farley, along with standout cornerback KeiVarea Russell will need to be replaced, too.

And that’s just the defense.

Offensively, the Fighting Irish are fortunate to return two high-level, experienced quarterbacks in Malik Zaire and DeShone Kizer – both will play against Texas – as well as a more than capable backfield consisting of Josh Adams and Tarean Folston. But the Irish did lose 1,000-yard rusher C.J. Prosise, their top three receivers, a group headlined by Will Fuller. Receiver Corey Robinson was also forced to retire due to concussions and expected 2016 difference maker, tight end Alize Jones, will miss the 2016 season due to academic ineligibility.

More recently was the arrest of six Notre Dame players – Devin Butler, Ashton White, Kevin Stepherson Jr., Te’von Coney, Dexter Williams and starting safety Max Redfield. Butler has been suspended indefinitely, while Redfield was dismissed from the team. For the other four, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said, “They will be available to play,†against Texas. That may not ultimately be the case, though, as the university will have the final say on suspensions; that is, if it concludes its investigation prior to Sunday evening.

The Irish still have enough talent to fight

Regardless of all the offseason attrition, there’s reason many believe the Fighting Irish are capable of a playoff push. The current quarterback situation is, well, a really good problem to have. Notre Dame’s backfield has the capabilities of producing two 1,000-yard rushers and the offensive line, despite needing to replace three starters, is still massive and loaded with talent. The defensive line, which Charlie Strong said “will probably be the most physical front four we’ll face all season†could prove problematic for Texas, which isn’t ideal considering Texas’ rush defense isn’t expected to have its way against the Irish offensive line.

Does Notre Dame have its share of question marks? Sure. Just look at the receiving and linebacker corps, the secondary and overall lack of experienced depth. But Notre Dame is ranked preseason No. 10 for a reason.

[BON]

 

[Godz40acres]

A friend told me that Chip is saying Shane is the QB – told them last night and some players are upset about it. He didn't say who but, then again, who knows if he is telling the truth.

 

[Godz40acres]

Another friend told me that what Chip said on the radio this morning is that the QB room was just told last night and that the rest of the team will be brought together today and be told the decision. Also, as far as being upset, they implied that it was Vance Bedford who weighed in on the decision and did not agree. (quote: let Gilbert do his job, you worry about stopping the run).

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

Another friend told me that what Chip said on the radio this morning is that the QB room was just told last night and that the rest of the team will be brought together today and be told the decision. Also, as far as being upset, they implied that it was Vance Bedford who weighed in on the decision and did not agree. (quote: let Gilbert do his job, you worry about stopping the run).

It's Chip. Remember that before getting worked up about it. Chip = Drama Queen.

 

[North Texas Golfer]

It's Chip. Remember that before getting worked up about it. Chip = Drama Queen.

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! BigDaddy gets it.

 

[Godz40acres]

It's Chip. Remember that before getting worked up about it. Chip = Drama Queen.

Easy, Cane.

 

[Godz40acres]

Does Notre Dame have its share of question marks? Sure. Just look at the receiving and linebacker corps, the secondary and overall lack of experienced depth. But Notre Dame is ranked preseason No. 10 for a reason.

With those type of key losses the only reason a team is still ranked in the top ten is off name recognition and program stature.

Typically teams lose a decent amount of starters. ND lost several stars and multi-year starters. Even worse, losses were clustered in position groups instead of spread around.

For example, they lost their most productive receiving RB, #1, 2, 4 WR's, and the top TE was disqualified.

Those 5 departed key receiving weapons accounted for 180 of 240 (75%) receptions...2,704 of 3,360 (80%) receiving yards...20 of 25 (80%) receiving TD's.

Then you flip to the defense and see 2/3 of the LB starters gone and 3/4 of the secondary replaced. 3 returning sacks on DL and 3 returning INT's in back 7.

With heavily clustered, high caliber starter losses...there's no way a top ten ranking is deserved off of actual merit of the current lineup.

15-20? Sure. But top 10 assumes a 2 loss season. ND won't absorb those heavy losses, exceed them, and finish higher than last year's (#11) plethora of NFL talent.

[A friend's comment to me about something he read.]

 

[Godz40acres]

Longhorn Weekly With Charlie Strong




Charlie takes a break at 18:15 then comes back at 36:20.