Game Observations: Notre Dame Offense From The Loss to Marshall
Notre Dame fell to 0-2 with a devastating home loss to Marshall. The Herd beat Notre Dame by a 26-21 score. It was an incredibly embarrassing loss by Notre Dame, who was out-played, out-hit, out-hustled, out-schemed and out-executed all game long.
*** The play of the Notre Dame offensive line and tight ends in the run game was incredibly problematic in the first half, and the offensive line also had issues with protection. The line got a bit more push in the second half at times, and the run game got better, but when it mattered most - on a third quarter third and fourth down call early in the third quarter - Marshall got lower than Notre Dame's linemen and stoned the run game.
*** There were multiple miscommunications, and not just on plays like the simple T-E stunt that resulted in Jarrett Patterson giving up a hit. Even things like simple outside zone, where Blake Fisher was expecting inside help from Joshua Lugg, but it never came. I'm not sure if Lugg should have helped (I thought he should have, but that's not the point), but the point is Fisher thought he did, so someone messed up there from a communication and assignment standpoint.
*** The pass protection wasn't much better. It was good at times, but too inconsistent, and the line continues to struggle picking up movement.
*** I'm puzzled by Chris Tyree was used so infrequently in the run game, and the only time the run game worked well was when the staff used quarterback Tyler Buchner as a runner. When Buchner was used primarily as a drop back passer he struggled against a Marshall defense that everyone knew was going to mix up looks and try to bait a young quarterback into mistakes, and Buchner made two HUGE mistakes in those situations.
*** Notre Dame's receivers struggled in many phases of the game. From not getting lined up properly, to missed blocks, to poor get offs, to bad top ends, and finally, not attacking the football all game. Buchner missed a wide open Michael Mayer on the late pick six, that was on the quarterback, but Jayden Thomas did a really poor job coming back to the football and fighting for the ball. A series later, Buchner hit Lorenzo Styles in the hands and Styles dropped it.
*** Buchner also had a big miss on a deep throw to Braden Lenzy late in the first half. Just two huge examples of missed opportunities by a team that has had a season's worth of those plays in just two games.
*** The run game had issues from a blocking standpoint, but the overall design of the run game is slow. With a line that is getting no push, the slower developing plays, even downhill ones, are problematic. Tyler Buchner needs to be more involved in the run game, and I know he was knocked out, but the only time the run game really looks good is when he's in there.
*** Buchner made some big time throws but also missed some big ones in this game. You can chalk that up to youth and inexperience, but that youth and inexperience was really costly. His mistakes were bad ones. He wasn't helped by the structure of the offense, his line or his pass catchers. It was an all-around collapse by this offense.
*** Marshall challenged Notre Dame's pass game all day, and there were not enough field shots against it. Most of the vertical shots were to the boundary, and combined with the poor releases it forced Buchner to be pinpoint with those throws, and the wideouts didn't fight enough for the ball. It's as if Notre Dame continues to call a game thinking it has a really good offensive line, but through two games the offensive line has been average at times and poor at other times. They were way too late adjusting to this, and the result is Notre Dame is 0-2.
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