Examining the Notre Dame defense’s third-down versatility and success
Asked about Notre Dame’s third-down defense, Brian Kelly’s mind went to the Irish’s most recent performance.
It wasn’t a good one.
In a 32-29 win over Virginia Tech Oct. 9, Notre Dame allowed the Hokies to convert eight of 17 third-down chances. The most memorable play was a 19-yard touchdown run on a scramble by quarterback Braxton Burmeister on a scramble. Burmeister’s dash put Notre Dame in a 29-21 hole with 3:55 left.
In turn, Kelly and defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman made tightening up third downs a point of emphasis during bye week practices.
“We spent much more time last week in those packages, not adding anything more, but just being more fundamentally sound and smarter as a defense,” Kelly said.
It’s a wise use of an off week. It’s also a correction of an outlier performance instead of a wound that won’t stop bleeding.
Through six games, Notre Dame’s defense ranks 18th out of 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in opponent third-down conversion rate, at 31.87 percent. That figure is just 0.5 percent higher than last season’s third-down defense, which finished 11th nationally. Prior to Virginia Tech’s successful day, the Irish held Cincinnati, Wisconsin and Purdue to a combined 7-for-41 on third down.
Like most stout third-down defenses, Notre Dame’s success starts with putting an offense behind schedule on first down. The Irish rank 28th in yards per first-down pass attempt (6.8) and 18th in yards per first-down rush (3.6).
But that’s only half the task. A third-and-long defense still has to get stops. Even better if it causes confusion and can be multiple in its looks. The latter is where Notre Dame succeeds, because Freeman has several third-down packages at his disposal.
You must be a member to read the full article. Subscribe now for instant access to all premium content.
-
Members-only forums
-
Predict prospect commits with FanFutureCast
-
Exclusive highlights and interviews
-
Exclusive coverage of Rivals Camp Series
-
Breaking recruiting news