Instant Analysis: Notre Dame finds a way to finish off Cal
Bottom Line
On a day when Notre Dame got booed off the field by its own home crowd at halftime, the Irish found redemption and perhaps a long-term identity with which to push forward, Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium.
Now it’s time to build.
The incremental step that happened in the second half against Cal was a physicality and mental toughness that were absent when it mattered most in both losses of ND’s 0-2 start to the season. Not so in a 24-17 Irish victory against the Bears, the first win of the Marcus Freeman Era.
After a six-yard pass from first-time starter Drew Pyne to All-America tight end Michael Mayer with 9:15 left put the Irish ahead for good, the ND defense made it stand up, over and over and over and over.
First came a stand at the Irish 22-yard line, with Isaiah Foskey sacking Cal QB Jack Plummer on fourth down.
Then when Cal had to go 93 yards for the tying touchdown — sound familiar? — Foskey got a third down sack of Plummer at the Cal 2, prompting a punt from the Bears (2-1) inside three minutes.
Cal was able to coax a punt and get the ball back with 93 seconds left and no timeouts from its own 20. Then the fun started. On the very first play Clarence Lewis picked off a Plummer pass, but the play was reviewed for targeting on linebacker JD Bertrand.
The booth confirmed the targeting call, and the Bears kept the ball moving. With 29 seconds left, Cal faced a 3rd-and-7 on the ND 29-yard line. Justin Ademilola then sacked Plummer and appeared to knock the ball free.
Cornerback TaRiq Bracy picked up the loose ball and raced 77 yards for an apparent touchdown, apparent being the operative word. Replay overturned the play, saying Plummer was down.
So, Cal had one more shot at extending the game into overtime. On fourth down and 13 from the 35, Plummer under pressure threw the ball up for grabs in the end zone. And players from both teams had a shot at it before it finally fell incomplete.
In the first half Notre Dame (1-2) didn’t record its initial first down of the game until the second quarter and committed four false-start penalties, including back-to-backers. An Audric Estime one-yard TD run represents the first points the Irish scored in the third quarter this season.
Even with a strong second half, this does not represent a turning point, but it is progress.
Big Picture
Unranked Notre Dame can forget about polls and bowls for now and just focus on improvement. Evolution must come in the coming weeks.
Questions Answered
With six sacks the Notre Dame defense started showing some semblance of big-play potential, though the Irish lost contain on QB Jack Plummer at critical junctures.
Questions Lingering
What does QB Drew Pyne’s growth curve look like? After a slow start that included a fumbled snap, Pyne finished 17-of-23 passing for 150 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. His 157.4 pass-efficiency rating was more than 60 points better than his Cal counterpart. Can Notre Dame build on winning the rushing battle for the first time this season?
The Road Ahead
Notre Dame visits North Carolina Saturday (3:30 p.m. EDT; ABC or ESPN).
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