Irish’s loss to Cincinnati brings more offensive line options, questions
Notre Dame can’t acquire external fixes for its porous offensive line this year, but head coach Brian Kelly can still ask for outside opinions on potential solutions.
“Who do you want me to play?” Kelly joked with reporters at his weekly Monday media session. “You guys tell me. Give me your five guys.”
No, he’s not actually that desperate. He is, though, still looking for something – anything – to fix a position group that’s usually a banner of pride for the Irish. This year, it has instead hamstrung their offense and lacks direction five games into the season.
Offensive line problems have tanked Notre Dame’s running game to unreliable status despite two talented backs and contributed to an unwanted game of quarterback roulette that finally ran out of luck in a 24-13 loss to Cincinnati on Saturday. The No. 14 Irish (4-1) have played four left tackles through five games. They have rotated at left guard the last three weeks. That rotation spilled over to the other guard spot in the loss to the Bearcats.
Kelly is convincing in his dismissals of the idea that senior and 26-game starter Jarrett Patterson could move from center. He shot down the idea again Monday. Otherwise, it seems everything is on the table.
“There's no waiver wire,” Kelly said after the loss. “There's nobody getting traded. We're working. We have to coach the guys that we have and we've got to get them coached better.”
The latest development was freshman Joe Alt’s extended look at left tackle vs. Cincinnati. Notre Dame turned to him after sophomore Michael Carmody left the game due to the ankle injury that knocked him out the prior two weeks.
Sophomore Tosh Baker, who started two games in place of Carmody, was unavailable due to a concussion. The opening day starter, freshman Blake Fisher, might miss the rest of the year due to a meniscus injury suffered at Florida State.
Injuries have forced Notre Dame’s hand at left tackle all year. Carmody and Baker, though, have also struggled in their opportunities. They have allowed a combined six sacks and 11 pressures this year, per Pro Football Focus.
Alt, meanwhile, fared well in 37 snaps vs. Cincinnati. He stonewalled Bearcats defensive end Myjai Sanders, a projected early-round NFL Draft pick, on his first snap of the game. He held his own until Notre Dame’s final drive, where he committed a false start and allowed his only two pressures of the game.
“It’s his demeanor,” Kelly said. “He acts like a tackle. I just love the way he does his job. He goes out there and we play him at tight end, change his jersey and put another number on, doesn’t affect him. He goes in and does his job.
“Is he perfect? Absolutely not. But there’s a physicality he brings that we really like that we feel like we need at the position. Here we go. We have another guy at left tackle and he’s healthy.”
Now, though, the Irish would be hard-pressed not to give him more looks, regardless of the injury situation. Freshman ups and downs are surely inevitable, but the experience gap isn’t wide between him and the others. Carmody and Baker are also in their first seasons of high-leverage action.
“You have great length with Baker,” Kelly said. “Maybe a little more athleticism with Carmody. Then maybe a little of both with Alt, but he’s young. Each one of them brings a little bit to the table, but none are finished products yet. Injuries have dictated what has gone on there, but youth is behind that as well.
“We like all three of them. It’s still a work in progress.”
So are the guard spots. Junior Andrew Kristofic has rotated with classmate and starter Zeke Correll at left guard since the 27-13 win over Purdue Sept. 18. Against Cincinnati, he slid to right guard after a bumpy start to a fourth-quarter drive by sixth-year senior starter Cain Madden and stayed there the rest of the game.
Expect more of the same, Kelly said. The rotation is partially rooted in his desire to get the starters a break. But it’s also taking place at two struggling positions. It’d be difficult to sub out anyone who provides consistent play, even for one drive.
The search for them is ongoing within the offensive line meeting room. The gameday experiments and evaluations (and injuries) have shown no signs of abating.
“I don’t know who’s going to walk through the door,” Kelly said. “We’ve been working on technique since the spring. Sooner or later there has to be that realization we have to adapt to the group we have.”
----
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
• Sign up for Blue & Gold's news alerts and daily newsletter.
• Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @Rivals_Singer, @PatrickEngel_, @tbhorka, @GregLadky, and @ToddBurlage.
• Like us on Facebook.