Notre Dame D-Line Depth Finds Ends To A Mean In Win At Virginia Tech
In their nine seasons together at Notre Dame, both Brian Kelly and associate head coach/defensive line coach Mike Elston agreed this spring and summer that the 2018 Fighting Irish defensive line would be the deepest in their time here.
That was even after strong side end Jay Hayes, who started all 13 games last season, opted this spring to use his fifth season as a graduate transfer at the University of Georgia.
The postulate was especially put to the test at drop end during Notre Dame’s 45-23 victory Saturday night at Virginia Tech. The co-starting tandem of juniors Daelin Hayes (229 snaps in the first five games) and Julian Okwara (224 snaps in those five games) both were sidelined.
Hayes was hampered by a brachial plexus, a network of nerves that extends from the spinal cord, through the cervicoaxillary canal in the neck, over the first rib, and into the armpit. In layman’s term it was a C6 “stinger,” one that precluded him from making the trip to Blacksburg.
Then late in the second quarter, Okwara was ejected for a targeting hit on quarterback Ryan Willis, just before the Hokies pulled within 17-16 at halftime.
Consequently, fellow juniors Jamir Jones and Adetokunbo Ogundeji took an inordinate amount of snaps in the second half with end Khalid Kareem in a challenging atmosphere and with Playoff aspirations on the line — as well as them.
“We're better with Julian and Daelin no question, but those guys stepped up and played to a standard,” Kelly summarized. “…It's not just the next guy coming [in] and playing — he's got to play well. I think that's what stood out for me.”
The Irish outscored Virginia Tech 28-7 in the decisive second half. Kelly has watched the game tape twice, including once with defensive coordinator Clark Lea, and classified both Jones and Ogundeji as “solid” in their efforts.
“We'd like to see a little bit more from them in certain situations, but I think in their first time out there in significant roles, we're really pleased with their discipline and the way they played,” he said.
Prior to the Virginia Tech game, the rapidly ascending and disruptive Ogundeji was already averaging 21 snaps per game, while Jones was around nine per contest.
At tackle, freshman Jayson Ademilola also was one of nine defensive linemen averaging about a dozen snaps per contest, especially with the broken foot incurred by sophomore Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa in the opener versus Michigan that was projected to shelve him approximately 10 weeks.
How long Hayes will be sidelined is uncertain, but with the bye week coming up Oct. 20 after hosting Pitt on Oct. 13, neither the medical nor coaching staff feel compelled to rush him. He was scheduled for an MRI later on Sunday.
“We're very cautious and careful in making sure that we get consultations and make sure that everything is clearly presented,” Kelly said. “This is just a matter of calming down this injury to the point where we can get him back out on the field. They usually calm down in 24 to 36 hours. If they don't, then the window opens up to six weeks. So once he's asymptomatic, then he'll be cleared to play.”
The Irish head coach revealed that some tingling in Hayes’ hand last week made him symptomatic, which put him in non-contact work.
“It's really just day-to-day right now,” he said.
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