Notre Dame-Virginia Tech: Both Try To Overcome Option Hangover

In the nine seasons from 2007-15, Notre Dame has consistently gone through what has been referred to as “The Navy Hangover.”

It is defined as the residual effect from the mental and physical preparation required against the triple option that carries over into the following week — in a negative fashion while trying to readjust to a conventional offense. The Irish were 3-6 the week after playing Navy during that time.

This year, though, the opponent after Navy was another triple-option team in Army, so it might be considered a “double dose” against Virginia Tech this Saturday. Then again, the Hokies had to face triple-option team Georgia Tech last weekend prior to traveling to Notre Dame. Head coach Justin Fuente’s team dropped out of the national rankings after their 30-22 loss at home to the Yellow Jackets, who accumulated 309 yards rushing while completing only 2 of 7 passes for 34 yards.

Suffice to say that Notre Dame won’t throw only seven passes against Virginia Tech. That total could be eclipsed in the first quarter, if not in a given single drive. Meanwhile, Navy and Army threw a combined 15 passes versus the Irish.

Among the losses during that aforementioned 2007-15 span the week after Navy were home games to 2-8 Syracuse in 2008, Tulsa in 2010, a 28-21 upset at Pitt in 2013 to end BCS hopes, and falling behind 34-3 at Arizona State in 2014.

Even the three wins were extremely hard fought: at Wake Forest in 2011 (24-17), Purdue in 2012 (20-17) and USC last year (41-31), where the Irish had to rally in the fourth quarter.

Maybe playing a more conventional offense will be far more beneficial to Notre Dame against Virginia Tech this season. However, recent trends have shown that it hasn’t been easy for the Irish to recalibrate after going against option football.

“For two weeks we didn't play any of our coverages that we rep all camp and essentially run for the first nine weeks of the season,” Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly said. “Same thing with the fronts. Those aren't fronts that are traditional fronts that we would normally run. For two weeks you're running a system that gets that work only for option. And so it's an outlier from your playbook. It's a separate playbook in itself.”

To Kelly, it’s like the defense taking a two-week hiatus from practice for which it must now compensate. One way is to get more speed on speed work between the top units than usual.

“Your first inclination is you want to go longer in your practice,” Kelly said. “But at this time in the season that's — we've been on the road two weeks in a row, got back late. That's something that can't happen.

“So you have to be very smart. And the way you integrate your practice schedule with probably getting your defense a little bit more work with your [offense]. ... that's how I'll go about doing it.”

For the defensive players like junior Mike linebacker Nyles Morgan, there is relief at just playing your position again “like normal.”

“It’s like a monkey off your back, trust me,” Morgan said. “It’s back to basics and doing things we’ve been doing since summer camp … having a little more fun, I guess. I’d say more fired up.”

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