3-2-1: Notre Dame observations, questions & prediction following UVA win
With the over/under point total set at 64 Saturday in the Notre Dame-Virginia game, obviously the folks in Las Vegas were expecting a shootout in Charlottesville, Va., not a 28-3 Irish win in a game where only 10 points were scored in the second half.
But with Notre Dame hampered by player shortages because of injuries and illness, and the Cavaliers playing without star quarterback Brennan Armstrong because of his rib injury, nothing about this game went as planned based on what was being talked about in the days leading up to it.
But good work from an unlikely cast of Irish defenders and a 21-point first half from ND’s offense, lifted it to its fifth straight win, its 23rd consecutive regular-season victory over an ACC foe, its ninth consecutive road win, and its 40th straight victory against an unranked opponent.
The win also moved Notre Dame up another spot in the AP poll to sixth. The third edition of the College Football Playoff rankings will be released Tuesday night.
3 Numbers/Observations
423 — Total offensive yards by Notre Dame against Virginia, which remarkably came with no single Irish player recording more than 100 yards of total offense. Five Notre Dame ball carriers tallied at least 30 rushing yards and three different pass catchers had at least 23 receiving yards.
19.5 — The average victory margin for Notre Dame in its last four games. Going back further, since the dicey 32-29 win over Toledo Sept. 11, Notre Dame has won seven of its last eight games, six of those by double digits.
4 — Notre Dame became only the fourth Virginia road opponent to win at Scott Stadium among the last 25 opponents to roll through the venue. Even during a lackluster 5-5 season in 2020, the Cavaliers were still 5-1 at home and were 4-1 this season before falling to the Irish.
2 Questions
Is this the deepest team Irish head coach Brian Kelly has ever fielded?
Injuries and illness put excessive stress and strain on the Notre Dame players and coaches last week.
According to Kelly, 13 Irish players came and went from practice because of a powerful flu strand — not COVID — that moved through the team.
Graduate student linebacker Drew White, the team’s third-leading tackler, and graduate student defensive end Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, one of ND’s most disruptive pass rushers, were both game-time scratches against Virginia.
“It was a difficult week for us,” Kelly said. “We had a number of guys not feeling 100 percent that played [Saturday] as well.”
No worries. Plenty of inexperienced but talented reinforcements were ready, maybe more ready than anyone could’ve expected.
On defense, sophomore defensive tackle Rylie Mills helped fill the production void left by Tagovailoa-Amosa and responded with four tackles, two sacks, the game ball and a first-class seat on the flight home for his work.
Sophomore safety Xavier Watts, a recently converted wide receiver, had a career-high five tackles.
Sophomore defensive end Jordan Botelho and freshman linebacker Prince Kollie were given larger roles and each responded with a career-high four tackles. Sophomore defensive back Ramon Henderson had four tackles and an interception.
“They had a mindset that this was the challenge that they wanted,” Kelly said of his team and its young players rising up in a tough environment.
On offense, freshman running back Logan Diggs had 64 rushing yards and the play of the day when he hurdled 6-foot-1 Virginia cornerback Anthony Johnson during a 26-yard run.
Freshman wide receiver Lorenzo Styles made one reception and had a 37-yard rush on a jet sweep.
“We’re playing young players that are now much more mature, playing better,” Kelly explained of the growing depth and his expanding player rotation. “We’re ascending as a football team.”
Is Michael Mayer the best tight end to ever play at Notre Dame?
Using the Virginia game as the latest gauge, the sophomore All-American candidate is making a strong case.
Mayer had seven catches for 84 yards with a six-yard touchdown grab and an amazing circus catch that he pulled off the back of a defender’s helmet.
“He’s a freak,” Kelly affectionately said after the game.
With three games still remaining this season, Mayer’s 52 catches already slot him No. 3 among Notre Dame tight ends for receptions in a season.
Mayer trails only former Irish All-Americans Tyler Eifert (63 in 2013) and Ken MacAfee (54 in 1977) for most grabs in a season.
For his career, Mayer in the Virginia game passed Anthony Fasano and Kyle Rudolph on the all-time career receptions list by an Irish tight end with 94.
And with one more season of mandatory eligibility left for Mayer in 2022, he will likely eclipse the three greats ahead of him: Eifert, 140 (2009-12); McAfee, 128 (1974-77); and John Carlson, 100 (2004-07).
1 Prediction
Unfortunately, even as one of the hottest teams in the country, there’s not enough games or schedule meat for Notre Dame to find any legitimate playoff consideration when it finishes this regular season 11-1.
Saturday against Georgia Tech (3-7) and Nov. 27, at Stanford (3-7) is all that Notre Dame has left to enhance its playoff profile, and that’s not good news.
We’ve had the debate on this site on which fate is more beneficial for Notre Dame to end the 2021 season: win a New Year’s Six Bowl, or lose in a playoff game?
It appears that the former will be the more likely scenario.
Most projections have Notre Dame playing in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30, in Atlanta.
“This football team is getting better each and every week,” Kelly said. “…So anytime you’re trying to put a resume together, it’s about how you’re playing later in the year.”
----
• 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, @MikeTSinger, @PatrickEngel_, @tbhorka, @GregLadky, and @ToddBurlage.
• Like us on Facebook.