Another week, another IBG. But this week we’re shaking it up a bit. Tip of the cap to Tex, who thought things were getting a bit stale after the loss of the Subway Domer, and this is a pretty cool way to do thing.
In the spirit of collaboration, everybody submitted one question to the group. We all answer everybody’s questions below, and be sure to check out our partners at:
Her Loyal Sons
ND Nation
UHND
Strong and True
Play along in the comments, as I think a few of these questions might spur some (clean) debate:
From NDTex at HerLoyalSons.com: Tommy Rees has very quietly put up some rather impressive passing numbers. His 22 TDs and 8 INTs are surprisingly not far off from Heisman candidate QBs such as Jameis Winston (24 TD, 6 INT), Johnny Manziel (26 TD, 8 INT), and Marcus Mariota (20 TD, 0 INT). While “Rees for Heisman” is an obvious stretch, especially since he isn’t a dual threat like the previously mentioned QBs, I’d wager tied 8th in the nation for TD passes is a lot more than most Notre Dame fans were expecting. Should we all be making a much bigger deal about this or should we wait and see how he ends the season?
I know people hammer on me all the time for this, but these are the types of numbers I expected from Rees. Tex kind of answers his own question when he mentions the whole dual-threat thing, as Mariota, Manziel or Winston wouldn’t be the weapon they are if they didn’t have big time wheels as well.
The best benchmark for Rees in my mind is Tony Pike. Brian Kelly’s veteran quarterback at Cincinnati put up big numbers in his final season, leading the Bearcats to an undefeated regular season. One look at his stats and you see a line that’s more similar to Rees than many would expect.
While Pike’s completion percentage is better at 62-percent, Rees is throwing for more yards an attempt and is just a few points behind in QBR. Adjust that for the schedule Rees has faced? You’re seeing a similar season (maybe even superior), something Irish fans didn’t think possible when looking at things on paper.
From Frank Vitovitch, UHND.com: Tarean Folston broke out in a big way against Navy last week with 140 yards. How big of a role do you think the freshman back will play in the final three games and what level of production are you expecting from him down the stretch after his break through performance last weekend?
The game against Pitt will be a nice barometer. I don’t think this turns into just the Folston show, but he’s going to certainly get the first chance to be the leading man, with George Atkinson and Cam McDaniel likely fitting play calls that better work to their skill-sets.
It won’t be easy sledding for the Irish ground game. We should keep an eye on Chris Watt and his injured PCL. Add to that that all three teams have a better statistical rush defense than Notre Dame (Pitt is 64th, BYU is 42nd and Stanford 11th) and if Folston does break out, the Irish have a great back on their hands.
From Mike Coffey, NDNation: Lots of comments after the game concerned the poor condition of the turf in Notre Dame Stadium and what can/should be done about it. One of our number has contended the BYU game on November 23rd will be the last with the current grass in the Stadium. What kind of a playing surface do you believe the Stadium should have and why?
I think Mike’s talking about me here. I just don’t think grass is the answer in Notre Dame Stadium, though the stadium renovation could be the key to making a hybrid surface like the one in Green Bay work.
As Brian Kelly mentioned, it isn’t just rolling out sod and tamping it down. Laying down multiple surfaces a season is expensive stuff, and so are the consultants and grass gurus that Notre Dame has brought in to help.
Part of playing in the house that Rockne built is dealing with the original plot of land and the drainage that was build all those years ago. Here’s an interesting article on the work that went into making the hybrid grass surface work at Lambeau. Not quite as simple as it seems.
The biggest reason I think getting rid of natural grass is important is that Notre Dame finally personnel that has the edge from a quickness and athletic perspective. This isn’t a team that’s going to grow the grass long when a visitor comes to town. The Irish practice both inside and out on FieldTurf. They’re playing a very large portion of their road games on the same surface.
I’m all for tradition, but when that tradition continues to include watching Irish ball carriers slip and fall in the backfield or linebackers fail to get traction as they cut back after an option quarterback, it’s time for a change.
Aaron Horvath, Strong and True (UND.com) Due to the immense amount of injuries during the past few weeks to the Irish defense, do you think that playing both option teams on our schedule in back to back weeks was a good idea? And… Due to the thin defensive depth chart, what player who saw little playing time in the first nine games will breakout in the final three?
I’m going to steal Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo’s answer, when he said that playing back-to-back option games benefitted both teams. It was clear that Navy had a very good idea of what Notre Dame wanted to do. And it was also clear that the Irish made some changes after Air Force, like keeping Stephon Tuitt and the defensive line in a two-point stance.
There were reports that Notre Dame is likely getting out of the potential 2015 game with Air Force. If that’s the case, I don’t expect to see them on the schedule any time soon, especially with ACC games still trying to be crammed into a schedule that’s bursting at the seams.
For your bonus question, I think asking any defender to “standout” in these last three games is probably a little bit much. But I’m driving the bandwagon for Justin Utupo, a guy that’s going to play a lot of minutes down the stretch with the injuries up front.
Utupo was the LA Times lineman of the year, the same award that went to Troy Niklas. He had elite offers. He just doesn’t quite “fit” in this Irish defense, a bit of a tweener that’s bounced from defensive end to linebacker back to defensive line. But he’s been productive against Air Force and Navy and is the next man in for Bob Diaco.
***
Here’s the question I posed to the rest of the IBG and to you all:
From Keith Arnold, Inside the Irish – NBCSports.com: With the defense so beaten up, is winning out still possible? Would you prefer a lopsided match-up in a BCS bowl or a potential bowl win and possible 11-win season? Would the offseason narrative be better if ND won a second-tier bowl or lost a BCS bowl?