Keys To A Gator Bowl Victory For The Notre Dame Defense

Notre Dame squares off in opposition to South Carolina within the Gator Bowl tomorrow because the Combating Irish look to complete the primary season of the Marcus Freeman period on a powerful word. The Irish protection has been strong all season, and it faces sufficient very robust check in opposition to South Carolina. Notre Dame will have to be on high of its recreation on protection if it desires to decelerate the Gamecock offense.

 On this video we break down the 5 keys to a Notre Dame victory for the Irish protection.

Listed here are these keys:

1. Cease The Run – When you think about how mediocre to under common the South Carolina floor assault has been all season, and the actual fact the Gamecocks might be with out its high two rushers within the Gator Bowl, it may appear unusual to listing this because the primary key. However that is precisely why I do listing it primary. South Carolina is not an excellent floor assault, and it should not have the ability to run on Notre Dame, however it’s crucial the Irish protection really make that be the fact. If South Carolina is ready to discover some stability on this recreation they are going to be exhausting to cease. 

For Notre Dame, defensive coordinator Al Golden has had some points defending the move and run successfully in the identical recreation. The Irish did an excellent job maintaining the Ohio State, BYU and USC move video games from being dominant, however that left them weak in opposition to the run. This was very true within the losses to Ohio State and USC. Notre Dame should utterly shut this a part of the South Carolina offense down and drive the Gamecocks to be one dimensional.

2. Get To Rattler Early And Usually – Gamecock quarterback Spencer Rattler is a really gifted thrower, which we noticed within the wins over Tennessee and South Carolina. When he’s snug within the pocket and has time to throw he is extremely harmful. Sure, South Carolina is down a while weapons, however Antwane Wells and the opposite wideouts are gifted and harmful.

When Rattler threw from a clear pocket this season he was lights out. In response to Professional Soccer Focus, Rattler accomplished 78.4% of his passes and averaged 9.0 yards per try when the pocket was stored clear. these are superb numbers. It was a totally completely different story when he was pressured. Rattler accomplished simply 33.0% of his throws, averaged simply 4.8 yards per try and had 5 touchdowns to 7 interceptions when pressured this season. These are abysmal numbers.

This is not about blitzing, as Rattler accomplished 59.2% of his throws and averaged 7.7 yards per try when blitzed. It is about getting strain on him, with the entrance 4 at occasions, with the blitz in different situations, however the strain must be early and constant. Doing so with out Isaiah Foskey could possibly be a problem, but when Notre Dame is ready to persistently put strain on Rattler this recreation may get out of hand in a rush.

3. Be Aggressive – A part of getting after Rattler is being aggressive, and I am not speaking about numerous blitzes. Properly-designed and well-timed pressures are definitely essential, and they’re part of being aggressive, however I am speaking about much more than that. I am referring to an total view on how you can go after South Carolina on all three ranges.

Golden must let his defensive position assault, he wants to combine up these well-designed/well-timed pressures, he must simplify issues sufficient to permit his linebackers to fly to the soccer, he must be aggressive together with his coverages. The extra aggressive the Irish are the tougher it will likely be for South Carolina to persistently make performs on the Irish protection. 

It can additionally go a good distance in the direction of engaging in keys one and two.

4. Be Disciplined – The problem for Notre Dame might be combining an aggressive recreation plan with sound and disciplined execution of that recreation plan. South Carolina will keep on this recreation if they can rip off chunk performs. They’ll get theirs at occasions, and you may count on Rattler and Wells to hook up for an enormous play or two, however the Irish cannot hand over low-cost performs. They should make South Carolina earn every little thing they get. If that occurs I do not see the Gamecocks having sufficient firepower to win this recreation.

5. Get The Ball – Even when Rattler is on he’ll throw up just a few balls which can be turnover worthy. If Notre Dame is ready to persistently strain him these throws improve. If Notre Dame is aggressive and pressures him with some consistency the end result might be him speeding throws. That can give Notre Dame’s protection loads of alternatives to make performs on the ball, and if they will haul in these throws they may shut South Carolina down.

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