Notre Dame Announces 2022 Shamrock Series Game vs. BYU at Raiders' Allegiant Stadium
Sep 28, 2021
Notre Dame linebacker Drew White (40) celebrates his touchdown with teammate during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Wisconsin Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Notre Dame and BYU will make their way to Sin City in 2022.
The Fighting Irish announced Tuesday that next year's Shamrock Series game against the Cougars will be held October 8 at Allegiant Stadium, which is home to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Next year's game will be the 11th Shamrock Series matchup, and it will be the Irish's first game in the state of Nevada. Notre Dame is 10-0 in the series, which began in 2009, with its most recent win coming last Saturday over Wisconsin at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Allegiant Stadium will be the eighth venue for the Shamrock Series. In addition to Soldier Field, the games have been held at Lucas Oil Stadium, Yankee Stadium, FedEx Field, Fenway Park, AT&T Stadium and the Alamodome.
Notre Dame and BYU have met eight times, and the Irish lead the series 6-2. Their most recent meeting was in 2013, when the Irish won at home 23-13.
Notre Dame is ranked No. 9 and is 4-0. Starting quarterback Jack Coan has thrown for 986 yards and nine touchdowns. He exited Saturday's game with an apparent leg injury, but head coach Brian Kelly is optimistic that he won't miss any time.
"We got clean X-rays," Kelly said after the game. "It's a soft-tissue injury. It doesn't even respond like a high ankle sprain. So, we're pretty optimistic that we'll be able to see him back next week."
The Irish will face No. 7 Cincinnati at home on Saturday.
Imperfect Notre Dame Surges Past Wisconsin to Start Season-Defining Gauntlet
Sep 25, 2021
Notre Dame quarterback Drew Pyne celebrates his touchdown pass to wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Wisconsin Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, in Chicago. Notre Dame won 41-13. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
CHICAGO — Notre Dame is not the best team in the country. There's a reasonable chance the Fighting Irish, who have reached the College Football Playoff in two of the last three years, aren't even the premier team in the Midwest this season.
Flaws and all, however, they're finding ways to win.
And in a year loaded with questions about the number of elite contenders, the result is far more impactful than the style. Saturday at Soldier Field, the Irish did it again. They navigated a fourth adequate showing to defeat the No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers 41-13.
From a glass-half-full perspective, consider it a complete team victory. Every area—offense, defense and special teams—made a substantial contribution.
Jack Coan tossed a 36-yard score to Kevin Austin Jr., and Chris Tyree returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Drew Pyne, Coan's backup, led a short scoring drive to seal a strange blowout win, and the defense scored on two of its five takeaways.
But as Notre Dame enters a rough midseason stretch, the flow of Saturday's game was an all-too-familiar sight.
Yes, the scoreboard showed a lopsided contest. The first 45 minutes told a much different story, though. Early in the fourth quarter, Wisconsin held a 13-10 lead. Notre Dame—to its immense credit—then turned the deficit into a rout.
The scorching finish overshadowed yet another slow start.
So far, Notre Dame has needed overtime to survive a bad Florida State team, a late comeback to clip Toledo and fourth-quarter surges to knock off Big Ten teams Purdue and Wisconsin. The glass-half-empty view is not unreasonable.
And from here, the competition level only rises.
Through the end of October, Notre Dame hosts No. 8 Cincinnati and travels to Virginia Tech. Following an idle weekend, the Irish welcome rival USC and No. 21 North Carolina to South Bend. Notre Dame has constantly flirted with danger, and this upcoming quartet will likely not be as forgiving.
Look, it's still September. Every team in the nation has potential issues or weaknesses to address. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, who passed program legend Knute Rockne for the most wins in school history with No. 106, acknowledged as much.
"I'm having fun coaching them," Kelly told reporters afterward. "They're not perfect by any means, but they're going to be better in November. That energizes you as a coach."
The challenge is reaching November with a truly glaring flaw on the offensive line.
Even excluding the six sacks it took Saturday, Notre Dame mustered just 42 yards on 26 carries. That continued a miserable trend to begin 2021. Last season, the Irish rushed for 5.6 yards per non-sack rush attempt. Through four games, they're at 3.7 per non-sack carry. Wisconsin totaled 12 tackles for loss.
North Carolina entered Week 4 with a top-25 defense in yards allowed per carry, and Cincinnati's strength is its defense. And both of their offenses are a whole lot more effective than the Badgers' unit.
The bright side for Notre Dame is its D.
Drew White
Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz looked overwhelmed all game, and the Irish capitalized late. They forced five turnovers, including pick-sixes for Jack Kiser and Drew White in the fourth quarter. The touchdowns helped embellish the final score.
Each week, the defense has performed a little bit better. The unit has ceded 4.6 and 4.4 yards per snap in the last two games, holding both Purdue and Wisconsin to 13 points apiece.
Perfect timing, too, because what comes next should be challenging. North Carolina, led by quarterback Sam Howell, presents the largest test in that department. Cincinnati won the AAC behind Desmond Ridder last season, and USC's Kedon Slovis—though he's off to a rough start in 2021—has a talented supporting cast.
Notre Dame can handle any of those offenses, sure. Yet it's obvious UNC, Cincinnati and USC are much better prepared to put pressure on Notre Dame than FSU, Purdue or Wisconsin.
Saturday's win kept the Fighting Irish in the ranks of the undefeated.
For 45 minutes, it wasn't pretty. For 15, it was beautiful. However, that combination matters less than the victory on the scoreboard; they passed the first of five important tests.
The next evaluations probably won't be any more comfortable. But if the Irish keep finding a path to a victory, they can ugly-win their way through an October gauntlet and into the College Football Playoff race once again.
All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
No. 12 Notre Dame Beats No. 18 Wisconsin; Brian Kelly Becomes Winningest ND Coach
Sep 25, 2021
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 25: Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. (4) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during the Shamrock Series game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Wisconsin Badgers on September 25, 2021 at Soldier Field, in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Notre Dame remained perfect at 4-0 with a 41-13 victory over No. 18 Wisconsin on Saturday at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Brian Kelly now has 106 wins as head coach of the 12th-ranked Fighting Irish, moving him ahead of Knute Rockne for the most in program history.
With the game tied at 10 midway through the third quarter, Notre Dame had to turn to third-string quarterback Drew Pyne. Backup Tyler Buchner has a hamstring injury, and starter Jack Coan had limped back to the locker room.
Pyne attempted just three passes as a freshman, and his inexperience showed on his second drive when he didn't feel Rodas Johnson bearing down on his blind side.
The fumble set up a 27-yard field goal by Collin Larsh at the 14:14 mark of the fourth quarter.
Chris Tyree had registered little impact to that point, accumulating 12 yards from scrimmage. But the sophomore running back made his presence felt by returning the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown.
After Jayson Ademilola's strip-sack three plays later, Pyne hit Kevin Austin Jr. for a 16-yard touchdown pass to help widen Notre Dame's lead to 24-13.
Drew White capped a 31-point fourth quarter for the Irish with a pick-six of Graham Mertz with 54 seconds on the clock. It was Mertz's second pick-six in little more than a minute and the denouement of a brutal outing as the pressure continues to mount on the Wisconsin quarterback.
Notable Performers
Jack Coan, QB, Notre Dame: 15-of-29, 158 yards, TD
Drew Pyne, QB, Notre Dame: 6-of-8, 81 yards, TD
Kevin Austin, Jr., WR, Notre Dame: six receptions, 76 yards, 2 TD
Graham Mertz, QB, Wisconsin: 18-of-41, 240 yards, TD, 4 INT
Chez Mellusi, RB, Wisconsin: 18 carries, 54 yards; two receptions, 39 yards
Notre Dame Defense Making Strides
Coming into Saturday, it was unclear how good the Fighting Irish were. They went to overtime against Florida State (0-3) in their opener, and Toledo pushed Kelly's squad to the brink six days later.
The defense in particular generated questions after allowing 795 yards in those two games under first-year coordinator Marcus Freeman. Now, the unit looks far more comfortable following the transition to Freeman from Clark Lea.
Pyne also exceeded everybody's expectations under difficult circumstances. He was efficient and avoided critical errors after his fumble.
Depending on Coan's health, Kelly may have a quarterback dilemma. One doesn't want to be a prisoner of the moment, but the gap between Coan and Pyne may not be that big.
At the very least, Pyne did nothing Saturday to hurt his standing.
Though putting the Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff would be premature, their dominant defense and solid quarterback play—the kind of balance Notre Dame showed against Wisconsin—have made for a winning recipe for Kelly before.
Wisconsin Has a Graham Mertz Problem
To some extent, this game was a referendum on Mertz.
With Mertz entrenched as the starter, Coan chose to transfer to capitalize on his final season of eligibility. The net effect would probably be marginal if Wisconsin could swap Mertz for Coan, but it seems clear Mertz cannot elevate the offense.
The sophomore struggled as the 2020 season went on, and things haven't gotten better.
That 20-of-21 for 248 yards and 5 TDs performance against Illinois feels like a lifetime ago for Graham Mertz.
For years, Wisconsin was perceived to be holding itself back with game managers such as Alex Hornibrook, Joel Stave, Scott Tolzien, John Stocco and Jim Sorgi.
Mertz was a 4-star recruit and the No. 3 pro-style quarterback in the 2019 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. The Kansas native was supposed to be the elite passer the Badgers had lacked.
Instead, fans might be longing for the days when Wisconsin played to type.
Notre Dame’s defense is really good.
But Wisconsin can’t run like it used to and has a big, big problem at QB.
The best quality of great college football coaches is the ability to adapt and keep up with the times. Why do we view Wisconsin's offensive philosophy as charming? https://t.co/Z5WXjWP9oY
After Austin's second touchdown reception, the Badgers had more than nine minutes to close a two-score gap. But the gulf felt much larger because the offense had failed to move the ball.
Wisconsin finished 1-of-14 on third down. It failed to deliver in critical moments and couldn't maintain drives.
What's Next?
Notre Dame heads back to South Bend, Indiana, for what may be its toughest test of the season against No. 8 Cincinnati. Wisconsin will host No. 19 Michigan in a game that could make or break the Badgers' hopes of winning the Big Ten West.
Notre Dame QB Jack Coan Expected to Play vs. Cincinnati Despite Soft Tissue Injury
Sep 25, 2021
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 25: Jack Coan #17 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish passes against the Wisconsin Badgers at Soldier Field on September 25, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan left Saturday's 41-13 win over Wisconsin with a soft tissue injury.
The graduate transfer limped off the field on the Fighting Irish's previous drive in the third quarter after getting rolled up by Wisconsin defenders.
Head coach Brian Kelly told reporters Coan should be physically ready when Notre Dame plays No. 8 Cincinnati on Oct. 2.
Coan went 15-of-29 for 158 yards and one touchdown before leaving.
Kelly turned to Drew Pyne at quarterback with 6:53 to go in the third quarter. Tyler Buchner began warming up on the sidelines after Coan's injury but was held out because of a hamstring issue.
Pyne had yet to see the field in 2021 and threw three passes as a freshman in 2020, so he was largely an unknown to most fans. He made a pair of completions on his first drive, but the Fighting Irish saw the possession stall before punting.
The next time they had the ball, Rodas Johnson forced a fumble on a sack of Pyne and Wisconsin recovered in Notre Dame territory.
Pyne bounced back and avoided any big mistakes the rest of the way. He completed six of his eight attempts for 81 yards and one touchdown.
Largely on the strength of its defense, Notre Dame coasted late to victory, but Pyne's confidence under center eased concerns about how the offense would perform without Coan.
Notre Dame HC Brian Kelly: Team Execution Remark After FSU Win Was Meant to Be Joke
Sep 6, 2021
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - MAY 01: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reacts during the second half of the Blue-Gold Spring Game at Notre Dame Stadium on May 01, 2021 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Notre Dame would have made enough headlines simply needing overtime to escape Florida State with a 41-38 overtime victory Sunday.
And then head coach Brian Kelly turned heads during his postgame interview.
"I'm in favor of execution," he said on the ESPN broadcast when talking about the game. "Maybe, maybe our entire team needs to be executed after tonight."
Kelly was apparently attempting to reference an old quote from former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach John McKay.
Kelly clarified his comment after the game and told reporters, "It's an old John McKay quote. I was kidding. I was being tongue-in-cheek. ... It wasn't funny? I was making a joke about it. It was taken serious. Are you people crazy?"
As for the actual game, it appeared as if Notre Dame would cruise to a victory with an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter.
However, Florida State came storming back behind McKenzie Milton's inspired play. Milton entered the game in the fourth quarter after starting quarterback Jordan Travis' helmet came off on a play, and he directed two scoring drives to force overtime.
Milton was playing in his first game since the 2018 season when he was a member of Central Florida and suffered a gruesome knee injury.
The comeback wasn't enough, though, as Florida State's Ryan Fitzgerald missed a field goal in overtime while Notre Dame's Jonathan Doerer made his.
Jack Coan, No. 9 Notre Dame Stave Off McKenzie Milton, FSU's Upset Bid in OT
Sep 6, 2021
Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer (87) celebrates his touchdown with teammate wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. (4) against Florida State in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)
No. 9 Notre Dame held off a furious fourth-quarter rally from host Florida State to beat the Seminoles 41-38 in overtime on Sunday evening from Doak S. Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.
Notre Dame scored 21 straight third-quarter points to take a 38-20 lead, but FSU responded with 18 points, capped by a 43-yard field goal from Ryan Fitzgerald.
During that span, FSU quarterback Jordan Travis left the field after his helmet came off, and McKenzie Milton came into the game. Milton, the former UCF star, suffered significant leg injuries in Nov. 2018. He completed 5-of-7 passes for 48 yards.
In overtime, Fitzgerald's 37-yard field goal sailed wide. That opened the door for Notre Dame, and Jonathan Doerer nailed a game-ending 41-yard field goal in overtime for the win.
Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan tossed four touchdowns in his Fighting Irish debut after transferring from Wisconsin.
Notable Performances
Notre Dame QB Jack Coan: 26-of-35, 366 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
Coan couldn't have done much better in his Notre Dame debut, completing 26-of-35 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns. He had one pick, but it was the result of a desperation Hail Mary heave at the end of regulation.
Coan was stellar, though. On a night where the defense struggled late and the running game couldn't get much of anything going, Notre Dame needing its passing attack to thrive.
The ex-Badger made sure of that.
He's already established a great rapport with tight end Michael Mayer, who finished as Notre Dame's leading receiver with nine catches and 120 yards. He opened the scoring with this 41-yarder:
There were other bright spots, too, such as Kyle Hamilton's two interceptions and Doerer's clutch field goals from 48 and 41 yards out.
But Coan's performance stands out the most as the Fighting Irish survived and advanced to Week 2 with a win.
FSU Nearly Pulls Off Miracle Comeback
The Seminoles were reeling with 4:37 left in the third quarter after Notre Dame's Chris Tyree plunged into the end zone from one yard out to help give his team a 38-20 edge.
To their credit, FSU never gave up, answering with a 15-play, 75-yard drive capped by an Andrew Parchment eight-yard touchdown catch. Treshaun Ward and Jashaun Corbin led a ground attack that accounted for 50 of those yards.
FSU then forced a Notre Dame punt and marched down the field yet again, this time for 88 yards on 12 plays. During this drive, Travis was forced to come out of the game, and Milton took over. It was remarkable to even see Milton on the field after he suffered horrific injuries just three years ago.
"Milton suffered a knee dislocation where the thigh bone and the lower leg bone were completely dislocated," Matt Murschel of the Orlando Sentinel wrote after speaking with Dr. Bruce Levy, an orthopedic surgeon working out of the Mayo Clinic.
"He also tore ligaments in that knee as well as some tendons and damaged the main artery that feeds blood to the leg."
Milton's determination, resilience and perseverance led him all the way back to the football field, and he looked great in limited action. His first pass was complete for 22 yards to Ja'Khi Douglas, and he later connected with Keyshawn Helton for 15 yards on a 3rd-and-11. Ward carried the ball over the goal line from two yards out to help cut the lead to 38-35.
WELCOME BACK, MCKENZIE MILTON 👏
After almost three years away from football because of a devastating leg injury, he passes for a first down in his first play and goes 4-for-4 in a TD drive. pic.twitter.com/G8A2ipCNd7
After another Notre Dame punt, Milton led FSU 46 yards down the field in 10 plays, including a 12-yard pass to Darion Williamson on 3rd-and-2 from the Seminoles' own 37-yard line. Fitzgerald's field goal tied the game.
The Milton-led miracle finish and storybook ending didn't happen, but FSU could still enjoy a moral victory. They almost pulled off an 18-point comeback against a Top Ten team, doing so with a quarterback who overcame injuries that nearly ruined his football career.
There's a lot of fight in this Seminoles team, to the point where it looks like it will break a four-year cold spell of being outside the year's final Associated Press poll. Look for FSU to be a tough and pesky team for anyone to beat on a weekly basis.
What's Next?
Both teams will play at home on Saturday.
Notre Dame will host Toledo at 2:30 p.m. ET, and FSU will welcome Jacksonville State at 8 p.m.
Jack Coan Named Notre Dame's Starting Quarterback, Brian Kelly Announces
Aug 14, 2021
Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan (17) throws during the Blue-Gold NCAA spring football game on Saturday, May 1, 2021, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Robert Franklin)
Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly named Jack Coan his starting quarterback for the 2021 season on Saturday.
Kelly announced the decision in a statement in which he also praised the other quarterbacks who vied for the starting job:
— Notre Dame Football PR Team (@NDFootballPR) August 14, 2021
Coan, a senior, spent three seasons at Wisconsin before transferring to Notre Dame following the 2020 campaign.
Until Coan was named the starter, he was locked in a tight race with true freshman Tyler Buchner and sophomore Drew Pyne, and all of them were looking to become the successor to Ian Book.
All three quarterbacks got an extended look in Notre Dame's Blue vs. Gold spring game in May, but none of them set themselves apart enough at that time to seize the starting job.
Buchner had the best performance in the game, going 6-of-9 for 140 yards and a rushing touchdown. Meanwhile, Coan went 18-of-32 for 197 yards and an interception, while Pyne went 11-of-23 for 146 yards and an interception.
As part of his starting-quarterback announcement, Kelly noted that Coan got the job due to his consistency compared to Buchner and Pyne.
It should come as little surprise that Coan has the edge in that department since he has significantly more experience at the collegiate level than his counterparts.
In three seasons at Wisconsin, Coan went 12-6 as a starter, including a 10-4 mark in 2019. Coan also completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 2,727 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions that year.
Coan did not play at all last season after suffering a foot injury that required surgery.
The 22-year-old native of Sayville, New York, will have some big shoes to fill as the starting quarterback of the Fighting Irish after everything Book achieved in that role.
Book, who was a fourth-round pick of the New Orleans Saints in the 2021 NFL draft, went 30-5 as a starter over his four seasons at Notre Dame and is the all-time leader in quarterback wins in school history.
He led the Irish to the College Football Playoff in 2018, threw a career-high 34 touchdown passes in 2019 and took them back to the CFP again last season.
Notre Dame has won at least 10 games in each of the past four seasons as well, and Coan will be tasked with expanding the streak to five in 2021.
5-Star DE Prospect Brenan Vernon Commits to Notre Dame over Ohio State
Jun 29, 2021
Highly touted defensive lineman Brenan Vernon committed to Notre Dame on Tuesday, announcing his decision on Twitter.
Vernon is the No. 18 overall player in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the 2023 class. He's also the sixth-best defensive lineman.
His decision comes as a bit of a surprise since five experts on 247Sports pegged the Mentor, Ohio, native to stay close to home and join Ohio State.
The 6'5", 245-pound standout spoke highly of Notre Dame after having made a visit to South Bend, Indiana.
"I love Notre Dame," he said to Bucknuts' Bill Kurelic. "As soon as I stepped foot on campus, it just kind of felt like I fit in. I felt it click, especially with the staff there, the guys like Marcus Freeman, Chad Bowden, coach Elston, such amazing guys down there. They make me feel like I fit in, like I’m family."
Gabe Brooks of 247Sports described Vernon as "tall and long-levered with tons of frame space moving forward," adding he could line up at multiple positions along the line at the next level.
Beyond the home-state connection, Ohio State seemed like an obvious choice for Vernon considering how well the Buckeyes have developed defensive linemen. Nick Young, Joey and Nick Bosa are the most obvious examples, while Tommy Togiai, Sam Hubbard, Dre'Mont Jones and Tyquan Lewis were all early to mid-round draft picks in recent years.
The Athletic's Pete Sampson explained what Vernon's commitment could mean in the bigger picture:
There was always a fair question if Notre Dame with Ohio State alum Marcus Freeman could go into Ohio and pull out talent that Ohio State really wanted.
Tom VanHaaren of ESPN also explained how the hiring of defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman is already paying dividends:
Related, I had two parents of recruits tell me how impressed they were with @Marcus_Freeman1 after they visited Notre Dame this past month. He’s going to take them up a level in recruiting in the near future.
Freeman was a star linebacker at Ohio State before working his way up the coaching ladder. He had been Cincinnati's defensive coordinator for four seasons until taking the same role with the Fighting Irish.
OSU will almost certainly continue to dominate the Ohio high school recruiting landscape, but peeling off one or two blue-chip recruits every year could be big for Notre Dame.
Tyler Buchner, Blue Team Beat Gold Team in 2021 Notre Dame Spring Game
May 1, 2021
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly smiles before an NCAA college football game against New Mexico in South Bend, Ind., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Coming off a 10-win campaign and an appearance in the College Football Playoff last season, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish enter 2021 with a lot of questions.
Saturday's Blue-Gold Game was the first step toward finding answers. The Blue squadcame out on top 17-3thanks to a potential breakout performance by true freshman quarterback Tyler Buchner.
Quarterback is one of the marquee positions that head coach Brian Kelly will be keeping an eye on. Ian Book, a fourth-round draft pick by the New Orleans Saints on Saturday, was the Irish's starter for the past three seasons.
Buchner enrolled in school early after committing to the Fighting Irish in 2019. The Californian is a 4-star recruit and the No. 3 pro-style quarterback in the 2021 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.
Jack Coan is a new addition to Notre Dame's roster after transferring from Wisconsin in January. Drew Pyne was a 4-star recruit coming out of Connecticut last year.
Both offenses started slow in this game, with neither quarterback lighting up the defense. The score was 3-3 at halftime.
First half quarterback lines:
Drew Pyne: 11-of-23, 146 yards Jack Coan: 11-of-17, 136 yards, 1 INT
End of the first half at the Blue-Gold Game. It is a spring game.
Blue 3 Gold 3
Safe to say Notre Dame's defense a few steps ahead of the Irish offense, although Jack Coan missed an open Avery Davis for a touchdown in the second quarter. Will be an interesting rewatch tonight.
Despite some sluggishness from both quarterbacks, The Athletic's Pete Sampson did note that Coan's ability to move on the pocket could serve him well in the competition moving forward:
It’s the spring game, so let’s not overanalyze it. But, Jack Coan’s mobility in the pocket could be a significant thing for Notre Dame this season. Keeps his eyes down the field. Enough arm strength to push the ball vertically.
Coming out of the intermission, the Blue team put together its best drive of the game when Buchner stepped in. He went 3-of-3 for 68 yards and capped off the drive with a seven-yard touchdown run to help give Blue a 10-3 lead.
BUCHNER IN BLUE!
Freshman Tyler Buchner takes it in for the TD to put the Blue squad ahead, 10-3!
After the Gold team missed out on an opportunity to tie the score after driving down the field, Buchner once again took the reins of the Blue offense. He hooked up with senior wideout Braden Lenzy twice, including on a deep pass that was stopped just short of the goal line.
Leo Albano capped off the drive with a touchdown that helped put the Blue up 17-3 early in the fourth quarter.
A LION of a TOUCHDOWN!
Tyler Buchner hands it off to Leo Albano, who punches it in to build the Blue squad’s lead, 17-3!
Coming into the game, Coan and Pyne were expected to be the top options at quarterback. That could still be the case, but Kelly now has a third player to take a look at over the next four months.
Final stat lines for Notre Dame’s quarterbacks today:
Lenzy's connection with Buchner was also a positive sign for the offense. Notre Dame's receivers really struggled in 2020 without Chase Claypool. Javon McKinley was the only player on the team with more than 450 receiving yards last season.
The offensive line is also going to need a makeover because four of the five starters from last season are no longer with the Irish, with Liam Eichenberg, Aaron Banks and Robert Hainsey being drafted in the first three three rounds. Jarrett Patterson was the starting center in 2020, but there's speculation about him possibly being moved to left tackle.
Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa asked about offensive linemen Blake Fisher and Rocco Spindler.
“I can see them being drafted really high.”
Blake Fisher and Rocco Spindler just finished their 10th spring practice as early enrollee. Geez.
One area of the team that was strong last year and looks like it will be again in 2021 is the defense. The Fighting Irish ranked 14th in FBS with 19.7 points allowed per game last year.
The defenses for the Blue and Gold teams played well on Saturday. Defensive lineman Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, who had a career-high 5.5 tackles for loss last season, was a disruptive force for the Gold defense.
If Notre Dame has an elite defense and a dynamic playmaker at quarterback, Kelly could become the first head coach in program history with five consecutive 10-win seasons.
The Irish will open the 2021 regular season on Sept. 5 at Florida State.
Notre Dame Spring Game 2021: Top Storylines and Prospects to Watch
Apr 30, 2021
Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer plays against Boston College during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Before the Notre Dame Fighting Irish can think of a return to the College Football Playoff, they need to name a replacement for Ian Book.
Book was a three-year starter at quarterback and could be selected Friday or Saturday during the 2021 NFL draft.
Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly has two main options to choose from to replace Book, and Saturday's Spring Game should help the decision-making process.
The Irish will go with either Drew Pyne or Wisconsin transfer Jack Coan. Freshman Tyler Buchner is not in the picture for the starting gig, but he will have plenty of eyes on him when he hits the gridiron Saturday.
Top Storylines
Which Player Wins Quarterback Battle?
Pyne and Coan are the primary candidates to win the job Book occupied for three full seasons.
The two signal-callers come with differing levels of experience. Pyne is a sophomore, and Coan is a graduate transfer from Wisconsin.
Coan has the edge in collegiate snaps, but if Pyne shines enough during the buildup to the season, Notre Dame could opt to build around him for the next few years. Both players will have a chance to impress in offensive coordinator Tommy Rees' system Saturday, but a decision likely will not be made off one spring exhibition.
Neither player will face significant pressure from the defensive line, and the contest will be more about developing chemistry at a slightly faster speed than practice.
Even if a decision will not be made, it will still be worth watching how Coan's experience and Pyne's time learning under Book translate to the offense.
What Does Marcus Freeman's Defense Look Like?
Notre Dame lost defensive coordinator Clark Lea to Vanderbilt and replaced him with Cincinnati defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman.
Freeman's unit was one of the best in the FBS, and it helped the Bearcats earn a New Year's Six berth in 2020. Cincinnati opened that campaign by holding its first seven opponents to 20 points or fewer, and it limited Georgia to 24 points in its Peach Bowl loss.
We will not see the full defensive scheme at play Saturday, but we will get a chance to see some of the basic concepts Freeman is installing.
Freeman's most difficult task is replacing linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who slipped to the second day of the NFL draft. Owusu-Koramoah was the heart of the Irish defense. He won the Butkus Award and ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
The unit may not look perfect from the start, but if Freeman gets the best out of it as the season progresses, he will continue to boost his rising coaching profile.
Top Prospects to Watch
Tyler Buchner, QB
Buchner likely will not play a role in the quarterback battle since Pyne has been around the program for a year and Coan is coming in as a grad transfer.
But the freshman signal-caller could be the most intriguing player to watch Saturday because of the restrictions that Kelly has lifted when it comes to him facing pressure.
Buchner did not play high school football in the fall in California, and he joined the program as an early arrival. Kelly said he will not have a red jersey on for the first half of the Spring Game, per SB Nation's Joshua Vowles.
"We're probably going to let Tyler Buchner in the first half not have a red jersey on," Kelly said. "He hasn't played in a year, so we're going to use the first half to allow him to really be part of this game without a red jersey. If he's in there, we'll see a little bit about his escapability."
Buchner was the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback prospect in the class of 2021 behind Oklahoma's Caleb Williams and Georgia's Brock Vandagriff, per 247 Sports.
His freshman season should be mostly about development, but because he has not played in more than a year, there will be plenty of eyes on his pocket presence and arm in his adjusted spring role.
Michael Mayer, TE
Michael Mayer is the most exciting returnee to watch on Notre Dame's roster.
The tight end has potential to be a menace to college football defenses in the same way Florida's Kyle Pitts tortured SEC defenses.
Mayer had 42 catches for 450 yards and two scores in 2020, but that was just a peek at his potential, as Rees noted, per 247Sports' Tom Loy:
"I think he's really only scratching the surface and last year was only a brief glimpse of how good this kid can be. There's something to say about the way he works, the tenacity he plays with, the edge he plays with. Obviously he's extremely talented, but there is a reason why he's a great player."
Mayer is worth watching to see how he has morphed his body after a full year of working through Notre Dame's strength program.
If he lives up to his potential, Mayer could have a Rob Gronkowski- or Pitts-like impact on the Irish, and he could end up as their most dangerous offensive weapon for the next two years.
