Notre Dame's defense stifles Georgia Tech as Irish move to 3-0
It wasn't hard to see the worst-case scenario for Notre Dame on Saturday. The Irish were facing a top-15 team down five starters, including QB Malik Zaire, RB Tarean Folston and TE Durham Smythe. And not only was Georgia Tech a very good team, but the Yellow Jackets run the triple-option offense, an offense that Notre Dame's defense has had a hard time defending in recent seasons.
The worst case didn't come close to happening. Notre Dame's defense absolutely flattened Georgia Tech's offensive attack while QB DeShone Kizer, making his first start, was more than competent as the Irish rolled to a 30-22 win.
How did Notre Dame's defense stop Georgia Tech? Well, the simple answer is obvious. It did an impeccable job of stopping Georgia Tech on first and second down. The Yellow Jackets were 3-of-15 on third down because of the situations Notre Dame's defense had forced it into. Georgia Tech was far too often facing deficits of eight yards or greater. And while the triple option is lethal when it's picking up chunks of yards on a regular basis, it can become feeble in third-and-long situations.
Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas finished 8-of-24 passing for 121 yards and two touchdowns. Georgia Tech had converted nearly 60 percent of its third downs in the first two games of the season. And in those first two games, Thomas had thrown a total of 13 passes. The correlation is obvious. Thomas was forced to throw far too often on Saturday, and as the results show, it wasn't fun to watch unless you were a Notre Dame fan. Georgia Tech had 216 rushing yards on 47 carries.
Kizer led Notre Dame to a win over Virginia after Zaire broke his ankle in Week 2. He hit wide receiver Will Fuller for the game-winning touchdown pass with less than a minute left and kept the connection working on Saturday. Of Kizer's 21 completions, six went to Fuller for 131 yards and a touchdown. Kizer finished 21-of-30 passing for 231 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
And while Kizer filled in admirably for Zaire, another replacement had a fantastic game. C.J. Prosise, converted to running back full-time after Folston's knee injury against Texas, had 198 yards rushing and three touchdowns, including a 91-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that gave Notre Dame a 30-7 lead.
Notre Dame got to the BCS Championship Game after the 2012 season thanks to one of the best defenses in the country. With the attrition on offense, any 2015 run at the College Football Playoff or a New Year's Six bowl hinges on the Notre Dame defense once again. How LB Jaylon Smith and company stifled an efficient offense on Saturday gives credence to the thought that Notre Dame could still make a run at a 10-win season. The Irish still have a lot of work to do, but there's still reason for optimism in South Bend.
For more Georgia Tech news, visit JacketsOnline.com.
For more Notre Dame news, visit BlueandGoldIllustrated.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
