Notre Dame vs Alabama - First Half Analysis
Notre Dame trails Alabama 21-7 at halftime of the Rose. Bowl.
The Irish were dominated from the outset in most areas, as the Notre Dame defense did not stop Alabama until its final drive of the first half.
Alabama out-gained Notre Dame 279-189 in the first two quarters.
OFFENSE
*** Notre Dame showed a very conservative game plan in the early going. The Irish offensive line played at a high level, getting very good movement in the run game and giving the quarterback time to throw. Notre Dame rushed for 105 yards in the first two quarters.
*** The issue is the Irish pass game has been conservative and stale, with the staff calling the same stale pass concepts we've seen all season. The one big pass play was a 27-yard gain on a well-timed screen pass to Chris Tyree in the first quarter. Tyree did not touch the ball again after that series.
*** Quarterback Ian Book struggled in the first half, missing multiple reads down the field. The biggest mistake was on the second to last drive of the second to last drive when he threw the ball to Kyren Williams instead of hitting George Takacs on an option route that might have moved the chains.
*** Book's best throw of the half was the play before that, as he read the Bama blitz and hit Takacs on a crossing route to convert a third-down.
*** Alabama is doing a good job of contain on its pass rushes. Outside of a few blitzes, Alabama hasn't gotten much pressure, but when the linemen aren't getting pressure they are staying in their rush lanes to keep Book from running.
*** Notre Dame did very little to get its wideouts going and it rarely called plays to push the ball down the field. Notre Dame didn't push the ball vertically until the final drive of the half.
DEFENSE
*** Notre Dame's defense is having three big problems in the first half, beyond Alabama being really good. The Tide game plan has been designed to use quick perimeter throws, and quick game to limit Notre Dame's pass rush. That has gotten the skill players in space and the Irish defenders have done a poor job tackling, they are taking poor angles to the football and the secondary players outside of Hamilton are not staying with the Alabama receivers.
*** Notre Dame is not finishing plays on defense, even when the defensive line is getting a push. On the 53-yard run by Najee Harris, junior DT Jayson Ademilola blew up the run, but Harris bounced, the linebackers couldn't get over top and Nick McCloud whiffed in space.
*** The Irish defensive game plan has been mostly passive, which is allowing Bama to easily throw and complete short gains, which is also negating the Irish pass rush.
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