Notre Dame Football: 5 overreactions from win over Boston College
By Jacob Wilson
1. The pass rush is an issue for Notre Dame
While that was certainly the case in this game, it shouldn’t be an indication of their future play. Every unit is going to have a bad day once in a while, and that’s what may have taken place for the Irish this week.
What concerned most fans about the defensive line’s difficulty in getting to the quarterback was the fact that they were facing a patched-up Boston College offensive line. Eagle linemen Jon Baker (out for the season with a knee injury) and Shane Leonard both missed their week three matchup with the Irish, providing an even more enticing matchup for the Notre Dame front.
However, the Irish were unable to capitalize on the depleted offensive line as they were only able to record one sack on the day. Their lone sack came when Boston College quarterback Anthony Brown tripped over the leg of his right guard, essentially defaulting the sack to Jerry Tillery.
The Irish were able to add three hurries on the day courtesy of Julian Okwara, Jonathan Bonner, and Khalid Kareem. These stats can sometimes be skewed when facing a quarterback who doesn’t drop back often, but Brown attempted 40 passes on the day, providing plenty of opportunity for the Irish to bring him to the ground.
Not helping matters was the loss of junior Elijah Taylor to a foot injury in the team’s loss to Georgia a week ago. Taylor is an explosive player who has been sidelined recently with an assortment of injuries, but will now be out even longer with a fractured foot.
Resiliency will be the word for the Irish defensive line in 2017, as they will serve as the first line of defense throughout the season. They got off to a great start this year, making this game look more like a fluke than anything else.
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The Irish defensive line racked up 21 tackles on the day, a good sign regarding their ability to penetrate a struggling offensive line. While the lack of sacks is certainly frustrating given the competition, it’s not a reason to panic just yet.