Notre Dame Football: Report card for win over USC in Week 8

Offense

The Irish offense was impressive in more ways than one against the Trojans, but there was also room for improvement in a few departments. Here’s how Notre Dame’s offense graded out against the Trojans.

Quarterback: B-

Head coach Brian Kelly has been somewhat notorious when it comes to his quarterbacks experiencing a decline in their second year as starters. We’ve seen this on a few occasions and it’s beginning to appear as if Book may be going through something similar, at least at face value.

Book’s performance against USC didn’t do him many favors in changing that narrative as the senior completed just over 50 percent of his passes for 165 yards and one touchdown. Book would do enough to get the Irish the win by adding another 49 yards and a score on the ground, but his aerial output was far from what you’d like to see regardless of the opponent.

All things considered, “doing enough” is often satisfactory when it comes to earning a win over your biggest rival. Besides, outside of completion percentage, many of Book’s stats this year are on par with what he accomplished last year. While Book’s outing was far from perfect, he was effective enough to lead the Irish to a win behind a strong run game.

Running Backs: A+

What more can you ask from a running game? If we’re talking about Notre Dame’s rushing attack against the Trojans, the answer is very little. While the Irish tailbacks weren’t involved in the passing game, they did just about everything else as the main contributors to Notre Dame’s victory.

Despite Jafar Armstrong’s return from an extensive injury, the Irish rushing attack was led by senior Tony Jones Jr.. Jones would rush for a total of 176 yards on 25 carries, the former of which served as a career high. Sophomore Jahmir Smith would add 32 yards on five carries himself, rounding out a strong running game that would finish with 308 total yards.

While the Trojans defense has been far from stout on the ground this season, 308 rushing yards is quite a feat regardless of the opponent. The Irish will hope to build on this performance with the aid of a healthier Armstrong against a Michigan defensive front that has been much less forgiving to opposing running backs this season.

Receivers: B-

After running a heavy passing attack during his time at Memphis, offensive coordinator Chip Long has refined the Irish offense in a way that supports a more balanced approach. In fact, Notre Dame’s matchup with USC marked only the second game all season in which Book has attempted more than 25 passes.

With that said, it’s hard to determine why the Irish passing game has been as inefficient as it has. The majority of the Irish passing attack under Long has centered around short and intermediate routes with the occasional deep ball, leaving those such as Chase Claypool relegated to scripted passes such as fades when safety help is absent.

We’ve seen Claypool put together some impressive outings before, making it hard to put the blame on the receiving corps. Nevertheless, only two Irish wide receivers finished with over 10 yards (Claypool and Chris Finke). It’s a little too early to say we’ve put a finger on the root of these issues, and Saturday’s outing offered little resolution.

What does help curve the receiving grade is the presence of Cole Kmet. Despite missing the first two games of the season, the junior tight end has made a name for himself as the second most productive receiver on the Irish roster. Kmet would finish with 61 yards and a touchdown against USC, joining sophomore Braden Lenzy as the Irish receivers with the most yards from scrimmage on the day.

Offensive Line: A

Any time you rush for a combined 308 yards, chances are your offensive line had a pretty good day. While Jones and Smith used their blocks to perfection, the line should be commended for the holes they opened up and maintained throughout the game.

Liam Eichenberg had himself a fine outing outside of a few plays, as did the majority of the offensive line. Considering it’s impossible to demand perfection at such a gritty position, the offensive line should be proud in knowing that they were among the best positional units against USC.

Aaron Banks was solid in the run game while complementing Eichenberg in pass protection, Jarrett Patterson continued his improvement at center, Tommy Kraemer posted yet another All-American caliber night, and Robert Hainsey did his job in all aspects as well. While this line looked a little shaky to start the season, they’ve really settled in since as displayed in Saturday’s impressive outing.