Happy Thursday - These are your Thursday Tidbits - Miami
“You’ll never get ahead of anyone as long as you try to get even with him.”
Well, this game isn’t exactly as planned. But, then it is. . . .
Instead of having just the second top five match up at Notre Dame Stadium this century, the playoff committee had other plans. While watching ESPN programming is generally a waste of time, the Playoff Selection show is simply empty calories, and it showed why on Tuesday evening.
Perhaps ND’s #11 ranking will serve as inspiration and fuel the fire on Saturday. If it doesn’t, declining the Sun Bowl invitation is in our future. The playoff run has begun for Notre Dame as we prepare for the biggest regular season game in South Bend since 1993.
ESPN’s College GameDay, a formless ratings chaser that is about nothing, will be making its 13th trip to South Bend. The Irish are 7-5 in previous home games featured on the show, which made its first on-campus broadcast at Notre Dame on November 13, 1993, before the Irish defeated #1 Florida State, 31-24.
Notre Dame has nine victories over the AP’s No. 1 team, tied with Miami for second-most nationally behind Alabama’s 11.
“I can't believe that God put us on this earth to be ordinary.”
The Notre Dame Football program will be honoring the late Lou Holtz this weekend.
The University has partnered with Under Armour to create the Holtz Collection line of apparel. The Holtz Collection supports the Holtz Family Foundation and Holtz's Heroes.
Former players who served as team captains during Coach Holtz’s tenure have been invited back to serve as the flag presenters prior to the game against Miami. Some of who are set to attend include Tony Rice, Byron Spruell and Ricky Watters. Coach Holtz and his legacy will be honored during a portion of the halftime band performance as well as during the 1812 Overture at the break between the third and fourth quarters of the game.
Holtz coached the Irish from 1986-1996 and amassed a 100-30-2 record at the helm of the program. He led Notre Dame to the 1988 National Championship after a perfect 12-0 record, which included a 31-30 win over then-ranked No. 1 Miami at Notre Dame Stadium.
“If everybody would evaluate his own life with the same criteria he evaluates the Notre Dame football teams, the world would be a much better place.”
Notre Dame has allowed just two sacks on 257 drop-backs this season, which is the best in the country. CJ Carr has been pressured on just 19.1 percent of his drop-backs, which is second best in the country and he gets the ball out in 2.51 seconds on average.
Notre Dame's success rate on true rushing snaps (which strips out kneels and scrambles etc.) is 54.4 percent, which ranks 18th nationally. This is another way to say the ND run game consistently gains what the down-and-distance asks for.
The Irish rank top 15 in the country in most of the defensive numbers that matter, making them the top ranked defense in the country, allowing just 236 yards and thirteen points per game.
Notre Dame has committed just two turnovers this season: one interception and one fumble lost. That is best in the country.
The Irish lead the country being flagged just 24 times for 231 yards in eight games—an average of three per game. Notre Dame opponents have been flagged 39 times and in their games giving the Irish a +121 yardage differential on penalties.
“If anybody shows anything but great sportsmanship through this game, you won’t play the rest of the year. Not only that, you won’t play the rest of your career here. After the game, if they want to fight in the parking lot, hell yeah. If they do fine. But, I will tell you, you’ve got an afternoon to play and a lifetime to remember. But, you do me one favor, you save Jimmy Johnson’s ass for me.”
The Miami Hurricanes enter Saturday’s contest with a record of 8-0 and ranked #1 in the country. They have the second best offense in the country, averaging 535 yards and 48 points per game. The Canes lead the country in ESPN's strength of record metric. They have played common opponents Stanford and North Carolina, winning both by closer margins than the Irish.
Their QB, Darian Mensah (#10) is completing 81% of his passes, and an astonishing 89% when not pressured (CJ Carr is completing 67% of his passes) His favorite target is Malachi Toney (#1) who is 3rd in the country averaging nine catches and 128 yards per game, catching over 70% of his targets. Through eight games, he has more receptions than any Irish receiver since Will Fuller had in thirteen games. Toney could be the best player in the country, and perhaps the best to come to ND stadium since Reggie Bush. Miami averages 202 yards rushing per game.
BREAKING NEWS: TONEY IS OUT WITH A HIGH ANKLE SPRAIN THAT REQUIRES SURGERY!!!!!!!
While Miami has one of the best pass rushes in the country, averaging three sacks per game, they are vulnerable. For as good as they are overall, they struggle in a big way defending the pass. While the Canes have only allowed 252 passing yards against per game, they give up just over 7.6 yards per pass attempt this year. That is 122nd nationally. Florida St. and UNC threw for a combined 639 yards and eight touchdowns in back-to-back weeks against the Hurricanes.
The U was founded in 1925. Famous alumni include Rocky Balboa, a Beverly Hillbilly, The Rock, the actor who portrayed Shoeless Joe Jackson, Murray Goldberg from the Goldberg’s, a bunch of Star Trek characters, the son of Bob Marley, the former tour manager of the Rolling Stones, Bruce Hornsby, Gloria Estefan, Patty Sciafla of the legendary E-STREET BAND, a Doobie Brother, a Bee Gee, numerous ESPN personalities, Osama Bin Laden’s half brother and Ray Lewis.
“I felt that was unfair because not all of our team was Catholic”
Notre Dame Stadium will be at its boiling point on Saturday night. The game will mark the 29th meeting between Notre Dame and Miami. The series stands at an 18-9-1 all-time advantage for the Irish who are 9-1 against the Canes at Notre Dame Stadium. South Bend is expecting over 150,000 people to visit the campus this weekend.
The early line on the game was ND -5.5 with an O/U of 57.5. ESPN's FPI currently gives Notre Dame a 61.3% chance to beat Miami at home. Kalshi predictions give ND a 65% chance to win. The weather at game time is going to be in the low 40’s with a chance of rain.
While it is cliche, this game will come down to line play. Can Miami get pressure on Carr? Can the Irish run effectively against the Canes? Can ND get pressure on Mensah rushing only four? Toney is going to get his catches and yards. He will be closely watched by an injured Leonard Moore in what will be a classic one on one match up. Both teams are loaded with talent and are facing their biggest test of the year.
For the Irish, the schematic decisions of Chris Ash in recent weeks, the lack of creativity from Denbrock’s play calling, and the limited ability of the Irish receivers are all reason for serious concern—real serious concern.
In a contest that resembles the “Bush Push” game, expect a high scoring affair. Unfortunately, if that is the case, the Irish may be in trouble.
In the words of Lou Holtz, “You might not be able to outthink, out-market or outspend your competition, but you can outwork them.”
That is what the Irish are going to have to do to salvage their playoff aspirations.
Those are your Thursday Tidbits - Miami
Stay thirsty, my friends.
Go Otters and Go Irish!
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